With Le Guess Who?’s 20th anniversary edition getting ever closer, the Dutch festival has just announced another exciting batch of artists joining an already sprawling and staggering programme. Taking place from November 5th – 8th in Utrecht, the latest announcement brings new additions to the curation of Tropical Fuck Storm and aja monet, alongside a wealth of artists joining the general line-up. Two decades into its existence, Le Guess Who? continues to create one of the most adventurous and visionary programmes anywhere.

This year’s monumental edition is curated by Tropical Fuck Storm, aja monet, KMRU and Los Thuthanaka, who each bring their own perspective to Le Guess Who?, enriching it even more. They are joined by an already remarkable line-up featuring the likes of Tortoise, Juana Molina, H31R, Radwan Ghazi Moumneh & Frédéric D. Oberland, Shabaka, OOIOO, Holy Tongue, Arsenal Mikebe ft. HHY & Valentina Magaletti, amongst many others.

Newly added to Tropical Fuck Storm’s curated bill is Bleak Squad, the Australian supergroup featuring Adalita, Mick Harvey, Mick Turner and Marty Brown. With members of Dirty Three, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Magic Dirt and Art of Fighting among them, there’s a lot of history packed into this lineup, and their 2025 debut album Strange Love gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect.

aja monet’s bill also expands with some thrilling new additions. Brooklyn-based collective Alsarah & The Nubatones, led by Sudanese singer, songwriter and ethnomusicologist Alsarah, will bring their spellbinding blend of Nubian musical heritage, East African rhythms and contemporary soul, exploring migration, diaspora and cultural memory through what they describe as “East-African retro-pop”. Also joining aja monet’s bill is Cody Chesnutt, the Atlanta-born R&B and neo-soul musician whose music blends elements of rock, funk, soul, hip-hop and blues. After a 13-year hiatus, Chesnutt is back with his new project MAKING SCIENCE SIMPLE. Palestinian rapper, singer and producer Shadia Mansour, known as the “First Lady of Arabic Hip-Hop” is now also added to her bill. Performing primarily in Arabic, Mansour’s work has long been connected to identity, heritage and political resistance, and her appearance adds another important voice to aja monet’s curation.

Moving onto the general line-up, we could not be more excited to see Horse Lords returning to Le Guess Who?, having previously been lucky to witness the Baltimore quartet deliver one of the most exhilarating performances of the 2022 edition. Earlier this year they released one of our absolute favourite records of the year, Demand to Be Taken to Heaven Alive!, which sees the band continuing their wildly imaginative and rigorous approach to music, combining polyrhythmic grooves with their command of microtonality through prepared instruments. Also returning to Le Guess Who? are Bitchin Bajas, the Chicago trio of Cooper Crain, Rob Frye and Daniel Quinlivan, whose warm, hypnotic and beautifully immersive music has conquered our hearts a long time ago. Their latest album Isle Peaks is another beautiful example of what they do so well, and we can’t wait to sink into one of their immersive live sets again. Appearing today on the bill is Okkyung Lee presents gyeol, a brand-new work created in collaboration with Le Guess Who? and Bozar. The South Korean cellist, composer and improviser has spent more than two decades developing one of the most distinctive approaches to her instrument, moving between improvisation, noise, jazz, contemporary composition and the traditional and popular music of her homeland. For gyeol, Lee enters into dialogue with South Korean instruments including the gayageum, haegeum and daegeum. Amidst the new exciting additions to Le Guess Who?’s 2026 line-up is Craven Faults, the project of elusive and mysterious Yorkshire-based producer, who has built an extraordinary body of hypnotic, durational electronic music, drawing on kosmische, drone, dark ambient and techno, as well as always being connected to the landscapes and industrial history of northern England. Martina Camargo will bring the ancestral traditions of Colombian tambora to the quaint and historic city of Utrecht. One of the most important voices in this Afro-descendant tradition from the Magdalena River region, Camargo’s music carries generations of cultural knowledge and her energetic live performances, combining singing, dancing and rhythm, are a delightful celebration of Colombia’s Caribbean heritage. Nirosta Steel, the stage name of Scottish-American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steven Hall and a frequent collaborator of Arthur Russell, is one of the newly announced names that have caught our eye. His recently released My Skyscraper is a fascinating collection gathering recordings made across roughly four decades, moving between art-folk, leftfield disco, experimental synth-pop, dub, funk and Balearic house. The line-up for this year also includes a collaboration between Roy Montgomery & Martha Skye Murphy. The New Zealand composer and guitarist and London-based vocalist first connected after Murphy included one of Montgomery’s songs on a mixtape, eventually discovering a shared musical language and even the same Tascam recorder. Their collaborative album Nebular explores layering, multitracking and imperfection, bringing their two very different practices together in a remarkably intimate way. Japanese audiovisual artist Ryoichi Kurokawa will present his immersive work combining experimental electronic sound with abstract imagery, while Polish quartet Tercet Imperial reinterpret traditional obereks, mazurkas and archaic wedding songs through synthesizers, electronic beats and influences from Africa and India, and Amsterdam-based The Ensemble of Cultural Approximation (T.E.C.A.) will bring their “shroombia”, combining cumbia, Latin rhythms, brass, percussion, psychedelia and experimental sounds. Portuguese psych-rockers Black Bombaim & Earthless guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, who have previously collaborated in some truly memorable live encounters, will reunite again for what promises to be one hell of a ride. There’s plenty more on offer across the festival, including legendary French jazz ensemble Henri Texier Quartet, Melbourne/Naarm artist Jess Ribeiro, Rio De Janeiro troubadour, guitarist and songwriter Leo Middea, the experimental electronic cumbia project of Colombian musician and producer Iván Medellín Conjunto Media Luna, British-Nigerian composer, vocalist and electronic music producer Tony Njoku, Devon Rexi, ęmí: freedomsong by Rohan Ayinde and Tayo Rapoport, and multi-disciplinary performance Pitch, Pigeon, Puerta, the project of Dominican producer and musician Kelman Duran, East-German born and Finland-based musician, artistic researcher and composer AGF, Puerto Rican movement artist Kianí del Valle and visual artist Theresa Baumgartner.

There’s more special projects newly lined up for this year’s edition including a series of performances presented by Radio Alhara and Wonder Cabinet, including BETHLEHEM, a mourning sound piece bringing together sacred choral tradition and experimental electronics, featuring Lawrence Sammour, Sary Moussa and Abed Kobeissy, as well as a special collaboration between Mai Mai Mai and flutist and yargul master Osama Abu Ali and a solo performance from Lebanese producer and multi-instrumentalist Fadi Tabbal.

With the final names now announced, the line-up for Le Guess Who?’s 20th anniversary edition is complete and as always, there is an abundance of music we already love, alongside plenty that we simply cannot wait to discover. Le Guess Who? continues to prove that it is far more than a festival, it is a meeting point for artists, communities, cultures and ideas; a place where traditions can be honoured while being completely reshaped, where the unexpected is actively encouraged and where discovering something you have never heard before can be every bit as exciting as seeing one of your favourite artists.

4-Day Festival Passes and Friday passes for Le Guess Who? 2026 have now sold out but remaining day tickets are still available so hurry up and head over to leguesswho.com.

Le Guess Who? returns to Utrecht from November 5th – 8th for its monumental 20th anniversary edition and the first major announcement for 2026 has finally landed. Two decades into its existence, the beloved Dutch festival continues to stand entirely in a league of its own, presenting one of the most adventurous, thoughtful and globally expansive programmes anywhere on earth. A gathering place for boundary-pushing sounds, radical artistic visions and transformative musical encounters, Le Guess Who? remains a vital celebration of cultural exchange and discovery, bringing together artists from every corner of the globe to perform in Utrecht’s idyllic churches, theatres, galleries and warehouses.

As always, part of what makes Le Guess Who? so special is the richness and diversity brought in by its guest curators, artists invited not only to perform but to shape and enrich the festival through hand-picked selections of favourite and like-minded musicians. This year Tropical Fuck Storm, aja monet, KMRU and Los Thuthanaka take the curator seat and today we get a thrilling first glimpse at the worlds they are building.

Returning to Le Guess Who? as guest curators, Melbourne’s post-apocalyptic acid punk disco four piece Tropical Fuck Storm have assembled a gloriously unhinged and eclectic programme featuring longtime inspirations, collaborators and fellow sonic adventurers. The Australian four-piece have proved to be one of the most exhilarating and unpredictable live bands out there. Their music veers between disintegrating noise rock, psychedelic freak-outs, grotesque humour and strangely infectious pop hooks, whilst chronicling societal collapse, state violence, media overload and collective paranoia with equal parts absurdity and fury. Their curation includes instrumental trio Dirty Three, Niger’s endlessly hypnotic desert rock band Etran de L’Aïr; Japanese experimentalist FUJI|||||||||||TA and goat (JP); the blistering guitar work of Bill Orcutt; experimental duo Mark Fell & Pat Thomas; Ishaaq Aarkistra & Ustad Hassan Haider Khan; ZÖJ and Gareth Liddiard himself.

Contemporary poet, writer, lyricist, and activist aja monet also returns to Le Guess Who? both as performer and curator. Her programme explores resistance, love and collective joy through deeply spiritual and politically charged sounds. Among the names appearing on her bill is celebrated and prodigious multi-reed player and composer SHABAKA, whose ever-evolving musical universe continues to transcend jazz traditions whilst remaining deeply spiritual and exploratory. Whether through Sons Of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming, Shabaka and the Ancestors or his recent flute-led meditative works, SHABAKA has long been one of the most visionary and singular musicians operating anywhere right now, and his inclusion alone already makes this edition feel essential. Also appearing on aja monet’s bill is Ghanaian frafra musician and kologo master King Ayisoba, Belgian-Ghanaian artist ESINAM and legendary dub poet Lillian Allen, whose politically infused spoken word and reggae-rooted poetry has been inspiring audiences for decades. Harriet Tubman & Georgia Anne Muldrow will also present their collaborative album Electrical Field of Love, a fearless collision of jazz, soul, psychedelia, doom metal and electronics, alongside Tshegue, Palestinian Sound Archive and Nicolas Premier’s AFRICA IS THE FUTURE project.

Kenyan sound artist and experimental musician Joseph Kamaru aka KMRU will bring a conceptually fascinating project. Grounded in field recordings, drone, noise and sound art, his sprawling WAI8 project is an eight-hour durational performance examining waiting as an active form of engagement, stretching and dissolving our perception of time through rhythm, silence, drones and repetition. Since first emerging in 2023, WAI8 has evolved into an open collaborative platform and he has invited a stunning cast of artists including Aho Ssan, Carmen Villain, Elvin Brandhi, NEXCYIA, Koshiro Hino, ouri and Whatever The Weather.

Founded by siblings Chuquimamani-Condori and Joshua Chuquimia Crampton, Los Thuthanaka traverse the past, present and future of the Pakajaqui Nation through a singular blend of Aymara composition, Andean traditions, psychedelia and experimental electronics. Their curated programme focuses on artists exploring Indigenous Andean culture through contemporary forms and is boasting some hugely exciting names. Appearing on their bill is Japanese noise legends Melt-Banana, the radiant and dreamlike sounds of Gigi Masin, Los Delfines del Amor balancing Andean tradition with glowing psychedelic textures, Comunidad Sikuris Berlin and solo performances from Joshua Chuquimia Crampton and Chuquimamani-Condori themselves.

Beyond the curated programmes, the first wave of artists announced for the general line-up is already staggering. We are ecstatic to see the addition of Moroccan trailblazer Maalem Houssam Guinia, carrying forward the deeply hypnotic and spiritual traditions of Gnawa music; maverick Japanese saxophonist, composer and producer Yasuaki Shimizu, whose singular work traverses jazz fusion, ambient dub and experimental composition, and Khadija El Warzazia performing alongside the multi-generational women’s percussion ensemble Bnat el Houariyatlegendary. Also announced is Ethiopian outfit Ibex Band, who helped define the sound of 70s Ethiopian music by modernising traditional rhythms and arrangements into exhilarating contemporary forms and Egyptian singer and songwriter Maryam Saleh, whose fearless and emotionally charged music fuses shaabi and folk traditions with experimental approaches. Elsewhere on the bill is the hypnotic and joyful Nakibembe Embaire Group from Uganda, performing on the giant wooden embaire xylophone played collectively by six musicians at once, experimental rock collective Water Damage returning with their extended performance Static Ecstatic, and pioneering post-rock outfit Tortoise, whose influence across experimental rock, jazz, electronica and post-rock is immeasurable. Last year’s Touch was one of our Album Picks of 2025 and their records remain masterclasses in tension, texture and groove, unfolding with patient precision whilst constantly reshaping the possibilities of instrumental music. There’s also the hugely welcome return of Holy Tongue, one of our absolute favourite live bands in recent years, whose intoxicating fusion of dub, free jazz, percussion-heavy psychedelia and experimental electronics feels entirely transportive in a live setting, propelled by the endlessly inventive drumming of Valentina Magaletti. The line-up also boasts the transcendent and haunting songs of Grouper, Venezuelan bassist and composer Raúl Monsalve y Los Forajidos, Japanese experimental rock icons OOIOO, the ever brilliant Loraine James, flamenco singer Ángeles Toledano, legendary dream-pop pioneers A.R. Kane, ambient composer Ana Roxanne and Montréal-based composer and musician Jessica Moss teaming up with Tony Buck. We’re also thrilled by the addition of Juana Molina, whose enchanting and endlessly inventive music has been mesmerizing us for years. Effortlessly weaving together folk, ambient textures, looping electronics and playful rhythmic experimentation, the Argentinian singer-songwriter and composer never ceases to be surprising. Another inspired addition is the collaborative project of Lebanese-Canadian composer, producer and Jerusalem In My Heart mastermind Radwan Ghazi Moumneh alongside Frédéric D. Oberland of Oiseaux-Tempête. Both artists have individually crafted some of the most immersive and emotionally resonant sound worlds of the past decade and their recent collaborative album Eternal Life No End beautifully intertwines buzuk, modular synths, voice, saxophone and electronics into something both fragile and politically urgent. Having previously witnessed the immense power of their collaborations within Oiseaux-Tempête performances at Le Guess Who?, this feels like one of the festival’s most tantalising additions. The line-up continues to unfold in every imaginable direction with Brazilian project Pra Gira Girar, Iraqi-Irish musician Mohammad Syfkhan, psychedelic duo TENGGER, experimental trio The Ex & Brass Unbound, Palestinian artist أحمد [Ahmed], industrial punk force Deafkids and the ecstatic and hypnotic rhythms of Arsenal Mikebe & Valentina Magaletti.

The festival’s COSMOS platform also returns, continuing its mission of spotlighting independent music communities around the world. This year’s embassies include Osaka’s NAKID, Amsterdam’s OCCII and Cabo Verde’s Tabanka Records, alongside the continuation of COSMOS’ collaboration with Berlin community radio Refuge Worldwide.

Twenty years in, Le Guess Who? remains one of the most visionary, adventurous and essential festivals on the planet. A place where borders dissolve, traditions are honoured and reshaped and entirely new sonic possibilities emerge. As always, the line-up announced today is overflowing with artists we adore, artists we cannot wait to discover and collaborations that simply could not happen anywhere else. Head over to leguesswho.com for the full list of names announced so far and ticket information. A very limited amount of 4-Day Festival Passes, Day Passes and 24 HOUR DUB passes go on sale Tuesday June 2nd.

Le Guess Who? has revealed its full 2025 line-up, and once again the festival in Utrecht proves why it remains one of the most adventurous and forward-thinking gatherings in the world. Running from November 6th – 9th, the festival continues to champion unclassifiable music and voices from the margins, creating a space for discovery, experimentation, and collective wonder. Back in May, the first announcement already had us buzzing, with eight daring guest curators – Amirtha Kidambi, Asher Gamedze, Edna Martinez, gyrofield, Lonnie Holley, Tianzhuo Chen, Valentina Magaletti and Ziúr – helping to shape stellar programmes that span the globe. Early highlights included Saul Williams & Carlos Niño, SUNN O))), Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force, Lido Pimienta, DJ Haram & Aquiles Navarro, and Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore, amongst many more.

Now, with the full line-up revealed, Le Guess Who? promises even more discoveries. Among the guest-curated programmes, Asher Gamedze brings Cairo-based trio Dwarfs of East Agouza, who have been blowing our minds since their debut Bes dropped in 2016. With their new album Sasquatch Landslide landing this October, the outfit of Sam Shalabi, Maurice Louca, and Alan Bishop are set to mesmerize audiences with their “signature trance-inducing explorative energies”. Gamedze will also host The Vocal Museum by Masello Motana, a recital that journeys through collective memory and township childhoods in South Africa, with Masello’s commanding voice backed by a live band.

Fresh additions to the general lineup include Hania Rani, introducing her alter-ego Chilling Bambino, blending piano, synth, and voice in a quietly mesmerizing mix of classical and contemporary textures, Ata Kak, the Ghanaian artist whose mix of highlife, early hip-hop, and funk turns every track into a dancefloor adventure, Bhajan Bhoy, the project of Lancashire-born, Netherlands-based Ajay Saggar, who brings his meditative organ works, first performed in a 15th century church in Yorkshire, and London-based producer Djrum, who explores piano, harp, and electronic textures in Under Tangled Silence, balancing intimacy with rhythmic energy. From the outskirts of Rio, singer songwriter Caxtrinho brings his debut album Queda Livre, a bold fusion of Brazil’s experimental Vanguarda Paulista tradition, Devendra Banhart returns with a stripped-back solo set that moves through his psychedelic, acoustic, and folk-inspired repertoire, and Daniela Pes and IOSONOUNCANE join forces for a live collaboration that fuses Pes’s ethereal vocals and instrumental fluidity with IOSONOUNCANE’s finely sculpted electronic textures. Vocalists Lamisi, Gavina, and Maria Alice bring Afro-fusion pop, Panamanian folklore-infused grooves, and Cape Verdean mornas and coladeras, respectively, each shaping a vivid and global soundscape. Experimental performances also include Heinali & Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko, whose Гільдеґарда pairs modular synths with Ukrainian vocal techniques, and Tunisian and Dutch composer, audiovisual artist, curator, and science educator Skander Jaïbi, who blends classical composition, choral textures, and ambient soundscapes in his debut album Who Has the Right to Closure?. Gina Birch, co-founder of The Raincoats, brings her solo record Trouble, merging post-punk, dub, and experimental rock into an introspective yet fiery statement, augmenting a lineup that cements Le Guess Who? 2025 as a festival of curiosity, boldness, and musical discovery.
Other electronic and experimental innovators also expand the festival’s palette, from the genre-defying collages of Smerz to Valentina Goncharova’s inventive mix of violin and electronics in Every Growing Tree, alongside Montreal trio Yoo Doo Right, whose krautrock-tinged post-rock grooves hypnotize and pull audiences in. Fresh additions also include tribal-psych trio KUUNATIC, Dutch hardcore punk band Forbidden Wizards, and British post-hardcore band Mclusky.

Among the highlights in this year line-up is Sounds of Places: Cremisan Valley, an immersive residency-based project that transforms one of the last green spaces near the city of Bethlehem in Palestine into a living soundscape. Over several days, artists, designers, and local participants collaborated to create site-specific sound sculptures that respond to wind, rain, and movement, blending composed pieces with the natural environment. The resulting performance captures the valley’s layered history, its ecological and cultural struggles, and its resilience, turning listening into an act of reflection and connection with a place shaped by both memory and resistance.

Beyond concerts, Le Guess Who? remains a meeting place for communities and ideas. On Friday, November 7th, BATEKOO x Los Angles presents a club night at De Helling celebrating queer communities, with performances by Brazilian singer, actress, and presenter Linn da Quebrada,  trans-femme DJ and founder of Club Stamina Mina Galán, along with Miranda, Juju ZL, and smother b2b YoungWoman, collectively creating a vibrant, joyful space for marginalized voices.

With the full programme now unveiled, Le Guess Who? reaffirms its status as a festival like no other: a gathering where boundaries blur, traditions are honoured and reshaped, and discovery is paramount. From November 6th –9th, Utrecht will transform into a privileged playground of sound. Festival passes are now sold out but day passes are still available at leguesswho.com/tickets so be quick to catch this monumental lineup, and countless other names waiting to be discovered across the city.

Le Guess Who? is back this November 6 – 9th for its 18th edition, and the first major announcement for 2025 has just landed. The revered Dutch festival affirms once again its unparalleled commitment to sonic exploration, inclusivity, and radical artistic vision, uniting artists and audiences from around the world through the transformative power of music. The festival has always championed a groundbreaking and genre-defying programme, and 2025 will be no different, offering a platform for both emerging and established artists.

One of the standout features of Le Guess Who? is its curated programs, where incredible artists handpick their favorite musicians and collaborators to showcase their musical influences and vision, in addition to also performing themselves. This year’s constellation of guest curators is as daring as it is eclectic, with eight singular voices from across disciplines and continents shaping bespoke programmes. Among them is visionary and virtuosic South African drummer, composer, writer and activist Asher Gamedze whose work navigates jazz, Afro-futurism, and experimental sounds. Digging into the musical language of resistance and liberation, his curation promises a powerful mix of experimental and political sounds. Highlights from his selection include a performance by himself, alongside his new jazz ensemble A Semblance, DEAD SYMBOLS, and Dirar Kalash’s Sonic Front. Also on his bill is Usta/Olgun/Ekincioglu, a collaborative project who explore Turkish and electronic music, creating a dynamic space for new ideas to emerge through sound.

Another exciting guest curator who will help enrich the festival is drummer, composer and experimentalist Valentina Magaletti, who invited a mix of avant-garde, electronic, and noise artists. Magaletti’s curation will be a thrilling exploration of rhythm, sound, and the unexpected. Among her selections are Al Wootton & Youmna Saba, Klein, and Ancient Indigenous Africans. Her programme also includes Able Noise, Voice Actor and Alpha Maid, as well as Kat Válastur – Dive Into You, and PRAM. She will also perform in collaboration with PHEW and in a duo with upsammy.

Singer, composer, bandleader and community organizer Amirtha Kidambi conjures a borderless sonic world under her Outernational banner, an exploration of global soundscapes and cross-cultural experimentation, combining influences from jazz, noise, Middle Eastern music, and beyond. Kidambi’s curated programme brings together an international roster of performers, including her own band, Elder Ones, along with the experimental group Ghadr غدر, who explore themes of resistance and identity, and One Leg One Eye. Saint Abdullah & Jason Nazary will also be part of this exciting lineup, pushing boundaries in the world of contemporary avant-garde and improvisation.

Celebrated improvisational artist Lonnie Holley brings a fascinating curation to Le Guess Who? 2025, drawing on a rich blend of soul, improvisation, storytelling and spiritual exploration. Artists on his bill include ingenious and thought-provoking spoken word artist, bandleader, composer, saxophonist and activist Alabaster DePlume, Assiko Golden Band de Grand Yoff, and Kankawa Nagarra, as well as a powerful collaboration from Lonnie Holley & Friends. Holley is also bringing Saul Williams & Carlos Niño, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio, Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore and the deeply moving The Space Lady.

Berlin-based Colombian DJ, producer, and curator Edna Martinez, known for her deep ties to Caribbean sound systems, brings the rhythms and soul of PICÓ, a genre deeply rooted in Caribbean music traditions, to the festival. Martinez has invited a vibrant range of artists like electronic music producer BCLIP and Wilfred Guerrero, who will undoubtedly bring the dancefloor to life with intoxicating rhythms and sounds that cross borders and genres. Her curated bill will also feature the infectious La Saramuya Soundsystem, and Nayi Lokura.

Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-based artist gyrofield curates an immersive, electronic-driven programme that combines deep techno, dub, and bass-driven atmospheres. Their curated bill will include performances from heavyweights like Calibre, Ciel, and Objekt.

Chinese contemporary artist Tianzhuo Chen, known for his multidisciplinary works that blend performance art, electronics, and immersive visuals, brings an adventurous programme to the festival. Highlights include the collaborations of 333EMYBW & Joey Holder, DIEMAJIN present 陰陽 (Yin and Yang), and performances by GOTH-TRAD, ZAÄAR, and Moyang 先祖 & Seaman 漁師. With this curation, lucky attendees will be immersed in mind-bending, visually stunning, and sonically experimental performances.

Experimental producer/musician Ziúr will bring a curatorial programme steeped in experimental sounds, hyperreal aesthetics, and boundary-pushing sonic ideas. With artists like Attila Csihar & Iggor Cavalera, Luisa Almaguer, Lady Lykez, and DJ Marcelle, her curation promises to delve into the darker, more experimental side of electronic music and sound art, showcasing a variety of genres from industrial to avant-garde and everything in between.

Beyond the curated programs, the general lineup is stacked with a stunning array of artists. Returning to the festival is the monumental drone outfit SUNN O))), legendary Jamaican reggae group The Congos, Columbian-Canadian musician and Polaris Prize-winning artist Lido Pimienta and the heavy and beautiful music of drone metal band Divide and Dissolve performing their new album Insatiable. Also newly announced is composer and producer Adrian Younge, known for his work in soul and hip-hop, Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, the Pakistani qawwali ensemble led by Rizwan and Muazzam, nephews of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who will perform across three nights, Nicolás Jaar & Ali Sethi, Attila Csihar & Iggor Cavalera, KeiyaA, mighty Montreal trio BIG|BRAVE, Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force, the project of techno pioneer Mark Ernestus with a revolving cast of Senegalese sabar musicians, and the cosmic rhythms of Gary Bartz and NTU Troop. Other standout performances will come from performer, teacher and researcher of traditional Galician oral music Carme López, DJ Haram & Aquiles Navarro, electronic music duo emptyset, the fast, quirky, driving, and catchy synth punk sounds of Goblin Daycare, young Kurdish Iranian tanbur player Mohammad Mostafa Heydarian, Katokye, known as the master of Banyankole traditional songs from Western Uganda, and Dublin based post-punk feminist four-piece M(h)aol. The collaborative project of Peruvian artist and researcher Alejandra Cárdenas aka Ale Hop & Congolese guitarist Titi Bakorta, are also added to the bill today, as is Índio da Cuíca, the Brazilian multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and dancer active for more than 50 years, award-winning Native American composer and artist Raven Chacon, Oakland-based experimental electronic folk artist Kathryn Moh, legendary Peruvian cumbia band Los Wembler’s de Iquitos, Tanzanian music ensemble The Zawose Queens, whose music incorporates traditional Wagogo styles and electronic production, and Palestinian musician and composer Maya Al Khaldi & Palestinian qanun player Sarouna featuring visual artist and filmmaker Dina Mimi. Kikagaku Moyo frontman Tomo Katsurada, multi-instrumentalist, producer and artist Tomoki Sanders, child of the late saxophone legend Pharoah Sanders, and South African drummer and composer Tumi Mogorosi are also amongst some of the thrilling additions unveiled today.

Le Guess Who? remains an invitation to listen deeply to art, to each other and to the world. This year’s edition builds on the festival’s mission to centre voices from the margins and create transformative collective experiences. The COSMOS platform returns too, continuing to spotlight global music communities, this time with contributions from Istanbul’s IDGK, Iceland’s Seyðisfjörður Community Radio, Malaysia’s Align.Online, Panama City’s River Down Records, and Berlin’s Refuge Worldwide.

As we’ve come to expect, Le Guess Who? is setting the bar for festivals around the world with its ambitious and diverse programming. A gathering where borders blur and traditions reshape, Le Guess Who? continues to offer one of the most compelling global stages for unclassifiable music. The full list of names and curated programmes already announced is vast and essential reading and listening, so head over to leguesswho.com for more details, including ticket information and full lineup so far. A very limited number of 4-Day festival passes and individual day tickets will go on sale Tuesday May 27th, so stay tuned.

Returning to the charming city of Utrecht from November 7th – 10th to celebrate its 17th edition, Le Guess Who? is on course to reach beyond the stars with a sprawling and stellar line-up that each year continues to grow ever more adventurous and majestic. Today the organizers announced their full programme for this year’s edition, and adding to an already hefty bill are artists and bands like Maurice Louca, Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Frank Rosaly, Nadah El Shazly, Merope, Kayhan Kalhor & Erdal Erzincan and Creation Rebel feat Adrian Sherwood.

Le Guess Who? unveiled today its final batch of bands and artists to join previously announced guest curators Mabe Fratti, Bo Ningen, Arooj Aftab, Crystallmess, DARKSIDE, and Touching Bass as well as FYEAR, Patrick Shiroishi, Fuensanta, Nancy Mounir, Rafael Toral and Asher Gamedze, amongst many more.

Egyptian composer, producer and vocalist Nadah El Shazly; the exhilarating rhythms of Iranian kamancheh player Kayhan Kalhor & Anatolian bağlama master Erdal Erzincan; LA-based rapper and producer Chuck Strangers; and keyboardist, flautist, composer and arranger Brian Jackson, known for his collaborations with Gil Scott-Heron in the 1970s, are amidst the new thrilling names added to Le Guess Who?’s general programme. The line up for this year also includes a collaboration between producer Abul Mogard (AKA Guido Zen) and record producer, composer, and mastering engineer Rafael Anton Irisarri, who earlier this year released their album Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close; as well as the likes of Brooklyn noise rockers Couch Slut presenting their latest record You Could Do It Tonight; Montreal-based songwriter, guitarist and singer Myriam Gendron, the eccentric and pulsating rhythms of Kabeaushé, and the collision of improvisation and electronics brought to life by Oceanic & Greetje Bijma, the project that brings together leftfield techno and ambient producer Oceanic and award-winning jazz vocalist Greetje Bijma.

Earlier this year, Bolivian-born singer and multi-medium performer Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti & Puerto Rican drummer, composer and sound designer Frank Rosaly, released their incredible debut album, MESTIZX, a journey through their culture and identity, intersecting their heritage from Bolivia, Brazil, and Puerto Rico. Their performance in one of the many idyllic venues across Utrecht will be an unmissable one as will the premiere of Hadra Immersive, the musical ritual ceremony of Sufis in North Africa, presented by Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra and visual artist Arion de Munck. Le Guess Who? will also present the throbbing and hypnotic rhythms of Peruvian sound artist Ale Hop with Congolese guitarist Titi Bakorta; Egyptian singer and rapper Abyusif; the soulful harmonies of Annie & The Caldwells, the gospel singing outfit of Annie Caldwell along with her husband and their children; Turkish noise rock trio Haossaa; Merope, the duo of Lithuanian singer and kanklės player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and guitarist and producer Bert Cools, who will have their new album, Vėjula, also out in early November; American folk artist Tucker Zimmerman and the incendiary live show of Party Dozen, the Sydney noise duo of saxophonist Kirsty Tickle and percussionist Jonathan Boulet, whose fourth album Crime in Australia came out a few days ago.

Appearing on the bill is the legendary Creation Rebel with live mix by producer Adrian Sherwood; London-based vocalist, producer, performer and visual artist GAIKA, who performs with poet and musician James Massiah, and Scientist, the project of Jamaican electronics wizard Hopeton Overton Brown. Following DNA? AND?’s compelling, powerful and heartfelt performance at Le Guess Who? 2019 edition, the festival invited the Oslo-based improv-band collective back, as well as experimental trio Ex-Easter Island Head and Sex Swing who are set to showcase their fierceness on the back of their third studio album, Golden Triangle, releasing next month.

Over the years Le Guess Who? has been nurturing an open space for rare and unique performances and collaborations and this year is no different. Hannah Elsisi presents Chromesthesia is one of the special projects newly unveiled not to be missed. A social and intellectual historian of the Modern Middle East, the British-Egyptian activist will host a monumental 13-hour performance on Saturday November 9th. Her curation includes the immeasurably talented and adventurous composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Maurice Louca, who has enthralled us long ago with his solo works and numerous collaborations; the choreography of multidisciplinary Afrocentric dancer and artist Natisa Exocé Kasongo with audiovisual design by Berlin based Dutch audiovisual composer and software developer Tarik Barri; Sierra Leone-born, New York-based artist and musician Lamin Fofana, who founded the Sci-Fi & Fantasy and Black Studies labels; Amsterdam based, Brazilian-born producer and vocalist LYZZA; South Florida electronic and hip hop producer Nick León, and Sonic Interventions, a futuristic Jazz collective “who unites diverse languages, instruments, rhythms and dance for collective meditation and healing, improvisation and groove”. The Chromesthesia curation further includes musical polyglot, composer, educator and storyteller Jowee Omicil, whose performances are always different, immersive and transformative; Afro-Portuguese electronic producer and DJ Nídia, Ghanaian/French producer and vocalist PÖ, South African rapper, singer, songwriter, and actress Sho Madjozi and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Yaya Bey.

Le Guess Who? will also be hosting Sounds of Places, a residency program from Radio Alhara, commissioned by Wonder Cabinet, which “seeks to create sonic analogies beyond the spatial limit every sound emerges from.” Following its first edition this year in the occupied Cremisan Valley in Palestine, the artists involved there will present their works at the festival, including Lebanese multi-instrumentalist, video artist and puppeteer Yara Asmar, who next month will release her new album synth waltzes & accordion laments; Christmas in Mourning, a special radio piece commissioned by Radio Al-Hara and co-composed by Sary Moussa and Abed Kobeissy, which was streamed simultaneously by 18 community stations worldwide last Christmas, and Sasha Shadid x Julmud.

There’s plenty more goodness to head to Utrecht for, head over to leguesswho.com for the full details of the line-up, tickets and other info. 4-Day Passes and Friday tickets are sold out but you can still grab tickets for Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Le Guess Who? returns to Utrecht from November 7th – 10th for its 17th edition and the first big announcement of 2024 is here. Today’s announcement attests to the organisers’ unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of musical conventions. A sonic odyssey that transcends genres and geography, the festival continues to champion artists and sounds that are often overlooked and provides a platform for fresh perspectives in music. There’s very good reasons to be excited for this year’s edition with the guest curators and first names on the general line up announced today, including a lot of bands that we absolutely love like FYEAR, Patrick Shiroishi, Fuensanta, Nancy Mounir, Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and Asher Gamedze.

Le Guess Who? has been a beacon of artistic exploration, transforming the city of Utrecht into a privileged global stage for unparalleled musical discoveries and experiences. Part of what makes Le Guess Who? so unique is the diversity brought in by its guest curators, and this year Mabe Fratti, Bo Ningen, Arooj Aftab, Crystallmess, DARKSIDE, and Touching Bass will help shape and enrich the festival with hand picked selections of their favourite and like-minded artists, in addition to also performing themselves.

Guatemala-born, Mexico City-based cellist and composer Mabe Fratti curates a stunning programme highlighting the rich cultural diversity and spirit of Latin American music. She invited South American artists who have inspired her like Mexican saxophonist and composer Germán Bringas; Amsterdam based Mexican singer, double bassist, composer, improviser and multidisciplinary artist Fuensanta; Colombian traditional folkloric cumbia group Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, who have been active since 1940, London-based experimental vocal ensemble Shards; Luz luz luz!; and, amongst others, Argentine experimental band Blanco Teta, known for their infectious and energetic performances.

Following a blistering show at Le Guess Who? in 2018, London-based Japanese post-punk quartet Bo Ningen are returning as curators, focusing on audiovisual performances. They will present their alternate live score to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s cult classic The Holy Mountain. Their curated programme will also include the likes of experimental saxophonist and electronic musician Helen Papaioannou and visual artist Noriko Okaku, who mix live collaged visuals with accompanying music; experimental soprano Olivia Salvadori, drummer Akihide Monna, and multi-instrumentalist Coby Sey in their new collaborative project GAISTER; the audiovisual collaboration by musicians Klara Lewis and Nik Colk Void with visual artist Pedro Maia; Lunch Money Life, and a performance by London post-rock trio Still House Plants, with a brand new album, If I don’t make it, I love u, released last month.

Arooj Aftab returns to Le Guess Who? after her memorable performance in 2021. As the first Pakistani woman to win a Grammy Award, Aftab has captured global attention with her unique musical vision. Her upcoming album, Night Reign, is highly anticipated, and her curated programme reflects her diverse influences. Her bill will included a special filmed performance by her father, Aftab Sr., delivering meaningful love poetry from Lahore, Pakistan. Aftab’s bill will also host the powerful and hypnotic chanting and danceable rhythms of Mauritania’s Noura Mint Seymali; Los Angeles based contemporary poet, writer, lyricist, and activist aja monet, known for her work on Black resistance, love and joy; the sould-stirring compositions of singer, composer and music producer Dina El Wedidi, who’s a star in her native Egypt, and multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer Meshell Ndegeocello, whose latest Grammy-awarded album, The Omnichord Real Book, is a testament to her deep musical roots.

French multidisciplinary artist and producer Crystallmess will bring her interdisciplinary approach to the festival, combining elements of film, music, performance, and visual art. Her curated programme features pop polymath Lafawndah; footwork originator RP Boo; Detroit ghetto-tech group HiTech; experimental musician and choreographer Blackhaine, whose cathartic performances evoke intense physical and sonic energy, LustSickPuppy; Nazar and American singer and Sonic Youth co-founder Kim Gordon, also with a recent second solo album, The Collective, under her belt.

DARKSIDE, the electronic duo of Dave Harrington and Nicolás Jaar, who now count drummer Tlacael Esparza as a new member, present a programme boasting everything from electronic music and disco to prog rock and funk. Their curated lineup includes Japanese American saxophonist and composer Patrick Shiroishi; innovative trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith; Phantom Orchard, the project of two visionaries, harpist and composer Zeena Parkins and electronic music composer and visual artist Ikue Mori; Iranian artist Cinna Peyghamy; percussionist and composer Eli Keszler and transdisciplinary scholar and vocalist and double-bassist ganavya presenting her brand new album, like the sky I’ve been too quiet.

Touching Bass, a South London community-come-club night, record label and NTS Radio show, founded and run by Errol and Alex Rita, have two distinct evenings in store for the festival. Calm Roots, taking place in a church, will focus on meditative performances and the second night, INNA, will celebrate Jamaican soundsystem culture with performances intended for the dancefloor.

There’s a lot more on offer for the 17th edition of Utrecht’s Le Guess Who?, with the first performing artists within the general line-up now also unveiled. Appearing on the bill is prodigious and adventurous musician, composer and producer-in-demand Radwan Ghazi Moumneh; Palestinian producer and rapper duo Al Nather & Shabjdeed; Portuguese musician and sound engineer Rafael Toral and FYEAR, the Montréal-based supergroup led by electroacoustic composer Jason Sharp and poet/writer Kaie Kellough, hot on the heels of a mesmerizing eponymous debut album fusing spoken word, out-jazz, post-classical, drone, ambient metal, avant-rock and modular synthesis. Freshly added to the line-up today is talented and versatile multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer Nancy Mounir, whose performance at the festival in 2022 was one of our highlights. Melbourne band Tropical Fuck Storm, who put on a mighty and blistering show in 2019, are also returning to the festival as is visionary and virtuosic South African drummer, composer, writer and activist Asher Gamedze performing with his Another Time Ensemble, the quintet he assembled in Cairo with some of the city’s finest improvisers. Also added is Bolivian singer, songwriter, composer and actress of Quechuan origin Luzmila Carpio, who’s been spreading ancestral Andean knowledge and music since the late 1960s. Other incredible additions include Montréal based Swedish singer/composer Erika Angell presenting the first album under her own name, and Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble on the same year they celebrate their milestone 50th anniversary.

With each passing year, Le Guess Who? cements its reputation as a festival that embraces the full spectrum of musical diversity. This year’s edition promises to be no exception, with an extraordinary lineup that will dazzle and inspire. A myriad of unmissable performances will take place at festival’s idyllic venues across Utrecht, from churches and art galleries to landmark theatres and warehouses.

Head over to leguesswho.com to gaze at the full list of stellar names announced today. For those who have yet to secure their tickets, a very limited number of 4-Day Festival Passes and individual Day Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, May 28th.