ESNS 2020: World-leading Iceland preps gender-balanced showcase

After topping the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index poll for the 11th year running in 2019, Iceland will send a gender-balanced delegation to Eurosonic Noorderslag later this month.

The annual showcase festival, which returns to Groningen, the Netherlands, on 15–18 January, features six Icelandic acts: experimental pop act JFDR, rapper Cell7, synth-pop duo Warmland, electronic pop artist Sólveig Matthildur, electro-psych act President Bongo and contemporary classical composer Gabríel Ólafs.

“I am delighted that we are now in our second decade of topping the WEF Global Gender Gap Index,” comments Iceland’s prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir.

“We are proud that these efforts to achieve gender parity are also evident in our musical scene, with an equal number of both female and male artists playing at Eurosonic festival this year and musical trailblazers paving new paths in all genres from hip-hop to soundtracks.”

Eurosonic announced its full 2020 schedule before Christmas, including all performers and conference sessions. See IQ’s recommended artists, along with those of other international media, here.

See a YouTube playlist of the Icelandic ESNS acts below:

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