The stars will align again this November as Le Guess Who? fires up Utrecht’s musical life with four days of extraordinary music drawn from the widest musical spectrum. With just under two months to go until the 15th anniversary edition of the festival, the organizers announced today the full line-up adding 72 new phenomenal performers who join an already hefty bill co-curated by Animal Collective, clipping. and CURL
Le Guess Who? returns for its 15th edition in the quaint and historic city of Utrecht from 10-13 November and the organizers had already announced a stellar and ambitious bill rammed with musical treats for every imaginable taste. A festival rich with possibility, Le Guess Who? builds bridges across genres, generations and regions, delivering beautiful musical experiences.
Newly announced names that have caught our eye in particular include master vibraphonist, multi-percussionist, and composer Masayoshi Fujita, whose album Bird Ambiance topped our 2021 end of year list and many others, phenomenal multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Thiago Nassif with his compositions merging and exploring elements of no-wave, electronic music, tropicalismo, jazz, rock and pop, Welsh musician and producer Cate Le Bon who recently released her sixth studio album Pompeii and Columbian-Canadian musician and Polaris Prize-winning artist Lido Pimienta with her blend of cumbia with electronic music and art pop. This year’s edition will also see newly announced sets from Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, legendary avant-rockers Zs, ambient-folk artist Maria BC, the intimate and enchanting sounds of singer-songwriter and improvisor Joanne Robertson and self-described “eco-friendly-Afro-punk-collective” Fulu Miziki Kolektiv, a Kinshasa based orchestra who make their own instruments, costumes and masks out of trash. Also joining Le Guess Who?’s general festival line-up are high-powered Ghent-based duo Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul, showcasing Topical Dancer, their Soulwax-produced electronic debut album, traditional adungu and nanga harp master and singer Otim Alpha who whips up the dancefloor with Acholitronix, a high tempo dance music fusing traditional music from north Uganda with electronic production, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Yaya Bey, Slovenian acoustic folk avant-garde experimental band Širom and Spanish flamenco singer Estrella Morente performing with the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra. Known for the exhilarating energy of their live performances, Afrofuturistic jazz outfit Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids are returning to Le Guess Who? this November for their 50th Anniversary Celebration, a performance we wouldn’t want to miss. Also appearing are Surya Botofasina & Carlos Niño, fresh off the back of their utterly engrossing debut album Everyone’s Children, which pays tribute to Alice Coltrane, Dutch rockers Personal Trainer, Italian vocalist, composer, keyboardist and multimedia artist Jolanda Moletta, Huerco S., the project of American producer and DJ Brian Leeds with the freshly released Plonk, his first album in six years and french filmmaker and sound explorer Vincent Moon with his unique site-specific Live Cinéma performance.
Amidst the new exciting additions to Le Guess Who?’s 2022 line-up is a new program presented by DJ Fitz, the festival’s resident DJ. Appearing on his bill are entrancing electro-acoustic and kosmiche duo Watkins/Peacock, the unabashedly fun Colombian and Japanese art-rock duo Flash Amazonas with new album uva-uva just out last week, Lisbon’s Funkamente, Anadol, Quesadilla and Istanbul’s beatmaker Grup Ses.
There are new additions to clipping.’s curated program as well, who are hosting KMRU & Aho Ssan performing Limen, Manuka Honey and London-based musician and producer Ryan Lee West aka Rival Consoles, presenting his new album Now Is, set for release in October.
There’s a lot more on offer for the 15th edition of Le Guess Who?, including programs hosted by Batu, Bong-Ra, Moonshine, Kampala-based label Nyege Nyege and a plethora of other unmissable artists bound to hold the attention of curious minds.
Le Guess Who? 2022 takes place from 10-13th November in several venues throughout Utrecht. Festival passes are now sold out but there are still limited day tickets available via leguesswho.com/tickets. Full details of the line-up can be found on leguesswho.com.