The event combines a showcase festival with an international music conference and focuses on presenting European music talent.
For Codarts, ESNS is a familiar place. Every year, students and alumni are visible across the festival, both on stage and behind the scenes. ESNS therefore serves as a meeting point where education and professional practice come together.
Penguin Radio Showcase
From Wednesday to Friday, the Penguin Radio Showcase takes place alongside ESNS. This is a free programme outside the official festival venues. On Thursday evening, Codarts students will perform at De Drie Gezusters on the Grote Markt:
20:00 – FAELA
Singer-songwriter with a mature sound and a strong voice.
20:55 – ANIQUE
Pop artist from Rotterdam who turns personal stories into modern, accessible pop songs.
21:50 – Yasmina
Warm, melodic pop songs focused on emotion and self-reflection.
22:45 – Idrys Kai
Emerging vocalist combining jazz, R&B, hip hop and Ghanaian highlife in a personal style.
DJ booths
sy-ki – Producer and DJ with a futuristic bedroom-pop sound.
Thyme Flies – DJ and producer playing groove-driven sets influenced by soul and funk.
Codarts alumni at ESNS
Several Codarts alumni will also perform at Noorderslag. Min Taka presents music that moves between jazz, pop and other international influences. She was recently named by de Volkskrant as one of the talents to watch in 2026.
Roufaida is also part of the Noorderslag programme. Her music blends alternative pop with North African musical traditions and poetic lyrics. In recent years, she has played at many festivals in the Netherlands and abroad, including earlier editions of Noorderslag.
KAGAMI is also on the line-up. This Dutch cosmic funk duo draws inspiration from French disco and Japanese city pop. Influenced by artists such as Daft Punk and Tatsuro Yamashita, their music combines nostalgic sounds with modern pop production.
With both students and alumni on the programme, Codarts shows at Eurosonic Noorderslag how artistic development continues from education into professional practice, within today’s music scene.