News

The annual Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS), Europe’s most important showcase festival and conference for the music industry, will take place next year from January 14–18 in Groningen, the Netherlands, celebrating the event’s 40th anniversary. This time, the “focus country” is the whole of Europe, in honor of which a separate European area will also be coordinated. The festival announced the second artist from Estonia, the domestic metalcore band Pridian. In addition, mariin k, presented by the local radio station Raadio 2, will also perform at the festival.

The Estonian metalcore band Pridian, which started in 2018, has quickly risen to become a prominent name in the domestic heavy music scene and has garnered significant international attention. The band, which includes vocalist Laur Lindmäe, guitarists Jörg-Erik Hanikat and Martin Randalu, and drummer Robert Leht, mixes metalcore with industrial soundscapes, electronic elements, and memorable melodies in their work. After a name change (formerly ÆØNS) and the release of their debut EP “Cybergnosis” in the autumn of 2023, Pridian became the first Estonian band to sign with the prestigious German record label Century Media Records. Their collaboration resulted in the debut album “Venetian Dark” in the spring of 2025, which has been accompanied by performances at major European festivals such as Euroblast in Germany and Mystic Festival in Poland, confirming the band’s status as one of the flagships of Estonian metal export.

“It is a great pleasure and honor to perform at one of Europe’s largest showcase festivals. We hope to take Estonian metal even further beyond the borders and create even closer relationships with the organizers of world stages. Above all, it is important for us to have a good time and perform Pridian’s music in a new place, to a new audience, but we are also going there with the mindset of creating new friendships and working relationships with people with whom it would be nice to meet again on tours and at festivals. We are looking forward to it!” said the band’s guitarist Jörg-Erik Hanikat.

Three Estonian artists were selected for the 2025 program: Tuulikki Bartosik with Sander Möldri, Hanakiv, and Night Tapes, who won the Music Moves Europe Awards (MME Awards). In previous years, Estonia has been represented by artists such as Tommy Cash, NOËP, Trad Attack!, Maarja Nuut, Ewert & The Two Dragons, Ingrid Lukas, Erki Pärnoja, IVI, Duo Ruut, OOPUS, Vera Vice, Kitty Florentine, Daniel Levi, and others.

ESNS has been a launchpad for the international careers of artists such as Altin Gün, Arlo Parks, Dua Lipa, Fontaines D.C., White Lies, Franz Ferdinand, Phoenix, The Haunted Youth, Sigrid, and Wet Leg.

Music Estonia, Tallinn Music Week, and Raadio 2 are also part of the festival’s network, the European Talent Exchange (ETE), formerly known as ESNS Exchange. In addition to Estonia, it includes the export offices of 25 other European countries, 129 (showcase) festivals, and 30 representatives of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) radio network, plus 28 other members and partners, making it the showcase festival with the strongest European-level representation that continuously develops and presents European talent. Over 350 artists perform at ESNS, whose concerts are visited by over 40,000 people and where 4,000 music industry professionals from all over the world gather, including representatives from 400 festivals.