Austria was strongly represented at Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) 2026 with a delegation of 26 Austrian professionals and artists, and six Austrian acts delivering ten showcase performances across Groningen. This wide presence highlighted the vibrant music scene and active engagement at one of Europe’s leading platforms for emerging talent.
And The Award goes to…
… Austria! A major moment of the festival was Sofie Royer winning a Music Moves Europe Award, recognising her artistic vision and growing international impact. In addition, Ewald Tatar was honoured with the European Festival Award Lifetime Achievement Award for his longstanding contribution to the European live music community. Congratulations to both!
Austrian Sounds Across Groningen
Throughout the festival week, Austrian artists attracted strong interest from delegates and media. Showcases by Beaks, Filiah, Sofie Royer, Abor & Tynna, Sodl, and LuxJury reflected the diversity of Austria’s current music scene and were accompanied by interviews and coverage from outlets including FM4 and MDR Kultur.
A Place to Meet: Austrian Heartbeats Lunch Reception
The Austrian Heartbeats Reception once again served as an important meeting point for the international music industry and the Austrian delegation. Over soup and sandwiches, guests connected, exchanged impressions and gathered energy for the rest of a busy festival day.
Exchanging Perspectives Across Europe
Austrian Music Export was also active off-stage. As a European Music Exporters Exchange (EMEE) member, the team planned to attend the General Assembly on Tuesday, but despite some train delays that made us fashionably late, we were quickly brought up to speed over dinner with our European counterparts. As a long-standing partner of the European Talent Exchange Programme, we supported Austrian artists within that framework. On the conference stage, Project Leader Paulina Parvanov contributed to a discussion on touring in Europe, sharing insights and connecting with the broader industry.
Next Generation in Focus
Austria was also represented in the Eurosonic Young Professionals Programme by Sarah Brandstätter (töchtersöhne) and Kerstin Kern (Ink Music), underlining the importance of supporting emerging professionals and strengthening long-term European networks.
Paulina Parvanov