Le Guess Who? festival

'The festival has grown into a wide-ranging event for alternative or obscure or historical tastes, taking place in churches, galleries and theaters around the city, along the lines of Primavera and Big Ears in Knoxville, Tennessee.'
– New York Times

Le Guess Who? is a city-wide celebration of global sounds and musical boundary-crossing. The 12th edition of the festival takes place 8-11 November 2018, in the picturesque city of Utrecht, The Netherlands.

During four days, Le Guess Who? takes over the city center of Utrecht with over 150 performances set to electrify pop venues, theaters, churches, galleries and warehouses. Satellite events with music, film, visual art, photography and markets appear at cafés, hotels, restaurants, wharf cellars, de Neude square and the hidden corners of the city.

'It's the kind of thing that fans and artists and industry folks alike speak of with reverent memories, the one everyone deeply respects, the one everyone says is gratifying to play and gratifying to witness, because no matter how well-versed or -traveled you are in the music world, chances are Le Guess Who? is going to have plenty of options you've never heard of before.' – Stereogum
Le Guess Who? focuses on artists that feel the urge to explore and expand the boundaries of certain genres. The festival features non-western sounds, jazz, folk, ambient, drone, avant-garde, modern composed, as well as contemporary pop and rock culture, and many blended forms of these genres.

Previous curators at Le Guess Who? are Perfume Genius, James Holden, Grouper, Shabazz Palaces, Jerusalem In My Heart & Han Bennink (2017); Wilco, Savages, Julia & Suuns (2016); Sunn O))) (2015); Swans’ Michael Gira (2014); and Ty Segall (2013).

Previous performers include Pharoah Sanders, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Einstürzende Neubauten, Sun Ra Arkestra, Dr. John, Annette Peacock, Selda Bağcan, Elza Soares, Thurston Moore Group, Sun Kil Moon, Autechre, Kamasi Washington, Junun feat. Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express, William Basinski, The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane performed by the Sai Anantam Ashram Singers, Magma, Keiji Haino, Patty Waters, Digable Planets, and Pauline Oliveros.

'A truly eclectic experience; a rich and nourishing affair.'
– The Independent

'The most diverse, open and inspiring festival out there.'
– The Line of Best Fit

'We need events like Le Guess Who? to remind us that a better world is possible.'
– The Quietus