Music Matters XLIII (15/01/2026) ESNS Talks #1

Starting in 2026, we are partnering with Eurosonic to present a new series of talks at the intersections of Eurosonic’s mission to support the international music ecosystem and emerging European artists and research questions of interest to scholars and students in the Popular Music and Sonic Cultures Master’s program. The result is ESNS Talks, a series of discussions with artists, music industry figures, and scholars. The first will take place during Eurosonic 2026 and consists of two hour-long panel discussions: 

In the first part of the program, with Groningen’s very own Blanks and music photographer Ben Houdijk, we will discuss crafting artist identities and generating audience engagement through photography and innovative online artmaking and social media content production. This will be a valuable discussion for developing artists, influencers, and anyone interested in performance, image, social media and identity.

See: https://esns.nl/nl/conference/panels/esns-talks-crafting-musical-identities/

Then in part two of the program, with Sziget (Hungary) festival booker Márk Bóna and artist and activist Sexytadgh, we’ll discuss perspectives on how to cultivate diversity on festival stages and the differing needs of distinct regions in Europe. We’ll focus specifically on the impact of queer performance and the programming of diverse lineups in Hungary, Romania, and the metal scene, but will also present new insights related to gender and racial equity on European stages.

See: https://esns.nl/nl/conference/panels/esns-talks-diversity-and-inclusivity/