King Yosef, Lord Spikeheart, HIDE, Brigid Mae Power, Hilary Woods and more complete the line-up
The line-up for Roadburn 2024 is finally complete. We are immensely proud of the diverse array of artists that we have gathered, and we feel that we are channeling past, present and future artistically, musically and spiritually. We can’t wait to explore and discover everything that is in store and celebrate our beloved underground together with all of you.
- Brigid Mae Power will deliver alchemical incantations and dreamy folk-pop melodies.
- Channeling intensity and vulnerability, deathcrash’s slowcore will be a welcome addition.
- Fear Falls Burning will premiere new music in the form of their new album, The Principle Flaw.
- Gros Coeur are set to bring a psychedelic rainbow of sound to Roadburn.
- With a new album on the way, Habitants will make their Roadburn debut this year.
- Den Haag’s Heath promise “odd time signatures, blazing harmonica and hypnotic guitars” and more!
- HIDE will bring their uncompromising live performance to Roadburn for the first time.
- Fresh from the success of her latest release, Acts of Light, Hilary Woods will perform at Roadburn 2024.
- Bringing a heady blend of industrial noise, hip hop to Roadburn is King Yosef.
- Lord Spikeheart will make his Roadburn debut as a solo artist, performing music from his brand new album.
- Lucy Kruger & The Lost Boys have been highly praised for their live show which will make its way to Roadburn this April.
- Tilburg’s own Mirusi Mergina will present an experimental mix of whispers and soundscapes.
- Neptunian Maximalism will present their ambitious and expansive new album Le Sacre Du Soleil Invaincu.
- Having previously performed at Roadburn with his band, Tau and the Drones of Praise, Seán Mulrooney will return for a solo performance.
- The Infinity Ring will head to Europe for the first time and perform at Roadburn 2024.
- Throwing Bricks seek to find joy in heaviness and combine elements of punk, black metal, screamo and sludge.
The Spark, Roadburn’s Wednesday night pre-festival party, was recently announced featuring performances from Final Gasp, Sonja, and Riot City.
The above artists join a line-up that includes The Jesus And Mary Chain, Khanate, Chelsea Wolfe, Lankum, Clipping., Blood Incantation, Health, Royal Thunder, Hexvessel, Dool, Inter Arma, Agriculture, Fluisteraars, and many, many more. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks. For all information including tickets, please visit www.roadburn.com
Këkht Aräkh cancel; Mamaleek replace
We’re very sad to announce that the planned performance by Këkht Aräkh at Roadburn 2023 will not go ahead. Below is a statement explaining the circumstances behind this cancellation. We at Roadburn send love and strength as he works through these issues. We are so disappointed to miss out, as we’re sure you are too. Ticket refunds are not possible in the case of a cancellation like this, but we hope you’ll still join us in April.
Due to this cancellation we have added Mamaleek to the line up - we’re thrilled as they were originally booked for Roadburn 2020 and a show from them is a rare occurrence indeed. Read more about Mamaleek here.
Këkht Aräkh statement:
Hello dear friends.
I'm really sorry to say this, but it is with great sadness that we have to cancel my show at Roadburn festival.
I've faced a big unexpected issue: my visa process, which was supposed to end in December, got heavily delayed and I'm not permitted to travel abroad until it's resolved.
When we confirmed Roadburn we were operating under the belief that the process would be complete in plenty of time.
Me and my team have been trying our best to move things forward, but unfortunately there are elements that are beyond our control.
So, it is with a heavy heart that we have come to the realisation that the performance at Roadburn is no longer a viable option. I’m grateful to everyone who showed support and was excited to see us at Roadburn, but it was simply not possible to make it happen this year. I'm sincerely offering an apology and hoping for your understanding in these complex circumstances.
Roadburn completes 2023 line up with 25 new names
Roadburn has announced the final names for its main musical programme for the 2023 edition. Zola Jesus, Backxwash, Nicole Dollanganger and White Boy Scream are among the 25 new additions to the line up. Roadburn 2023 will take place between April 20-23, with a pre-festival show on Wednesday, April 19.
Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter Hoeijmaker comments:
“We’re delighted to announce the final names for the Roadburn 2023 line up. As has been said before, this year’s Roadburn will be a journey of discovery. The lineup is purposely focused on bands that have begun to make their mark over the last few years, and so, it’s also a reflection of the current underground. It was our aim to offer a lot of these bands and artists a platform to excel in front of a passionate and open-minded audience.
“We are so grateful to everyone who has gone to great lengths to help bring these artists to Roadburn. When you look at the full lineup, we sincerely hope you share our excitement. It’s our intention to make sure that Roadburn is a home away from home for everyone involved; the bands, the attendees, the industry folk, the staff.
“Roadburn 2023 is a celebration of underground music and culture; it will be a hub for positivity, creativity and artistry, and in a spirit of defiance it will bring hope in the face of the many adversities of our times. We thank you for this opportunity. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.”
New line up additions:
Zola Jesus will return to Roadburn, performing a full band show on the main stage on Sunday, as well as presenting her solo electronic project, NIKA on Saturday night. Backxwash will make her European debut with two special performances at Roadburn. Also playing her first show in Europe will be Nicole Dollanganger, who released a new album this January.
White Boy Scream will bring distinctive operatic vocals, noise and drone to Roadburn. Meanwhile Esben and the Witch will perform their just-announced new album, Hold Sacred, in full at the festival. Ashenspire will play their first show on Dutch soil as one of the most-requested underground bands for this year. Ashenspire share members with both Maud the Moth and Healthyliving who will also be performing, the latter band playing their first ever show.
EBM artist Sierra will be making the trip from Paris to bring her danceable anthems to Roadburn. Sweden will be represented by psych-pop masters, The Hanged Man, whilst Mai Mai Mai will present what has been described as ‘Mediterranean Hauntology’, a distinctive take on folk, minimal music, synthwave, industrial, dream pop and ambient.
Sowulo will also reimagine elements of folk music with tribalistic songs and an immersive performance. Marion Leclercq will bring her Mütterlein project to Roadburn, complete with ominous ambience, and soul-shredding vocals.
Further threads of folk can be found with Osi and the Jupiter who will bring their Appalachian-tinged take to Tilburg. Elsewhere Grift will present an intimate form of Nordic folk to Roadburn audiences. After releasing his debut solo album last year, guitarist Mat Ball will do double duty – performing his own solo set as well as taking to the main stage with Big Brave who were previously announced.
The Golden Grass are setting off on a groove-laden boogie odyssey, and we’re all invited along for the ride. The Sonic Dawn will continue this sun-kissed trip into the unknown as they roll into Tilburg this coming April with their psychedelic overtones. Experimental trio, France, will present a drone/folk infusion, complete with hurdy-gurdy! Iskandr brings a more ominous, darker tone to Roadburn in a set where black metal, doom and psychedelia will converge.
We’ve witnessed Enphin’s members before under the name Mr. Peter Hayden and later known them by their PH-insignia; they will return to Roadburn to distill elements of doom metal, electronica, heavy psychedelia, ambient and post-rock in wholly imaginative ways. Crouch are a new project featuring two members of Wiegedood; although in the early stages of performing live, they promise something slow and heavy for Roadburn attendees.
Colombian producer Filmmaker will bring his dark, atmospheric and – yes – cinematic electronic offerings to Roadburn this year. And last but not least, Rotterdam’s VULVA wear their hearts on their sleeves in an explosion of colour, vibrancy and radical action.
Unfortunately, Birth – who were previously announced for Roadburn – have had to cancel their upcoming European tour plans. See below for a statement from the band.
“It is with heavy heart that, due to circumstances beyond the control of ourselves, our booking agent and the promoters we’ve been dealing with, we need to postpone all non-US touring engagements until the second half of 2023. It is specifically galling that we won’t be able to make it to Roadburn this year, a festival where we have played on numerous occasions in the past in different incarnations and a place we all have an attachment to.” – Birth, 2023
More information on these artists can be found on our line-up page. They join previously announced artists including Deafheaven, Boy Harsher, Cave In, Julie Christmas, Wolves In The Throne Room, Giles Corey, Chat Pile, four commissioned projects, two artists in residence, a Rocket Recordings showcase, and more.
Tickets for Roadburn 2023 are already on sale; Friday and Saturday tickets are sold out, but weekend tickets, Thursday and Sunday tickets remain. Accommodation options are also available to purchase. All information can be found on our ticket page.
Roadburn wins Best Small Festival at the European Festival Awards
At last night’s European Festival Awards ceremony in Groningen, Roadburn collected the award for Best Small Festival. The prestigious awards event is held at the beginning of Eurosonic Noorderslag conference and showcase festival and recognises contributions to the festival world across 16 categories. Best Small Festival recognises events with a capacity below 10,000; Roadburn was nominated alongside the likes of Liverpool Sound City (UK), Unsound Festival (PL), and Arsenal Fest (RS).
Upon collecting the award, Roadburn’s Artistic Director, Walter Hoeijmakers spoke of the origins of Roadburn and its roots in the underground, as well as challenges the industry has faced over the last three years.
Walter comments: “We’re incredibly proud of winning this award, it validates the hard work that we put into Roadburn. But it is also a token of recognition for the bands in the underground that we have championed - they’ve overcome so many challenges in the last few years. We’re so proud that we’re still able to offer them a platform to excel and showcase their artistry.”
Roadburn has been championing underground music since 1999. As the festival has grown in size, it has also grown in scope - embracing artists from a broad spectrum of genres and disciplines. Metal, doom, avant-garde, electronics, psychedelic music and more are all represented across Roadburn line ups.
Roadburn’s 2023 line up includes a diverse array of artists including Deafheaven, Boy Harsher, Wolves In The Throne Room, David Eugene Edwards and Këkht Aräkh. The festival will also host two Artists In Residence who will each perform three times across the days of the festival. Four collaborative projects have been commissioned to compose and perform original work specifically for Roadburn - including a joint venture between Duma from Kenya and Deafkids from Brazil. Roadburn 2023 will take place between April 20-23. More information on the line up can be found here.
Roadburn adds 29 new names - including two commissioned projects, artist in residence, and label showcase
Roadburn has today announced a further 29 names to the 2023 line up of the festival which will take place between April 20-23. Among them is a residency from Oiseaux-Tempête, a label showcase from the UK’s Rocket Recordings, and two commissioned collaborations - the first between Duma and Deafkids, the second between Elizabeth Colour Wheel and Ethan Lee McCarthy.
Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter Hoeijmakers comments:
“We are beyond happy to bring you the final commissioned music projects for Roadburn 2023 as well as our second artist-in-residence among others. With this announcement, it becomes clear that Roadburn 2023 is focusing on forward-thinking bands and those who've made waves in the last couple years, as we want Roadburn to reflect the underground - now and in the future. We are elated and honoured to give a platform for these incredible artists, and we are sure this year's Roadburn will be something to remember for music, art, and community.”
New line up additions:
COMMISSIONED: DUMA & DEAFKIDS
After whipping up a storm at Roadburn 2022, Duma will return to the festival - this time in collaboration with Deafkids. With one band in Kenya and the other in Brazil, this is a collaboration that transcends boundaries - both geographical and genre. Additionally, Deafkids will perform their own stand alone set at the festival.
COMMISSIONED: ELIZABETH COLOUR WHEEL & ETHAN LEE MCCARTHY
A union forged on mutual respect and a penchant for experimentation will see these two entities join forces at Roadburn 2023. In addition to the collaborative commissioned piece, Roadburn will host performances by Elizabeth Colour Wheel, Spiritual Poison, and Otay:onii.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
Oiseaux-Tempête will perform three sets across the Roadburn weekend as the festival’s second Artist In Residence; spanning the breadth of their back catalogue and joined by a variety of musicians to embellish their live performances.
ROCKET RECORDINGS 25TH ANNIVERSARY SHOWCASE
Roadburn is celebrating this milestone with one of the most adventurous and forward thinking labels out there - appropriate given that this showcase highlights the best of the future of Rocket Recordings!
Teeth of the Sea will return to Roadburn after a decade-long absence to deliver their eerie sci-fi psychedelia. Del Aire - the 2022 album by J. Zunz - was in heavy rotation at Roadburn HQ, and she will now make her Roadburn debut in 2023. Holy Scum is the ungodly merging of members of Gnod, Dälek and Action Beat - creating a (very) noisy cacophony of delirium. Alison Cotton will perform a solo show of her ethereal, experimental folk, and later combine forces with Dawn Terry (of Bong) for a collaborative set that’s heavy on the drone. Utilising field recordings and electronics alongside her beautiful voice, Marlene Ribeiro will perform as part of this special showcase. The Shits are a brand new signing to Rocket - and they’ll be making their presence felt at the Wednesday night pre-festival party.
DeWolff will reprise their Roadburn Redux set with another performance promising grit and swagger in equal measure. Bo Ningen will be celebrating all that is weird and heavy about their sound with a special set titled Far East Electric Psychedelic. Birth are heading to Tilburg to soak us in their psychedelic sounds and take Roadburn to another interplanetary plane. Iron Jinn can trace their roots back to Roadburn - the 2018 edition to be precise - and they’ll be throwing a release party for their debut album at Roadburn this April, bringing things full circle.
Carefully balancing elements of black metal, ambient, post-rock, noise and drone, Yrre crafted an alternate soundtrack to the 2015 film The Witch by Robert Eggers, which will form the bedrock of their Roadburn performance. High Vis are riding high off the back of their 2022 album Blending, and they’ll make their way to Tilburg for their Roadburn debut this coming April. Portrayal of Guilt were another casualty of the 2020 edition, but will bring their hardcore/punk/fighting spirit to Roadburn 2023.
Right off the back of recording a new album, Body Void will head to Europe and deliver their distinctively crushing doom to the Roadburn community. Featuring members of Amenra, Oathbreaker, Aborted, Cross Bringer and more, Predatory Void have Roadburn written all over them - and they’ll present their debut album in full at the 2023 edition of the festival. Third time’s a charm for Bad Breeding as they’ll finally darken the doors of Roadburn with their visceral punk sound.
Lukas Frank’s Storefront Church will make their Roadburn debut with a performance of blissful, brooding songs, perfectly suited for after dark. Antichrist Siege Machine are the musical equivalent to a sledgehammer, making their points with aggressive, anti-Christian songs that exude the joys of violent ritual butchery. Portland’s Spirit Possession play an authentic form of black metal that is as refreshing in its erratic nature as it is triumphant in its old-school roots.
Poison Ruïn’s anarchic take on post-punk is infused with eerie dungeon synth style elements; an unlikely pairing perhaps but one that is perfectly suited to Roadburn. OvO’s sludgy drone overlaid with eerie vocals and imbued with seriously haunting vibes will descend upon Roadburn this April.
More information on these artists can be found HERE. They join previously announced artists including Deafheaven, Boy Harsher, Cave In, Julie Christmas, Wolves In The Throne Room, Giles Corey, Chat Pile and more.
Tickets for Roadburn 2023 are already on sale; Friday and Saturday tickets are sold out, but weekend tickets, Thursday and Sunday tickets remain. Accommodation options are also available to purchase. All information can be found on Roadburn.com
Roadburn 2022: Audio streams for Emma Ruth Rundle, Full of Hell, Duma and more
Re-live Roadburn 2022 with the first batch of audio streams recorded at this year’s festival – including Duma, Full of Hell, Emma Ruth Rundle, Midwife, Karin Park, Helms Alee and more!
Once again we have teamed up with VPRO 3voor12, Holland’s major cultural network, to bring you these streams in all their glory. As has become tradition, with the invaluable help of Marcel Van De Vondervoort (Torture Garden Studio) and his team, you are now able to relive or uncover some true highlights from the Roadburn vaults.
Producer: Marcel van de Vondervoort
Roadburn Festival Engineers: Michiel Ferweda, Matthijs Herder, Han Pannenkoek
Leon van Zuijlen, Bram van Zuijlen, Thijn Moons, Niels Duffhues, Nikki Nijsten, Martijn Megens. Loet Braamkolk, Koen Verhees, Julian Deckert
Mix Credits:
Fågelle – Mix by FågelleThe Holy Family – Mix by The Holy Family
FREJA – Mix by FREJA
Sum of R – Mix by Sum of R
Silver Knife – Mix by Silver Knife
Thijn Moons: Mix for Kungens Män, The Ballet Bombs and Midwife
Marcel van de Vondervoort: Mix for Full of Hell, Helms Alee, Oslo Tapes, Smote, Wyatt E., Cloud Rat, Faceless Entity, Karin Park, LLNN, Motor!k, Svalbard, Tau & the Drones of Praise, Thou & Mizmor, Dödsrit, Duma, Emma Ruth Rundle, GNOD, Senyawa, Sordide, Huntsmen, Lamp of Murmuur, The Devils Trade x John Cxnnor and Ural Umbo.
Këkht Aräkh added to line-up
It’s the season of goodwill… so we decided to squeeze in one more announcement before Christmas. We’re thrilled to announced that the live debut of Këkht Aräkh will take place at Roadburn 2023!
This mysterious project fuses the rawness of black metal with more tender, melancholic elements to stunning effect. Join us in April to witness this exclusive performance. Tickets are on sale now via our ticket page.
Këkht Aräkh will preform at Sunday 23 april 2023
18 new names - including Boy Harsher, Cave In, Sangre De Muérdago and more
Roadburn has added 18 new names to the 2023 line up today, including the Roadburn debut of dark electro duo Boy Harsher, the return of Cave In for two special shows, a new commissioned performance, and the first Artist in Residence. Roadburn will take place between April 20-23, 2023 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Tickets are on sale now.
Roadburn Artistic Director, Walter Hoeijmakers comments:
“We’re grateful that ticket sales for Roadburn are off to a good start and we are equally happy that the line up is shaping up very nicely as well. As we welcome Roadburn luminaries we are also focussing on bringing new and exciting acts into the fold – all of whom will push boundaries and defy genre expectations. We have also invited several bands to perform multiple shows over the weekend, showcasing different facets of their artistry. It’s our intention to make sure Roadburn 2023 all about exploration and creativity.”
New Line Up Additions
Darkwave connoisseurs, BOY HARSHER have been confirmed for two sets at Roadburn 2023 – one is a full live performance, and the other is a DJ set with live elements. Making their Roadburn debut, anticipation is high for when they take over the stage (and turntables) for these special performances.
CAVE IN will return to the main stage at Roadburn for two sets in April. The first carries the title Interstellar Mixtape – the contents of which will remain largely a mystery until they take to the stage. The second set will be a front to back run through of their latest studio album, Heavy Pendulum.
WHITE WARD were scheduled to appear at Roadburn 2020, but fate intervened. Now they will head to Tilburg to perform their latest album, False Light in full..
Also pulling out the stops for an album performance will be IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT. They will be performing Spirit of Ecstasy in full, with additional accompanying musicians.
WAYFARER will perform two conjoined, career spanning sets titled A High Plains Eulogy. The sets will dive into their back catalogue, as well as preview brand new as-yet-unreleased material.
CIRCUIT DES YEUX will make their Roadburn debut. The project of musical mastermind Haley Fohr, CIRCUIT DES YEUX will return to Europe on the back of the stunning album, -io.
JERUSALEM IN MY HEART will also make their first appearance at Roadburn – the core duo of producer and multi-instrumentalist Radwan Ghazi Moumneh, and film-maker Erin Weisgerber will bring their audio visual display to Tilburg.
Following on from the release of the spellbinding album for you who are the wronged KATHRYN JOSEPH will perform at Roadburn, bringing her sparse and ethereal missives that detail both intimate vulnerabilities and the strength of the human spirit.
The Netherland’s own BROEDER DIELEMAN will perform, putting a distinctive liturgical twist on Americana-style storytelling.
PUPIL SLICER will make their Dutch debut, bringing the promise of chaotic energy and the potential for new material with them.
AD NAUSEAM will perform Imperative Imperceptible Impulse in full, presenting their take on death, black and experimental metal.
The Dutch underground will be thoroughly represented by OSSAERT, SHAGOR and DEATHLESS VOID who will each bring their own take on extremity to Roadburn.
JUDASZ & NAHIMANA will bring their atmospheric, ceremonial performance to Roadburn as they present their album Récits d’outre-monde.
Artist in Residence
The first of Roadburn’s artists in residence to be announced for 2023, SANGRE DE MUÉRDAGO will be performing three sets over the course of the festival, highlighting different elements of their creativity. This collective of musicians channels their Galician heritage into immersive folk music of the most distinctive kind, and will do so with additional musicians and their usual flair.
Commissioned Music
Trounce performing The Seven Crowns and Arias of the Empty Room
Roadburn has been commissioning artists to create and perform original compositions at the festival since 2018. 2023 will see an array of such commissioned projects – this year with a particular focus on giving a platform to underground artists.
Our second commissioned project to be announced is rooted in the Swiss underground – specifically the scene that has blossomed around Hummus Records (home to Coilguns, Rorcal, Emilie Zoé and more). Uniting several artists connected to the label under the banner of TROUNCE, this collective of musicians will bring the best of their homegrown underground to Roadburn.
More information on these artists can be found HERE. They join previously announced artists including Deafheaven, Wolves In The Throne Room, Giles Corey, Chat Pile and more.
Tickets for Roadburn 2023 are already on sale; Saturday tickets are sold out, but weekend tickets, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday tickets remain. Accommodation options are also available to purchase. All information can be found on Roadburn.com
Roadburn announces first names for 2023 including Deafheaven, Julie Christmas and David Eugene Edwards.
Roadburn has announced the first names for the 2023 line up ahead of tickets going on sale later this month. The festival will take place at the 013 venue, Tilburg, The Netherlands between April 20-23, 2023. Tickets will go on sale at 7pm CET (6pm GMT, 1pm EST, 10am PST) on November 15.
Roadburn Artistic Director, Walter Hoeijmakers comments:
“We are very thrilled to see Roadburn 2023 coming together, especially in a world turned upside down and all the challenges facing the live music industry. Roadburn 2023 is shaping up to be a very exciting edition of the festival even while navigating the underground post-pandemic. This year’s Roadburn won’t see a curator as there are so many obstacles and pitfalls to overcome; it would be hard for a curator to fully realise their artistic and musical dreams. We at Roadburn will make sure the 2023 edition will be as adventurous and explorational as always, and it will be an anchor point as usual. It will be a very current edition, reflecting the world as it is now.”
Line up announcements:
Deafheaven will fly in to Roadburn to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their groundbreaking sophomore album, Sunbather, by performing the album in full alongside a second set where they will play their latest incredible album, Infinite Granite..
Originally scheduled to perform at Roadburn 2020, Julie Christmas will finally perform next April as a European exclusive set. With a diverse back catalogue and the promise of new material on the horizon, this will be a must-see show.
Also drawing from a rich back catalogue, Roadburn will welcome back David Eugene Edwards, who will be performing cuts from his 16 Horsepower, Wovenhand and solo discographies.
Wolves In The Throne Room will enhance their already immersive performances with additional audio and visual components to create a special, exclusive set titled Shadow Moon Kingdom. Another postponed Roadburn debut will finally come to fruition as Brutus will perform off the back of their stunning new album, Unison Life. Big Brave warranted a rare back-to-back Roadburn booking and will be performing their upcoming new album nature morte at Roadburn 2023. The Soft Moon has made such an impact over the years, but their latest album, Exister, takes things to a new level. They will be performing the album in full at Roadburn 2023.
Giles Corey will be making their live debut with a full band at Roadburn; originally scheduled for 2020 this underground phenomenon will bring catharsis and emotion in abundance. Chat Pile have made an immense impact in a short space of time, and Roadburn has snagged the exclusive European debut of this much-hyped quartet. Candy will be performing their blistering new album, Heaven is Here in full at Roadburn. KEN Mode are doing their bit for the thriving noise-rock resurgence of 2022, and they’ll be flying in for a one-off show at Roadburn 2023. The genre-defying experimentalism found on Show Me the Body’s latest album Trouble the Water will be brought to life in the flesh with their Roadburn debut next April.
Recently reformed and raring to go, Roadburn will host Sweden’s Burst, bringing the sound of early Scandinavian post-metal to Tilburg.Norna will also represent Sweden with a crushing take on sludgy post-hardcore.
Commissioned Music:
Roadburn has been commissioning artists to create and perform original compositions at the festival since 2018. 2023 will see an array of such commissioned projects - this year with a particular focus on giving a platform to underground artists - the first of which is announced today.
John Cxnnor performing All My Future’s Past.
Brothers Ketil and Rasmus Sejersen grew up in Denmark’s hardcore scene and the influence of that is felt in the music they create as part of LLNN, but it also infiltrates their work under the John Cxnnor moniker. For this commissioned project, they will enhance the industrial electronics of the John Cxnnor project with the contributions of fellow musicians from the hardcore scene they were shaped by.
Collaboration with Schouwburg Tilburg:
For the first time, Roadburn is collaborating with Schouwburg Tilburg to embrace dance as part of the Roadburn landscape. Dance Of The Seven Veils will be brought to life by director Aïda Gabriëls with musical accompaniment courtesy of Colin H. Van Eeckhout (CHVE, Amenra), Pieter-Jan Van Assche (Innerwoud) and soprano Astrid Stockman. Tickets for this event will be sold as an upgrade to Roadburn tickets, with a discount for Roadburn attendees.
Roadburn’s official visual artist for 2023 is William Lacalmontie, more information about his collaboration with the festival can be found here.
William Lacalmontie - the official Roadburn 2023 visual artist
William Lacalmontie is a French photographer, passionate about music and cinema, with a degree in Art History and a degree in photography from the Ecole des Gobelins. He is also the official Roadburn 2023 visual artist; we’re thrilled to be working with an artist that brings so much passion and creativity to the table.
William has previously worked predominantly as a portrait photographer and videographer within the worlds of music and film. His leaning towards black and white photography emphasises his desire to deliver both intensity and fragility at the same time. His work for Roadburn 2023 breaks with his signature monochrome style and utilises a warm palette of natural hues.
Having previously performed at Roadburn in 2019 with Ovtrenoir and Throane, he took up residence at the 013 for the 2022 edition of the festival where he photographed many of the artists performing at the festival, as well as displayed a career-spanning selection of his musician portraits from the previous decade. His dedication and passion for his craft meant that he has been on our radar for some time, and it soon became apparent that 2023 was to become the edition that would bear his mark most dramatically.
Of the invitation to be our official visual artist, William said: “Walter asked me to do the opposite of what would be expected, and to work outside of my comfort zone a little. The suggestions he made were that it should be something positive, focussed on community, not in black and white and far from metal aesthetic/dark rituals we’ve seen so much.
“I agreed immediately and one word came to me again and again thinking about this festival, community and music: uplifting. So, lifting people in the air when the whole world feels upside down at the moment was the core of the idea – that and being inclusive, doing things I haven’t done before, as well as making music for the video. I hope you’ll like it.”
The full video created by William can be seen below – and elements from it can be seen across all Roadburn platforms. With a tight turn-around but a vision imbued with clarity and light, William and his team set off to the East of France to film this project. We strongly suggest setting aside six minutes to immerse yourself in William’s visual offering.