Eurosonic 2016 • Festivals • DIY Magazine

While the UK freezes to a standstill this week (or so the weather predictors would have us believe), a literal LOAD of bands new, newer and nearly-new are heading from across Europe to the relatively small city of Groningen in the Netherlands for Eurosonic - think of it as The Great Escape without the pier and a whole load of canal.

While we’re hoping to point at bands at random in order to find a new fave or three, here’s who we’ll be definitely queueing to see…

The Magic Gang

Do these four need an introduction? With that oh-so-long-awaited debut album in the near distant future, the Brighton boys and their irresistible melodies are guaranteed to warm the icy-cold hands / feet / hearts (delete as appropriate; it’s an industry event after all).

13th January, Minerva Art Academy, Zuiderdiep, 9:45pm

Fresh-faced and fresher still from our Class of 2017 (though we hope he’s dried off now), 2017 is bound to be Declan’s to grab - he’s already done ‘the telly thing’, after all.

Declan McKenna

Another Class of 2017 alumni (can we call them that yet?! Good.), the Norwegian rabble’s deliciously infectious pop-punk will have even the most suited of industry bods toe-tapping through the night. Take ‘em dancing, alright.

12th January, Vrijdag, 10:50pm

“Kaleidoscopic tendencies” are what we dubbed Hare Squead’s sound when premiering single ‘Herside Story’ back in November - while the video for that track was filmed down the road in Amsterdam, we’d imagine Groningen’s masses will fall for this Irish hip hop trio’s charm.

Sløtface

Scandi electro-pop bangers ahoy with a difference - Skott claims via growing up in a commune, she didn’t have access to the Pop World at large (or Popworld on the telly, for that matter - poor Miquita). She’s still buzz-tastic, mind.