U?, the freely accessible city program of Le Guess Who?, celebrates local and creative communities. Rooted in Utrecht's cultural and creative diversity, the festival presents live performances, exhibitions, communal dinners, talks, participatory formats, and educational activities that foster social connection.
On 7 and 8 November, U? returns to Utrecht, The Netherlands. The festival now reveals its full 2026 program, after previously announcing its festival curators: performance artist and ephemeral practitioner Fai Aldhukair, multidisciplinary artist, curator and researcher Jô Páscoa, and programmer, artist agent and cultural curator Perry Gits.
This year, the U? program explores themes of connection, freedom and identity. From reimagining cultural heritage to exploring new forms of creativity, the program provides space for diverse perspectives, communities and new ways of thinking, making and connecting.
On Saturday, 7 November, U? presents a festival playground in the Cartesius area, featuring multiple music performances at De Nijverheid, including vixnde, the artistic project of singer-songwriter Viana Afoumou, who incorporates the contradictions of being a female artist in the music industry into her own aesthetic and identity. Her self-defined genre, raw pop, combines an imperfect, deconstructed sound with a strong focus on her voice and the raw energy of her live performances. Also performing are Tamboreiras de Rotterdam, the first Cabo Verdean all-female drumming group from Rotterdam, who perform powerful rhythms that celebrate the islands' rich musical and cultural heritage; and BigBobbyBitch, an artist who's known for his energetic blend of trap, plug, punk, pop and hip-hop. C*NDY BR34K, curated by noise artist Etta Harkness Bartholdi (aka Etta HarBar), is a program at Boot122 featuring glitchy, bass-heavy sounds presented through a wall of speakers that she sets up in collaboration with soundsystem expert DJ Khabir—bass powerful enough to feel in the air. At NAR, independent Utrecht-based collective, record label and radio platform o3o presents a program with artists who find new connections between improvisation, songwriting and sound design—creating music that feels both exploratory and engaging.
U? also features many other activities and events, such as a multidisciplinary program at Keen Coffee presented by Utrecht based music label and art collective death by dagger, exploring the tension between our fast-moving digital reality and the enduring value of tradition, craft and physical presence. Hof van Cartesius presents Some Call It Love, Others Biodiversity, a daylong multi-media manifestation that turns the site into a living ecosystem of sound, art, food and experimentation—exploring how, as cities grow less hospitable to many forms of life, alternative forms of living can emerge from everyday practices and encounters: fermenting, cooking, listening, making and moving together. Le Guess Who? and U? are teaming up at dB's to present totally wired, a program that celebrates DIY culture, the communities that shape it, and the connections forged across borders through local scenes, diasporas and intersections. This program features a collective zine launch, a workshop, an exhibition, screenings, a market and a line-up connecting different shades of punk and bringing together exciting and loud voices.
On Sunday, 8 November, U? presents several events across the city, including programs developed by this year’s curators: performance artist and ephemeral practitioner Fai Aldhukair presents the first edition of Ephemera: Practices of Preservation, an ongoing series of workshops, lectures and performances exploring alternative, research-based practices. At BAK / Basecamp, her program brings together artists and students whose practices unfold through research and performance rather than objects or tangible outputs. At Moira, multidisciplinary artist, curator and researcher Jô Páscoa explores how the term “monster” is used to dehumanize people who cross imposed boundaries of gender and sexuality. Their program, Tender Monsters and Filthy Queers, asks: How can queer pride be rooted in social transgression rather than politically neutral notions of queer joy? And how can we reclaim the label of “monster” for ourselves? Programmer, artist agent and cultural curator Perry Gits presents … at club BASIS, a live, ambient and experimental platform for electronic music. The program centers Black sonic practitioners working across electronic, ambient and experimental music, creating space for different approaches to sound, research and live practice.
View the full program for U? 2026 via leguesswho.com/u/lineup.
About Le Guess Who?
Le Guess Who? is a leading international festival, celebrated for presenting groundbreaking music in inspiring ways. Artists from all over the world offer new perspectives on what is possible in music, and collectively provide insight into the awe-inspiring diversity of human creativity.
From 5-8 November, Le Guess Who? celebrates its 20th anniversary edition in Utrecht, The Netherlands. More info: leguesswho.com.
