Le Guess Who? 2026 Unveils Full Lineup & Sound & Culture Summit

Making the final announcements for the programming of its 20th anniversary edition - taking place from November 5th to 8th - Utrecht’s Le Guess Who? festival has revealed the second and final wave of its main lineup, alongside the full program for its freely accessible Sound & Culture Summit featuring workshops, panels, performances, and listening sessions.

Building on a first wave that put regional heavyweights in the spotlight, such as Egyptian experimental shaabi fusionist Maryam Saleh, zār ensemble Mazaher, Moroccan traditionalists Khadija El Warzazi and Bnat El Houriyat, and Gnawa master Maalem Houssam Guinia, the final wave deepens the festival’s commitment to SWANA sonic innovation, political resistance, and boundary-pushing experimentation.

Among the additions to the second wave is hip-hop icon Shadia Mansour, whose pioneering conscious rap has long served as a platform for Palestinian liberation, alongside BETHLEHEM, an electro-acoustic collaboration commissioned by Wonder Cabinet during Christmas 2023 following the cancellation of festivities in the city.

From the Levant’s alternative circuit, prolific producer and sound engineer Fadi Tabbal joins the bill with his solo ambient and drone compositions. The lineup also features a cross-continental collaboration between Italian sound artist Mai Mai Mai and Galilaean yargul master Osama Abu Ali. Elsewhere, DJ Plead translates intricate Lebanese percussion and scales into high-impact club production, while oud virtuoso Kareem Samara blends traditional instrumentation with live loopers, field recordings, and political archives.

The announcement also spotlights raw punk and hardcore movements rooted in SWANA heritage and global struggle. Hardcore outfit ZANJEER delivers Urdu-language d-beat confronting genocide and Islamophobia, alongside Bristol-based Syrian-Palestinian hardcore punk group Sarsour, and Snake Eater, who fuse Pakistani-Punjabi poetry with noise-heavy, anti-imperialist grindcore. Meanwhile, Alsarah & The Nubatones return with their East-African retro-pop, exploring Nubian songs of return and diaspora, while ęmí: freedomsong brings an audio-visual performance ritual reflecting on grief and the Palestinian struggle.

Running parallel to the music performances, Le Guess Who? has also detailed its Sound & Culture Summit, set for Friday, November 6th at Theater Utrecht. The summit serves as a platform for panels, workshops, and listening sessions centered on community organizing, sonic heritage, and decolonial practices.

A central highlight for the regional scene is 'The Art of Dissent: Political Expression in the Music Industry', a panel moderated by Rohan Ayinde featuring BDS movement co-founder Omar Barghouti, poet Lillian Allen, and Shadia Mansour. Palestinian Sound Archive founder Mo'min Swaitat will host 'My beautiful side of the archive', featuring a short documentary, talk, and DJ set detailing archival practice as a decolonial act.

The summit also includes key practical industry talks, such as a panel on 'How To Curate a Line-Up' featuring U? curator Fai Aldhukair, alongside specialized workshops on artist visa challenges, Ableton deconstruction, and 'The Humming Score' hosted by the creators of ęmí: freedomsong.

The Sound & Culture Summit is free to access, with select workshops requiring advance registration. The complete day-by-day lineup and summit schedules can be found via the official Le Guess Who? website.