Taking place in Groningen, an unofficial northern capital of the Netherlands, the festival boosted the careers of such acts as Kings of Convenience, The Libertines, The Raveonettes, and Franz Ferdinand, to name a few. This year, Iceland Review also attended ESNS to review the shows by fellow countrymen and discover artists from other corners of Europe.
Elín Hall: Siren Songs
Despite performing solo, Elín Hall effortlessly filled the spacious stage of the cultural centre Forum with her alluring presence. Both the appearance and music make clear references to the country of origin, from the fishing net on the garment designed by the artist to the soft, melancholy, and subtly seductive, siren-like vocals.
The performance stays with the audience. Some in attendance peg Elín Hall’s music as “volcano country”, referring to the distinct Icelandic flavour. Yet, it is much more than that.
Inspector Spacetime: Party Time
Inspector Spacetime, who took over the upper-floor venue at the very same building, made a blast with their electrifying discotheque vibe. Clearly enjoying themselves on stage, the band delivers an irresistible dance energy, which visibly moves the audience (literally and metaphorically).
Múr: Breaking the Wall
While Elín Hall and Inspector Spacetime are in the category of up-and-coming acts, Múr have been forging their career since 2018. At Eurosonic, they appear at venerable venue Vera, which hosted multiple early shows of trailblazing collectives such as U2, Joy Division, Simple Minds, Nick Cave, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Mogwai.
From the first chords, the band testifies to their name (Múr is an Icelandic word for ‘brick wall’). With the sweeping motion of his impressively long hair, singer and keytarist Kári Haraldsson, dressed in a black cloak, manifests dignity and charm. Heavy guitar riffs and growling vocals break all invisible boundaries and conquer the space.
South Asian Psychedelia, Estonian Dream Pop and More
This week’s playlist is our reflection on ESNS 2026. It features aforementioned Icelandic acts and foreign artists that we saw during the vibrant festival: Yīn Yīn (Dutch psychedelic outfit with a soft spot for South Asian traditional music), Xenia (Valencia-based producer creating vaporous hypnagogic pop), Turbo Trans Turisti (Serbian alternative rockers blending the Madchester sound with traditional Balkan motives), Mariin K (a dream-pop/shoegaze project of Estonian producer Mariin Kallikorm creating bitter-sweet and captivating sound), and Glazyhaze (a Venetian collective with hazy and ethereal guitar sound alluding to Lush).