Search: Dossier X

Le Guess Who?-curator Patrick Higgins, visual artist Matthew Schreiber and choreographer Monica Mirabile will present the European premiere of their awe-inspired audiovisual project DOSSIER X, immersi...

Since 2021, Berlin’s Refuge Worldwide has grown into an important community radio and cultural hub, spreading cutting-edge music with a clear mission of solidarity and social activism. As such,...

Since 2021, Berlin’s Refuge Worldwide has grown into an important community radio and cultural hub, spreading cutting-edge music with a clear mission of solidarity and social activism. As such,...

Free parties were on the forefront of electronics since the birth of acid-house. Traveling D.I.Y. community’s like Spiral Tribe and MononoM are synonymous with underground and non-conforming sou...

Prepare yourselves for a special event: Pixel Paradise x Something Happening Somewhere, unfolding within the cozy confines of dB’s. This one-of-a-kind event is brought to you by Something Happen...

A multimedia collective that includes members from different cities, ethnicities and origins, Crack Cloud express themselves through quirky, pungent songs filled with adventurous spirit. Loud And...

VULVA and Acidic Male may both hail from the Rotterdam, but they are very different; whereas duo VULVA trade sludge and garage punk amongst themselves, interdisciplinary artist Acidic Male operates so...

Le Guess Who? x Kapitaal x Stranded FM present: The Official Hang-out. Through live music, radio dj-sets, talks, art exhibitions, printing and all things that scream print and sound, Kapitaal will tra...

In honor of 900 years of Utrecht, the moment the city was born, No Man’s Land and U? are organizing a one-off musical trip through time. Leonard Luka, GINGE (ft. .Multibeat) and STACH x TANO are...

For this unique crossover, two worlds collide; that of dragonchild, the solo project of Debo Band’s Ethio-American saxophonist D.A. Mekonnen, and that of Sunken Cages, the moniker of Indian-born...

Bouldering is a fiery and spectacular form of climbing. A boulder is a clump of rock, and bouldering literally means climbing a rock. Since there are no rocks in the Netherlands, we climb walls with a...

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new collaboration was initiated between Amenra's Colin H. van Eeckhout and idiosyncratic folk artist broeder Dieleman. With a live premiere scheduled at LGW that year, unfortunately this has to be cancelled last-minute due to COVID restrictions, but the duo did record a collaborative album, support...

Every first Monday of the month, COSMOS broadcasts episodes of their radio show on Refuge Worldwide, highlighting their deep-running network of partners from around the world. On Monday, 2 September, from 4-6 PM, COSMOS returns with two new episodes. Buh Records The first hour is curated by Peruvian avant-garde stalwarts Buh Records who...

De Saffier en Kaffeetaria will get wild! Together, they are showcasing their most valuable gemstones on their own stage. They will host an extensive and eclectic collection of singer-songwriters, DJs,...

Rightfully celebrated for ‘Three Phase’, his 2020 LP that presented a powerful new take on the country’s Mahraganat/Shaabi sound, Cairo-based electronic booth magician 3Phaz has inch...

Rightfully celebrated for ‘Three Phase’, his 2020 LP that presented a powerful new take on the country’s Mahraganat/Shaabi sound, Cairo-based electronic booth magician 3Phaz has inch...

Pianist, sound artist and multi-instrumentalist Dirar Kalash works across a wide range of musical and sonic practices, moving between composed and improvised forms of free jazz and avant-garde. His wo...

As J-E-T-S, producer compadres Jimmy Edgar and Machinedrum (Travis Stewart) developed a project that’s a wee bit more complex than your average cross-pollination of ideas. By applying their comm...

Matana Roberts and Jessica Moss have been close friends and collaborators for nearly two decades. Though they have pursued different career paths, they have remained linked at heart. Because they've r...

Coucou Chloe's malformed take on pop music is as mind-melting as it is urgent, ripping the elements of hip-hop, industrial, sampling and electro-pop asunder. The French artist and producer is also the co-founder of burgeoning label/collective NUXXE, and some of the tracks released via the label have also found their way onto fashion week...

Ian Brennan is a GRAMMY-winning producer and author. He has released seven books and has produced over thirty-eight international records in the past decade from across four continents including the c...

Tata Janashia (Mutant Radio, Georgia) and Rana Ghose (REProduce, India) both host LGW Embassies during this edition of COSMOS. Both are forward-thinking organizers who try to enrich their local cultur...

With the addition of noiserockband Howrah's Cees van Appeldoorn and Bart Schotman, Space Siren's ensemble, led by Gwendolien Douglas, Aico Turba, and Ineke Duivenvoorde, continues to flourish. Now a q...

The Hof van Cartesius is a unique circular work spot for more than 100 makers and entrepreneurs. It is also an incubator for new talent, a hub for experiment and a meeting space for the local communit...

Ali I. H. Taqi, aka 00970, is a Palestinian sound designer and DJ, graphic designer and the co-founder of Zilzal Platform. 00970 is an electronic musician who shifts back and forth between clubbing an...

COSMOS, our global music community, is a hybrid platform designed to be experienced digitally and IRL. As such, we’ll offer multiple ways of getting involved online and onsite during Le Guess Who? 2024. Here’s how:

For a newly developed special project Le Guess Who? is collaborating with Utrecht Art Academy’s ‘Music & Technology’ department to produce an experimental showcase, which will be...

Josephine Zwaan, artist, producer, researcher and founder of a platform for female and non-binary music producers named Rosetta will lead a conversation with Deborah X, one of the founders of DJ and p...

On the same day as his Nick León b2b, LA-based abstract electronic music icon Kelman Duran is linking up with multi-faceted artist Franziska Aigner, AKA FRANKIE. There is a lot of crossover in...

Ramallah, Palestine-based interdisciplinary artist Julmud collaborates with British-Palestinian movement creative Sasha Shadid on a piece that speaks about the aesthetics of the Cremisan Valley in Pal...

Reading Counterpower is an initiative that emerged from True Counterpower to gather and learn from the tools that revolutionary movements from all over the world have offered. It is a space for collec...

Long captivated by Jaar’s music, Ali Sethi found a space in their collaboration for sonic exploration that seduces, challenges and redefines identities. Composer and performer Sethi blends tradi...

‘The Invaders’ talks about a generation of civil rights activists who originated from Memphis in 1967, consisting of students, Vietnam veterans, musicians and intellectuals who were inspir...

Crack Cloud is a rather peculiar project: a multimedia collective that includes members from different cities, ethnicities and origins. Their debut release ‘Anchoring Point’ is based aroun...

Along with Shy Girl and Sega Bodega, French artist and producer Coucou Chloe is the co-founder of burgeoning label/collective NUXXE. Her malformed take on pop music is as mind-melting as it is urgent,...

Theater Kikker x U? presents The EarIn the 30-minute one-on-one performance Sensory Sensation Series No.1 – The Ear, the ear of the participant is central. The participant, the ear and the...

Jonny Nash began his career whilst living in Japan during the 2000’s, releasing his first records on Kenji Takimi’s seminal label Crue-l. Relocating to London, Nash released a number of re...

Kaðlín is a composer based in The Hague, whose work reflects on deterioration by drawing parallels between the imperfections of memory and technology. She creates ethereal soundscapes by co...

Omit Iwik (Iris van der Sluis) is an ambient and experimental DJ and musician from Utrecht. Through soundscapes of manipulated field recordings, collected sounds, samples and guitar loops, Omit Iwik t...

In partnership with Oroko Radio.  Oroko is a not-for-profit independent internet radio station based in Accra, Ghana. We aim to connect, inspire and empower through conversation, collaboration a...

Come and see artworks made by Utrecht-based artists from the Kunstuitleen Utrecht collection and listen to the music Honingbeer made inspired by these works. What happens when you look at art while li...

Driven by chance and unpredictability, Utrecht-based artist Gert Wessels creates work that emerges intuitively and reactively. In his process, form takes precedence, without being guided by a rigid th...

Multidisciplinary artist and researcher Joshua Schoonen will take over SETUP, a venue where artists and experts from various disciplines work to develop installations, images and vocabulary that make...

Zahira Fiqi Banafsaji (FIQI) was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since a young age, she has always been interested in dancing and performing arts. She has experience in dancing Indonesian tradi...

B3CKI is a DJ, visual artist, and aspiring musician from Jakarta, Indonesia based in Cologne, Germany. As a DJ, B3CKI's sets always include hard-hitting drums mixed together with distortion, deconstru...

A mixture of essences is what u can expect when you hear DJ C4MPURS4R1 on the decks. Inspired by traditional and modern sounds, they'll deliver something where your body can't help but to move.

DJ, producer, wide web digger mesin slat plays with music and sounds like shadow play - giving sonic outline but neva borders. One second you think it's gamelan (traditional Indonesian percussion orch...

Based between Amsterdam and Berlin, Insan Larasati is a community organizer, DJ, designer and inclusivity officer. With artist Shasti Andara they founded Nusaqueer Diaspora, an open-structured collect...

GINGE has just released the album ‘Playing Around,’ on which she uses (Joy Crookes and Snoh Aalagra inspired) hip-hop and R&B to talk about playfulness in life and love.This program is...

Birth of Manuel is a Faxe-powered punk band from the Utrecht underground scene. Founded by members of Throwing Bricks, Ontaard (performed at U? 2023) and Ciao Bon Jovi Jon Bon Jon Jovi Jon, with the g...

Zelfkant's music plays with tension and relaxation, with long, slow builds that lead to intense, sonic bursts, only to return to serene, minimalist passages.  The music feels both meditative and...

Tony the Sick Pony makes experimental music that mixes and mashes genres, creating a high energy set. His self-described 'neo-jungle cut music' style incorporates sampled elements of dub,  jungle...

Charity Charly is a self-taught filmmaker and artist who focuses on making the invisible layers in society visible. She is currently working on her debut as a director for her first film ‘Tra Fa...

I.L.L.N.O.L.E.D.G.E. is an acronym for: Intuitive, Limitless, Liberal-minded, New-fangled, Original, Luminous, Educative, Dedicated, Genuine, Elevators. The duo, consisting of brothers Steve Hartley a...

S*an D. Henry-Smith is a poet, photographer, performer and collaborative practitioner, engaging the legacy of Black diasporic experimentalisms.This performance is part of the program curated by Raziya...

Chasing a sense of connection, LYZZA has been world-building and paving her way towards a sense of belonging through music in the age of information. The electro-pop avant-gardist slips into a surreal...

Sri Lankan multi-disciplinary artist Tehani Amarasuriya and Minneapolis-born, Rotterdam-based co-creater of a tattoo, textile, and photography studio - dedicated to providing gender affirming, body em...

Dianne Verdonk, Michelle Vossen and Roald van Dillewijn present and perform their new interactive installation bromwol. Literally meaning humming wool, they have mainly experimented with carded wool m...

Wilfred Guerrero is the heart and soul of El Dragón Turbo Láser, one of Colombia’s most iconic picós. Inherited from his father, who founded the system in the 1960s, it serv...

The music of V/Z might as well be a hallucinatory experience, an unidentified box full of postcards. They depict boats in East London, dusty Italian scenarios from the 70s, turmoil in Baltimore, an ad...

Representing the cutting edge of Istanbul’s vibrant improvisational music scene, this brand new trio tells stories of humanity, spirituality and community. Through the tension of jazz experiment...

Percussionist and composer Tumi Mogorosi is in the vanguard of the South African creative music scene’s burgeoning outernational dimension. He took the drummer’s chair in multiple boundary...

For over a decade, visionary multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge has been redefining contemporary music through his work in the recording studio Linear Labs, the cultural imprint of multimedia platfor...

Studying percussions and clarinet since very young, at age of 10 Tomoki Sanders was gifted a saxophone by their father Pharoah. Since then, tenor sax became Tomoki’s primary instrument, making t...

From the warm cocoon of Dream of the Egg begins the new, deeply personal, journey of Tomo Katsurada, known for his work with the Japanese psychedelic band Kikagaku Moyo. It’s the first of five a...

With a brush dipped in optimism, Tiago Caetano paints the melancholic Breton coast to turn it into the colourful palette of Brazil; luckily that warm wind will blow all the way to Utrecht for Le Guess...

Rooted in the Colombian Caribbean’s sound system culture, Edna Martinez crafts expansive, powerful sonic journeys where African, Caribbean and Arab rhythms converge. Based in Berlin, the DJ, pro...

Across 24 years, sound and multimedia artist Raven Chacon has built an extraordinary body of work, appearing in over eighty solo and collaborative appearances, including with the influential collectiv...

Nayi Lokura, also known as La Crespa del Perreo, is a live performer who has carved out her space in the underground picó world of the Colombian Caribbean, traditionally dominated by men. Drawi...

Some music instruments carry a whole world of tradition, faith and culture. It’s the case of the tanbur, a millenia-old lute strongly tied to the city of Kermanshah (western Iran). Its practice...

As a meticulous producer of hyper-detailed IDM soundscapes and disassembled dubstep tracks, Objekt has an unpredictable and unique approach to DJing. Feeding off spontaneity and crowd energy, he could...

The phenomenal rapper Lady Lykez is a veteran MC hailing from North London. Her dynamic force and razor-sharp words showcase an innate ability to command the stage and capture the audience. Beginning...

Powerful, inventive and fiercely danceable, the music of The Zawose Queens contains spirit and fire. There's the vibrations of the ancestors, coming through on traditional instruments — soaring...

Inspired by the deep, resonant tones of the wooden percussion instrument semantron, the performance Dive Into You unfolds as an oracle, seeking to connect us with our most secret and tender part, unde...

With her new album, Dracones, Istanbul sound artist Hüma Utku ventures through chaos, transformation and the intimate unknown. As medieval explorers would mark uncharted, dangerous places on maps...

HULUBALANG is the latest project from inventive electronic producer, sound artist, label founder and DJ Kasimyn, known as one-half of Gabber Modus Operandi. Driven by the urge to experiment, the proje...

Saxophonist Gary Bartz is a jazz master who has shaped the history and evolution of the genre since the 1960s. One of the best purveyors of what he calls “informal composition” (as opposed...

Composer and conceptual artist Fatima Al Qadiri is multi-disciplinary talent whose one-of-a-kind work bridges electronic productions, movie soundtracks and visual arts. Mainstream Western pop and the...

The inception of wild ensemble Earth Ball was serendipitous: they emerged from Vancouver Island embracing complete improvisation, free expression and a truly psychedelic sound. Each member brings a di...

BCLIP is a multidisciplinary artist, DJ, producer, curator and live performer. His journey began in his teenage years, influenced by the diverse sounds of Colombian sound systems and the underground s...

You don’t often hear ominous droney landscapes coming from traditional instruments. In the specific case of Carme López, Galician bagpipes move through a totally unknown field, disconnect...

Sought after for her adventurous and protean DJing style, Ciel is an innovative producer and selector whose sets incorporate a diversity of genres she loves, from drum & bass and house to electro...

“The past meets the future in the present” in this urgent collaboration, born at the roots of the Nile, between turntablist and producer Mutamassik, and vocalist and narrator Lengai Loita....

Like a lucid dream, the chants of multidisciplinary artist and musician Daisy Rickman intertwine a mystical connection between an ode to her Cornwall and the cosmos that holds us. The singer-songwrite...

Zigzagging across abstract electronica and noise, from dub and reggae to jungle, rave, grime and dubstep, GOTH-TRAD’s sound is in constant motion. Since the late 90s, his activity and influence...

The eclectic practice of artist and musician Klein has found home at a variety of different locations. Museums, galleries, yards, squats and pubs have welcomed her projects, reflecting the varied and...

Layered vocals, electronic experimentation, field recordings and film intertwine for a special performance influenced by the present, to imagine a sonic future for Palestine. Experimental singer-songw...

PRAM’s sound is driven by an innovative rhythm section, where the drums pulse with command, while the bass grooves with a deep, experimental edge, exploring everything from krautrock to dub. A d...

Can samba carry a message of redemption? With his celebratory albums Curyman and Curyman II, Rogê seeks to spread joy, “so that we don’t give in to sadness, to laziness, to a lack of...

Step into an audiovisual realm of words as mirrors, in a framework of clatter. Welcome to Voice Actor’s pavilion. Surrounded by offering of poetry and recorded introspections, a small-scale cons...

Balancing noise experimentation and pop vocal hooks, the music of Alpha Maid sounds like instinct brought to life: raw, urgent and a very necessary expression. As a guitarist, vocalist and producer sh...

Dancer and performer Kianí del Valle brings us the performance DE BRUJAS Y FANTASMAS, scored by experimental composer Ziúr. The captivating piece (whose title translates to Of Witches an...

The harmonies of singer-songwriter Luisa Almaguer flow with the warmth and vibrancy of a celebration shared with the chosen family. Drawing from Mexican musical traditions, her voice carries both stre...

Multi-instrumentalist Yara Asmar is set to mesmerise listeners in the flesh. Her whimsical and haunting pieces showcase intimate glances into the world of the musician - also a video artist, puppeteer...

Le Guess Who? aficionados are certainly familiar with the work of multi-talented artist Alabaster DePlume, whose instrumental and lyrical creations radiate healing and empathy. Often joined on stage b...

Belfast-born polymath, Calibre, has spent three decades immersed in a creative journey spanning various artistic realms as a painter, multi-instrumentalist, singer, writer, producer, and DJ. Across 23...

With immersive bass drones and striking video projections, emptyset creates captivating audiovisual experiences that push the boundaries of electronic sound and architectural audiovisual. The multidis...

Singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist keiyaA synthesizes her jazz training, R&B sensibilities, and hip-hop upbringing to create new soul sounds inundated with her powerful, sultry...

Get ready for a great reggae celebration with the exceptional vocal harmonies of The Congos. As one of the last iconic Jamaican bands to retain their original lineup since the 1970s, they embody unity...

When Blueberry Boat (2004) was released, Pitchfork described it as “a record for the overgrown part of our brain that craves engrossing complexity”. At the time, The Fiery Furnaces, consis...

As punk and grunge continue to resonate across generations, post-hardcore band Unwound are leaving a mark in every decade they’re touching. Formed in 1991 in the Pacific Northwest, they lit up t...

By Tianzhuo Chen & Siko Setyanto & Nova Ruth & KadapatLe Guess Who? 2025 guest curator Tianzhuo Chen brings a multidisciplinary, multi-layered performance to the festival that weaves toget...

Poet, musician, actor and director Saul Williams is the groundbreaking artist who introduced the world to the slam poetry movement–with the film Slam (1998)–and a vital voice in alternativ...

Vital and exciting, the music of Assiko Golden Band de Grand Yoff is rooted in a very specific community, Dakar’s nightlife scene, but speaks to the world. For twenty years and across three gene...

Le Guess Who? 2019 saw the European premiere of Dossier X: an immersive audio-visual collaboration between composer and festival curator Patrick Higgins, installation artist Matthew Schreiber, and choreographer Monica Mirabile.  Inside of Matthew Schreiber’s lightning sculpture in TivoliVredenburg's Grote Zaal, performers...

One of this year's special projects at Le Guess Who? 2019 takes place tonight: the European premiere of Dossier X, an immersive audio-visual collaboration between composer Patrick Higgins, installation artist Matthew Schreiber, and choreographer Monica Mirabile.  Inside of Matthew Schreiber’s laser sculpture, musician, da...

Following our initial line-up announcement in May, we're now pleased to reveal the full curated programs by Fatoumata Diawara and Iris van Herpen & Salvador Breed for the festival, as well as new additions for Moon Duo, Patrick Higgins, and The Bug curations. We're also announcing Príncipe Discos and Spazio Disponibil...

New York-based composer and guitarist Patrick Higgins has been exploring the possibilities and limits of music throughout his career. His latest album 'Dossier', which was released last year through Nicolas Jaar's label Other People, was recorded live without overdubs or edits. 'Dossier' deals with themes of alienation and individua...

Gonzo (circus), het Vlaams-Nederlandse magazine voor vernieuwende muziek en andere kunstvormen, is al jarenlang een partner van Le Guess Who?. Dit jaar presenteren ze een speciaal LGW21 dossier met interviews uit hun archieven met Space Afrika, Duma, Spill Gold, Angel Bat Dawid, Jessica Moss, Matana Roberts en Vladislav Delay. Daarnaast p...

Inlezen voor Le Guess Who? 2019 kan nu ook dankzij de Volkskrant: zij bieden je een online special rondom het festival met verdieping bij het bijzondere programma dit jaar, met onder meer aanraders, recensies en interviews met artiesten. In het online dossier van de Volkskrant onder andere: een reportage over haute couture in Parijs...

VPRO's 3VOOR12 captured the full performances on video. Relive the performances: Elza Soares live at Le Guess Who? 2016: Digable Planets live at Le Guess Who? 2016: Julia Holter live at Le Gues...

Gonzo (circus) is een Vlaams-Nederlands magazine voor vernieuwende muziek en andere kunstvormen, en is al jarenlang partner van Le Guess Who?. In aanloop naar LGW22 presenteert Gonzo (circus) nu een dossier met interviews met en artikelen over onder andere GNOD, billy woods, Divide and Dissolve en Liz Harris (The Garbage Man). Ook is er e...

For U? 2023, Utrecht-based collective ZENITH and independent, Palestinian sound platform Zilzal join forces at the former Pieter Baan Centrum that serves as a powerful channel for 00970, gbw9, RAGASA, and Noise Diva to express their “current mental situation.” Photographer Rogier Boogaard documented a part of the artists ZENIT...

For the April episode of COSMOS' monthly, globe-traversing radio show on Refuge Worldwide, we're bridging the gap between new currents in Egyptian club music and their traditional roots.  For this mix, our Embassy partners from Cairo, Khaled and Yunis, connected us with DJ/producer Shah, who represents Kafr El-Dauwar Records, an ind...

Like last year, Utrecht’s beloved independent print workshop Kapitaal will transform into the official Festival Hang Out during Le Guess Who? 2019.  Through live interviews, listening sessions, art exhibitions with select LGW? performers and all things print and sound, Kapitaal will transform into a three-day meeting...

Following the release of their debut album 'For the first time' earlier this year, the enigmatic Black Country, New Road now display a new, more intimate side of the band with a stripped back and acoustic version of their single 'Track X', retitled into 'Track X (Guest)'. Listen below.  "This version is where the lyri...

This year, Kapitaal returns as the official Le Guess Who? 2021 Hangout. Utrecht's beloved independent print workshop collaborates with Kickstarter and Stranded FM to bring you a program with radio and DJ sets, interviews, live sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, and all things print & sound from Friday 12 November till Sunday...

London-based seven-piece band Black Country, New Road have released a new song from their upcoming debut LP 'For The First Time', to be released February 5th via Ninja Tune.  Vocalist and guitarist Isaac Wood states that 'Track X' was first worked on back in 2018 but never made it to Black Country New Road's live performances. ...

Utrecht's beloved independent print workshop, Kapitaal, collaborates with Stranded FM and Julian Brimmers to host the official Le Guess Who? 2022 Hangout through all things print and sound. The program includes radio and DJ sets, artist interviews, live sessions, art exhibitions, film screenings, and print-making from Friday 11 November -...

COSMOS is Le Guess Who?’s globe-spanning initiative that amplifies exciting music scenes from around the world through films, interviews, performances, and artist residencies. We now reveal the full 2023 line-up, after previously announcing the Embassies and COSMOS Live, the first-ever live program, to be presented at Le Guess Who?...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes in Cairo, Egypt We speak to former LGW artist Yunis and B-62's Khaled Bargona about their highly creative film produced for the latest COSMOS edition. Here, we learn more about Cairo’s post-revolution music scene; how the artists that are featured in the film are creating a space for themselves in Cairo&rs...

We’re thrilled to share the video of AEAEA (Nicolas Jaar x Patrick Higgins)’s live premiere at Le Guess Who? 2019. AEAEA is the recent collaboration of two of today’s most acclaimed musical visionaries; in 2019, Le Guess Who? proudly presented the duo’s live premiere as part of Patrick Higgins’ curation at th...

Test your sustainable or social innovation at Le Guess Who? 2023Test jouw duurzame of sociale innovatie op Le Guess Who? 2023

Every first Monday of the month, COSMOS broadcasts episodes of their radio show on Refuge Worldwide, highlighting their deep-running network of partners from around the world. On Monday, 7 October, from 2-4 PM, COSMOS returns with two new episodes. LE 18 For the first hour, we tapped our 2024 Embassy partners LE 18 for a guided tour thr...

Le Guess Who? and COSMOS are excited to announce the continuation of their partnership with Berlin-based community radio Refuge Worldwide in 2025. Together, we will once again present sounds and stories from around the world, hand-picked by local artists. Since 2021, Refuge Worldwide has become an important community radio and cultural h...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters with foreign roots introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migrants i...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migrants in the city of Utrecht, b...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters with foreign roots introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migrants i...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters with foreign roots introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migrants i...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters with foreign roots introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migra...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters with foreign roots introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migra...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters with foreign roots introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migra...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters with foreign roots introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migra...

Le Guess Who? is proud to welcome both artists and visitors of many different nationalities to Utrecht each year. In collaboration with SPEAK, we started a new video series in which Utrechters with foreign roots introduce an artist on the Le Guess Who? 2021 line-up from their country. SPEAK connects locals, newcomers and migra...

2019 marks the year that radical fashion designer Iris van Herpen and her partner, sound artist Salvador Breed, have been working together for 10 years. To celebrate their Anniversary, Iris and Salvador curated their very own program at Le Guess Who? 2019. It developed into a lineup of artists and performances symbolizing I...

For the third time Le Guess Who? has initiated an educational project in collaboration with four different local high schools. 131 pupils delved into the program of Le Guess Who? 2019 during their art classes. The pupils formed duos and chose an artist from this year’s line-up, for whom they designed a new visual product based on th...

Jah Shaka is an absolute pioneer in sound system culture and has been spreading his message of love and spirituality across the world for over 40 years. On Saturday, 9 November, he will bring his legendary dubs to Le Guess Who? for a 4-hour set, performing on Krackfree Soundsystem, a collective operating from Eindhoven. The soundsystem c...

This year, Le Guess Who? collaborates with Corderius College in Amersfoort in an educational project. Pupils were asked to choose one of the artists from this year’s line-up, and explore their background and inspiration. Based on this, they created a new visual image or product for the artist. Here's what they have to say about AMM...

This year, LGW is collaborating with IDFA, one of the world's leading documentary events. IDFA believes in the power of documentary film as a high-quality, artistic form of information and reflection. We’re presenting a film program on Friday, Saturday & Sunday during LGW22. This program is screened at Slachtstraat Filmtheater...

There's lots of Le Guess Who? to hear this week on BBC Radio.  First off, on Friday night (November 22 at 23:00 GMT), BBC Radio 3's Late Junction will premiere audio recordings of Ethiopian funk legend Ayalew Mesfin's first ever European live performance at Le Guess Who? 2019, as well as a section of the live premiere of AEAEA at th...

Eigen Risico is the project from the multidisciplinary artist Héctor Garcia Martin also known as Hache. Initially formed as a collective where live art performance and music melted into an intense live show, Héctor now decided to go solo. He now shares his new single en mil piezas me partí. How to rebuild yourself af...

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) Amsterdam dance-punk quartet Baby’s Berserk releases their self-titled debut album via Berlin’s Toy Tonics label. Drawing inspiration from the eighties' new wave and indie dance music, the album, composed by Mano Hollestelle, boasts highly associative lyrics from Puggy Beales a...

On Friday, 8 November 2024, the compilation album Chromesthesia: the Colour of Sound Vol. 1 is set to be released. Brainchild of British-Egyptian historian Hannah Elsisi (NYU AD, Cambridge), Chromesthesia—aptly named "the colour of sound"— tracks afro-diasporic rhythms from the Whole Mangrove World. Now, the first single from...

Ever since 1982, The Wire stands out as one of the best independent, in-depth print and online music magazines. The Wire celebrates and interrogates the most visionary and inspiring, subversive and radical, marginalized and undervalued musicians on the planet, past and present.  Leading up to Le Guess Who? 2024 we're very honored to...

For the May episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we're checking the pulse of Istanbul’s creative scene in the midst of crisis, and reconnect with the bustling underground in the MENA region.  Our sonic guides this time are IDGK, an Istanbul-based collective and production company, and our long-time partners fr...

We're very excited that this year, Le Guess Who? will coincide again (for the first time since 2018) with the Mega Record & CD Fair (November 13 & 14 in Utrecht), which is Europe’s biggest record fair. As a preview for both the festival as well as the fair, we're collaborating with The Quietus on a new series where we...

In the weekend of 14 & 15 November, Dutch broadcaster VPRO Vrije Geluiden recorded live sessions with artists who were supposed to perform at LGW OFF. At Utrecht's De Nijverheid, Vrije Geluiden captured performances of Indu Panday, Andy Moor & Yannis Kyriakides, and Sun-Mi Hong & Alistair Payne.  For many years Le G...

Time to get your anticipation fully going: leading up to Le Guess Who? 2022, dublab, a platform for discovery and the cultivation of next-wave music, arts and culture, shares three showcase mixes put together by the festival’s program-team. 

You can also listen to this story – below or via your favorite podcast app. Words & audio by Cheri PercyPhotography by Tengbeh Kamara   Rotterdam based-DJ collective AMPFEMININE scours its diverse database to bring an evening of fresh feminine energy to this year’s Le Guess Who? proving that female and non-b...

Test your sustainable or social innovation at Le Guess Who? 2023Test jouw duurzame of sociale innovatie op Le Guess Who? 2023

Phantom Wizard is an artist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist of Surinamese descent who is born and raised in the Dutch capital. He embarks on a deeply personal yet profoundly universal journey, punctuated by experimentation and improvisation. Nature, afrofuturism, jazz, and hip-hop have come together to form his ethereal work. He use...

Nusantara Beat are a psych-groove sextet from Amsterdam. The group has quickly amassed a cult following, largely due to the deep connection to their Indonesian roots and a passion for honoring their cultural heritage. Photography by Juri Hiensch

Rotterdam's Neighbours Burning Neighbours, known for their malformed brand of noise-pop, are masters of discord-turned-harmony. After three years, we can now celebrate their much-anticipated return in the form of new single Neil Young.The band, which consists of some of Rotterdam's most idiosyncratic rock makers Daanie van den IJssel, Kat...

(scroll naar beneden voor de Nederlandse tekst) NAR and 3voor12 Utrecht have wanted to collaborate for a long time, and now, it’s finally happening. The program contains music with influences from different countries and various music styles. The bands and music are both challenging and exciting, aligning with the festival’s...

Rotterdam-based post-punk outfit Library Card effortlessly distinguishes itself within the city's already rich guitar music scene. The band's latest single, Cognitive Dissonance, perfectly encapsulates the essence of post-punk: angular guitar riffs, angsty spoken-word vocals, and an undeniable, incendiary charisma. Library Card comprises...

Khorshid Dadbeh is an Iranian instrumentalist, improviser and composer based in Rotterdam. She presents her music by performing Tanbour, Tar, and Setar. Tanbour music belongs to the category of mystic and Sufi music that has more than five thousand years of history behind it. She learned this music from the masters who formed a bridge bet...

Nusantara Beat is an Amsterdam-based six-piece, consisting of members of EUT, Altın Gün, Jungle By Night, POM and Surf Aid-Kit. Through Swiss label Les Disques Bongo Joe and Indonesian label La Munai Records (who are also one of our COSMOS Embassies this year), they now announce the release of their second EP, on which they breathe n...

Sydney Lowell is a creative spirit, human, artist and entrepreneur from Amsterdam. She mainly operates as a poet, but recently started incorporating music and movement into her creative practice. Next to that, she’s a teacher, voice actor, host, and co-founder/producer of creative platforms We The People and 2PHRASE. Sydney sees...

French indie-pop band Keep Dancing Inc debuts on Dutch Radio with a live-session at 3voor12 Radio.

COSMOS was born out of Le Guess Who?’s mission to platform adventurous sounds that have the power to enrich lives. It’s a hub for experimentation and inspiration, and an ever-expanding network of creative minds. Through films, interviews, performances, and artist residencies, COSMOS connects international music communities and...

Behind the Scenes is the new series by COSMOS, Le Guess Who?’s hybrid platform, in which we dive into local stories from across the world together with our global partners. Here, we talk to the people behind the video content that was created for the latest COSMOS installment to learn more about their local cultural scenes; their c...

COSMOS: Behind the Scenes with Liquid Architecture In 'Behind the Scenes', COSMOS dives into local stories from across the world together with our global partners. For over two decades, Liquid Architecture has grown from a student project to Australia’s premier festival for experimental and avant-garde music. In its current form,...

U?, het gratis toegankelijke stadsprogramma van Le Guess Who?, kondigt met enthousiasme een nieuwe samenwerking met Music Moves aan. Music Moves is een trainingsprogramma waarin je een eigen muziek event organiseert voor mensen die daar niet vanzelfsprekend toegang tot hebben. De dansvloer is vrijheid, een plek om elkaar te ontdekken en...

Every first Monday of the month, COSMOS broadcasts episodes of their radio show on Refuge Worldwide, highlighting their deep-running network of partners from around the world. On Monday, 5 August, from 5-7 PM, COSMOS returns with two new episodes. The first hour is curated by our friends from POP Montreál. The iconic Canadian fest...

This week, COSMOS and Refuge Worldwide are bringing their ongoing partnership to life during Le Guess Who? 2024. Taking over the Pandora Foyer in TivoliVredenburg, this collaborative 4-day broadcast will be full of in-depth interviews, deep listening and dancefloor-ready DJ sets. Hosted by Refuge Worldwide’s own Richard Akingbehin,...

COSMOS, our hybrid platform highlighting independent music scenes from around the world, is launching its very own bulletin on Substack. Every month we will share in-depth stories, artist conversations, radio shows, recordings, films and more. The first edition will be sent on Sunday, 18 May. Kicking things off, we’re heading to Is...

For the June episodes of COSMOS' monthly show on Refuge Worldwide, we’re exploring the sounds of Iceland and Ireland with two of Europe’s finest independent community radios. Brought to us via our 2024 Embassy ICRN, both Seyðisfjörður Community Radio and Dublin Digital Radio present two distinctive hours of music...

In addition to the previously announced initial line-up and curators, we now reveals a range of special projects and performers for the festival: Future Feminism; 15 years of RVNG Intl.; ONCEIM; and t...

Donato Dozzy has a rare ability to work his way into peoples’ minds in both contemporary and classical settings. Now, the Spazio Disponibile boss will debut on Lorenzo Senni’s Presto!? Records with a two-hour-long album titled '12H', due out on October 25. The music is a summary of the material that...

Even with just limited material out, the enigmatic Black Country, New Road became a steadfast live sensation with their mixture of post-punk, ashen Slint-like minimalism and pastoral dark folk leanings.  Ahead of their performance at Le Guess Who? 2021, Turkey's Bant Mag. did a track by track interview with the British ban...

Chicago-based songwriter and guitarist Ryley Walker and Japanese psych-rockers Kikagaku Moyo gave a special collaborative performance at Le Guess Who? 2018. Now, the artists release the recordings of that show called ‘Deep Fried Grandeur’; two lengthy, kaleidoscopic jams featuring a revolving cast of folk jazz, acid rock, and...

Following the launch of LGW ON, our very own online TV channel which streamed mid-November 2020, we are now sharing a lot of programs and video content that premiered on the channel via our YouTube account. We've published the videos as part of our new Reports from Other Continents project; all episodes of our alternative travel sho...

Recently, Danish pop adventurers Efterklang released their fifth studio album 'Altid Sammen'. The day after the release, they debuted the record live in its entirety at the iconic Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg during this year’s Reeperbahn Festival. The trio was joined on stage by Øyunn on drums,...

Not Waving & Dark Mark is the blood pact between the ink-black, minimal productions of Alessio Natalizia and the smoke-suffused vocal drawl of alt-rock minstrel Mark Lanegan. Natalizia releases music through the minimal synth/post punk Not Waving moniker and is one half of the Kompakt techno ambient duo Walls whose self-titl...

Op donderdag 19 september onthult Le Guess Who? de volledige line-up voor de komende festivaleditie in EKKO, met optredens van Ben Shemie (SUUNS), Conjunto Papa Upa, Lechuga Zafiro en een speciale editie van Stranded FM x The Current. Ben Shemie, beter bekend als zanger/gitarist van SUUNS is inmiddels geen onbekende meer van Le Gues...

Op donderdag 19 september onthult Le Guess Who? de volledige line-up voor de komende festivaleditie in EKKO, met optredens van Ben Shemie (SUUNS), Conjunto Papa Upa, Lechuga Zafiro en een speciale editie van Stranded FM x The Current. De Uruguayaanse DJ en producer Lechuga Zafiro probeert de grens tussen het verkennende karakter van de c...

Op donderdag 19 september onthult Le Guess Who? de volledige line-up voor de komende festivaleditie in EKKO, met optredens van Ben Shemie (SUUNS), Conjunto Papa Upa, Lechuga Zafiro en een speciale editie van Stranded FM x The Current. Conjunto Papa Upa is de band van Amsterdamse Venezolaan Alex Figueira. De muziek kun je omschrijven als...

Op donderdag 19 september onthult Le Guess Who? de volledige line-up voor de komende festivaleditie in EKKO, met optredens van Ben Shemie (SUUNS), Conjunto Papa Upa, Lechuga Zafiro en een speciale editie van Stranded FM x The Current. Entree is gratis.  Deze line-up aankondiging wordt gevierd met optredens van Ben Shemie, frontman v...

In a new in-depth interview with Fractured Air, bass sax virtuoso Colin Stetson details the making of his captivating soundtrack to Ari Aster’s debut horror film 'Hereditary', alo...

In a recent feature on Shannon Lay, i-D introduces you to the former guitarist of L.A. garage foursome Feels. In her solo work, Lay creates intriguing, deeply personal and tender folk songs that...

We’re very happy to announce that we'll have our very own Le Guess Who? Beer for sale at the festival this year. In collaboration with one of Utrecht’s finest microbreweries, De Kromme Har...

If you're a regular Le Guess Who? attendant, then surely you know musician/producer/writer/artist Arish Ahmad Khan, known by the stage name of King Khan. The artist also played the festival back in 20...

Pinkstermaandag 5 juni in LE:EN, Utrecht, met: Six Organs of Admittance, Baby Dee en Faarjam.

Infectious Grooves is a playlist with musical inspirations from all across the globe, both new and old. Infectious Grooves will appear biweekly and you can subscribe/like here on Spotify to automatically access the updated playlist.  If you want to support the artists featured in the playlist directly, you can do so by purchasing th...

Belgian musician, composer, and instrument maker Jochem Baelus aka Slumberland and experimental Tuvan singer Sainkho Namtchylak gave a collaborative performance during Le Guess Who? 2021 at Utrecht’s Jacobikerk. With Slumberland, Belgian musician, composer, and instrument maker Jochem Baelus creates hypnotic krautrock and post punk...

New York rap virtuosos billy woods and ELUCID, collectively known as Armand Hammer, are back with their much-anticipated album, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. This release serves as a follow-up to their 2021 cult hit Haram, produced by the Alchemist. Listeners can also expect some familiar sounds of Le Guess Who?, as the duo has invited th...

Coming up at the turn of the century, when underground rap was all about dusty loops and intricate battle rhymes, Antipop Consortium mixed an experimental, electronically charged sound palette with lyricism sharpened on the NY poetry scene. While they quickly summoned a cult following stateside, Europe’s alternative music circuit to...

We're thrilled to let you know that the great Kapitaal, Utrecht's independent print workshop, together with online radio station Stranded FM, will once again host official Le Guess Who? 2023 Hangout on Friday, Saturday & Sunday during the festival.  Find Kapitaal at Paardenveld 5B (behind the palmtree!), where they host live per...

Rapper and producer Ashanti Mutinta, aka Backxwash gave a life-affirming performance at TivoliVredenburg's Ronda during Le Guess Who? 2023. Our residential photographer Melanie Marsman was present to capture some of the special moments, on stage as well as backstage. View the full photo series "Stark warnings of viewer discretion mark...

COSMOS x Santuri announce first 2024 Embassy Ahead of their first-ever electronic music summit, Kilele, COSMOS sits down with Santuri co-founder and director David Tinning as well as Nairobi staples Nyokabi Kariũki and KMRU.   For a full decade, the Santuri organisation has been supporting, highlighting, and releasing a mix of con...

Dit jaar nodigde U? het Utrechts-Amsterdamse collectief 45ACIDBABIES uit voor een residentie in VOGELFREI. Tijdens deze residentie werkten ze aan een speciale performance rondom hun nieuwe album, dat een eerbetoon brengt aan en inspiratie haalt uit comic book-cultuur, video games, queerness, ballroom cultuur (vogue), eclectiek, kleur en e...

COSMOS x ICRN announce their 2024 Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania Bringing together DIY broadcasters from the Baltics and beyond, the Independent Community Radio Network (ICRN) has created an impactful platform that proves once more, that there is always strength in numbers.  In 2022, a handful of activists and community radios from...

COSMOS x Underground Music Academy announce their 2024 Embassy in Detroit, USA A place to learn about the past, present, and future of dance music. With the Underground Music Academy, Detroit’s own Waajeed has created a utopian space for the city's aspiring musicians. Among music fans, few places occupy a similar space in the coll...

Le Guess Who? and COSMOS, our worldwide music community, are excited to announce a new partnership with Berlin-based community radio Refuge Worldwide. Beaming out of Oona Bar in Berlin’s Weserstraße Kiez since 2021, Refuge Worldwide has grown into an important community radio and cultural hub, spreading cutting-edge music wit...

Widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals, Le Guess Who? exists to platform fresh perspectives on what is possible in music. Artists from all over the world offer insights into the unprecedented diversity of human creativity. Le Guess Who? returns 7-10 November 2024 for its 17th edition in Utrecht, The Netherland...

COSMOS x Honiunhoni announce their 2024 Embassy in Karachi, Pakistan Honiunhoni is an independent production company and record label founded by musician and anthropologist Daniyal Ahmed.  Rooted in the ethos of ethnographic research, Honiunhoni celebrates Pakistan's cultural richness and diversity by curating and highlighting the...

COSMOS x U? announce their 2024 Embassy in Utrecht, the Netherlands For the first time since its inception, U? – Le Guess Who’s freely accessible city program – enlists five Community Curators from different cities, to bring fresh new perspectives to the Utrecht’s subcultural network. What they all have in common...

Utrecht-based singer-songwriter GINGE shares new album Playing Around. It's a playful narrative on how she deals with love, friendship and relationships. "Most of what I like comes from the soul and R&B scene from the UK. I think it's cool that an artist like Remi Wolf can't be pigeonholed, it can't be defined as pure soul or just...

COSMOS x Touching Bass announce their 2024 Embassy in London, UK Touching Bass is a London-based musical movement founded by Errol and Alex Rita, comprised of a community-come-club night, record label, staple NTS Radio show, concert series and curatorial studio.  Since its inception, Touching Bass has steadily established itself as...

Interview: Ozan Tekin x IDGK “İstanbul’u Dinliyorum Gözlerim Kapalı” is the title of a poem by Turkish poet Orhan Veli Kanık. It beautifully describes a city best experienced with all senses wide open. A sentiment that our 2025 COSMOS Embassy IDGK shares so much, that they’ve borrowed their name acronym from...

Hong Kong producer gyrofield is a rising star whose influences span a.o. drum & bass, ambient, techno, hyperpop, grime and dubstep. After a period in Bristol, they have recently moved to Utrecht, and their curation at Le Guess Who? 2025 features musical heroes and like-minded artists. Together with fellow DJs & producers Ciel, Cal...

Hand-painted sound systems, often adorned with dazzling colours and striking imagery, each with its own name and sonic identity: for decades, the Picó mobile discos have become the heart of neighbourhood bailes on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The sounds of genres like champeta, highlife, soukous, mbaqanga, zouk, soca, and cumb...

“With the able steer of festival curators Jenny Hval, Moon Duo, Fatoumata Diawara, and Iris Van Herpen, this year’s boundary-crossing festival Le Guess Who?? welcomed visitors from over 60 countries and proved that even in times of political divide, music and art can bring us together into a more hopeful future.” - The...

Stichting Le Guess Who heeft een Culturele ANBI-status. Een ANBI is een instelling die zich voor minstens 90% inzet voor het algemeen nut. Een ANBI is vrijgesteld van schenkbelasting. Voor een begunstiger van een ANBI betekent deze ANBI-status fiscaal voordeel in de inkomstenbelasting en de vennootschapsbelasting. KVK-nummer: 51954222RSI...

The Netherlands 3FM: Eva Koreman nieuwe presentator 3voor12 radio 3FM: Le Guess Who? 2018: Ralph-Herman snapt niet wat Colin Stetson doet3FM: Timo op Le Guess Who: van gevoelige liedjes in een kerk tot stoned rappers3voor12: Kijk terug: James Holden & The Animal Spirits op Le Guess Who? 3voor12: Festivals willen dat je een kaart...

Le Guess Who? x Front As part of our new, hybrid platform COSMOS, we once again collaborated with Dutch music platform Front to bring you live sessions with rising Dutch artists. Watch and listen to the live sessions + interviews with Dutch post-punk outfit Private Bankingand and Anna van Rij. LE GUESS WHO? X FRONT

"Spiralling outwards from the cobbled, canal-studded streets of the old town, Utrecht is an architecturally beautiful city in the centre of the Netherlands." - Crack Magazine

The Netherlands 3FM: "3voor12 is op Le Guess Who?, waar basketballen tegen aan het plafond geschroefde gitaren worden gegooid"3voor12: "Eerste 67 namen voor Le Guess Who? 2017"           3voor12: "Kelly Lee Owens, dagdromer met kennishonger"           3voor12: "Le Guess Who? str...

In partnership with Oroko Radio.  Oroko is a not-for-profit independent internet radio station based in Accra, Ghana. We aim to connect, inspire and empower through conversation, collaboration and community. Oroko Radio provides a stage for musicians, DJs, thinkers, moderators, and content creators: an independent hub for expression...

Founded by the international music festival Le Guess Who?, COSMOS invites vibrant music communities from every corner of the map to share their stories - both online and offline.