With the ethos of Listening is the Way Forward, Le Guess Who? (7-10 November in Utrecht, The Netherlands) is widely considered to be one of the most forward-thinking festivals around.
Le Guess Who? exists to promote sounds that are often overlooked, and to platform fresh perspectives on what is possible in music. Artists from all over the world push the boundaries of expectations and offer an insight into the unprecedented diversity of human creativity.
Le Guess Who?’s global vision is further cemented with COSMOS: a worldwide, ever-growing music community for which we collaborate with eight different partners (‘Embassies’) from across the globe each year. Through films, interviews, performances and live radio, these Embassies give an insight into their respective local music scenes.
COSMOS Embassies
In 2024, COSMOS collaborates with the following Embassies, who each present commissioned short documentaries about their local scenes. The films are screened at the festival as well as freely available online via leguesswho.com/cosmos. In addition, representatives of the Embassies attend Le Guess Who? to perform, host screenings, and appear on panels and live radio broadcasts.
Underground Music Academy (Detroit, USA)
With the slogan KNOW THE PAST. CHANGE THE FUTURE., Detroit’s Underground Music Academy is a utopian space for the city's aspiring musicians to learn about the history, creation and business of electronic music.
Honiunhoni (Karachi, Pakistan)
Rooted in the practice of ethnographic research, Honiunhoni celebrates Pakistan's cultural richness and diversity through meticulous curation and promotion of (the often marginalized) indigenous folk and classically trained musicians.
Touching Bass (London, UK)
Touching Bass is a community-come-club night, celebrated record label, staple NTS Radio show, concert series and curatorial studio. It has steadily established itself as one of London’s most important musical incubators, gaining cult status for its community spirit, musical eclecticism and intentional approach.
LE 18 (Marrakech, Morocco)
A multidisciplinary cultural and residency space, LE 18 is a collective learning platform to engage with and critically tackle the dynamics, processes, and infrastructures which shape the cultural, political, and economic lives in a global context.
Santuri East Africa (Nairobi, Kenya)
A community-focused music innovation hub, Santuri East Africa’s goal is to bring about a more equitable, authentic, and diverse music industry. For a full decade, Santuri has been supporting, highlighting, and releasing a mix of contemporary and traditional music from many regions of Africa.
Seoul Community Radio (Seoul, South Korea)
Seoul Community Radio (SCR) is South Korea’s premier community radio station. Established in 2016, SCR is a multi-platform online broadcaster at the center of Asia’s fast-growing electronic music community, created by the scene for the people that make it great.
U? (Utrecht, the Netherlands)
U? is the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?. With the mission to amplify local and creative communities from the fringes, U? serves as a radical playground for experimentation, co-creation and conversation.
ICRN (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Bringing together DIY broadcasters from the Baltics and beyond, the Independent Community Radio Network (ICRN)’s mission is to create a transnational network of like-minded broadcasters who support each other with their knowledge, resources, equipment and bandwidth.
