Festival Focus: Rewire & Ultima

Presented by Ultima and by:Larm

In this panel we will take a closer look at two of the most adventurous music festivals in Europe. Rewire Festival in The Hague has an omnivorous taste, which gives attendees a chance to see the most forward-thinking acts within fields such as club music, rock and experimental. Alongside regular performances, Rewire attendees get the chance to see musicians like Patti Smith, Danny L. Harle and Deafheaven frontman George Clarke bridge music with performance and visual art. Not to mention a lively contextual programme filled with film screenings and conversations.

Like Rewire, Ultima thrives in the blurry zone between genres and art forms. Featuring concerts, theatre, sound art and dance, and artists as varied as Caterina Barbieri, Heiner Goebbels, Iannis Xenakis, Maja S. K. Ratkje and the Oslo Philharmonic, the annual festival engages a wide audience in stimulating crossovers, unusual arenas, but also in more traditional formats that still flourish and inspire. It celebrates innovative music and community, address current issues, and embrace the sounds of an ever-changing world.

In this conversation, artistic director of Rewire Bronne Keesmaat and Ultima’s director Heloisa Amaral will talk about the ways the two festivals approach programming and how they work to rally local communities in The Hague and Oslo during the festival.

The moderator for this panel will be Laura Snapes.