Le Guess Who? Festival 2017
Sun Ra Arkestra live at LGW17, by Jelmer de Haas
Facts & Figures
“A truly eclectic experience; a rich and nourishing affair.” – The Independent (uk)
Photo: Juri Hiensch
“The festival could be seen as a posteverything utopia, where it’s perfectly normal for Lebanese classical singers Photo: Ben Houdijk
and Kiwi drone guitarists to share bills with Texan grime producers and Bulgarian choirs. In an era of populist nationalism and Fortress Europe, we need events like Le Guess Who? to remind us that a better world is possible.” – The Quietus (uk)
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares. Photo: Ben Houdijk
Le Guess Who? 2017 =
18.634 visitors + 188 performances + 20 locations
Satellite events
(Incl. Le Mini Who?, Lombok Festival, Le Bazarre, Film & Interview program)
=
8.860 visitors + 96 activities + 34 locations
49,6% of 4-Day Passes sold abroad Overall grade for the festival experience: 8,9 54,1%: 5/5***** 37,8%: 4/5**** 5,9%: 3/5***
NL
BUIT
50,4% sold in NL
5 sterren
4 sterren
3 sterren
other
Le Guess Who? 2017 • Visitors between 18 & 64 years of age. Average age: 36 years. • Main reasons to visit the festival: the quality & diversity of the program as well as the relaxed atmosphere of Utrecht city.
70,5% is a returning visitor of the festival
• Visitors from 58 different countries* & artists from 34 countries. (*) see page 8 for list of countries
• 97 people volunteered during Le Guess Who? 2017.
What is the highest level of education you have finished? PhD or Master’s degree: 40,3% Bachelor’s degree (HBO/WO): 43,8% Vocational school (MBO): 4,4% High school: 9,6% | Other: 1,8%
Most common types of studies: Arts & culture (28,8%) | Social studies (15,5%) Technology/Engineering (15%)
29,5% is a new visitor of the festival
Economics/Management (12,9%) Communication/Language (12,5%)
Would you visit the festival again? Yes: 97,4%
Would you recommend Le Guess Who? to friends? Yes: 97,2%
Farida & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble. Photo: Melanie Marsman
Perfume Genius. Photo: Ben Houdijk
“Le Guess Who? is a city festival that is as vast as any, near on colossal
in magnitude and vision.”
- London Economic
Les Amazones d’Afrique. Photo: Melanie Marsman
Sudan Archives. Photo: Melanie Marsman
- de Volkskrant
Moon Duo. Photo: Juri Hiensch
“Muziek zou eigenlijk altijd moeten zijn
zoals op Le Guess Who?; alle shows waren
uitdagend en geestverruimend.�
The Sai Anantam Ashram Singers performing the ecstatic music of Alice Coltrane. Photo: Jelmer de Haas.
Sevdaliza. Photo: Erik Luyten
“For years, whenever I went to Europe for a festival, I’ve been told that Le Guess Who? is really one I needed to check out. It isn’t the biggest or most famous one in Europe or abroad, but it’s the kind of thing that fans and artists and industry folks alike speak of with reverent memories, the one everyone deeply respects, the one everyone says is gratifying to play and gratifying to witness, because no matter how well-versed or -traveled you are in the music world, chances are Le Guess Who? is going to have plenty of options you’ve never heard of before.” – Stereogum (us)
“Its multicultural program was more eclectic, more probing and more inclusive than ever before.� - Resident Advisor (uk)
Tickets sold in 58 countries: Afghanistan
Denmark
Japan
Serbia
Albania
Egypt
Latvia
Slovakia
Algeria
Estonia
Lebanon
Slovenia
Australia
Ethiopia
Lithuania
South Africa
Austria
Finland
Luxembourg
South Korea
Azerbaijan
France
Malaysia
Spain
Barbados
Germany
Malta
Sweden
Belarus
Greece
Mexico
Switzerland
Belgium
Hungary
Netherlands
Turkey
Brazil
Iceland
Netherlands Antilles Ukraine
Bulgaria
India
Norway
United Kingdom
Canada
Iraq
Poland
United States
China
Ireland
Portugal
United States Virgin
Costa Rica
Israel
Romania
Islands
Czech Republic
Italy
Russia
Lombok Festival. Photo: Melanie Marsman
“Le Guess Who? is in Nederland misschien wel het festival met de meest concrete muzikale identiteit. Door het programma loopt een rode draad die je verder in het Nederlandse festivallandschap eigenlijk nergens zo duidelijk gedefinieerd ziet.� - 3voor12
Le Mini Who?. Photo: Tom van Huisstede
Le Feast. Photo: Olaf Nagtegaal
Le Guess Who? in collaboration with local school X11. Click photo to watch.
“The organisers of Le Guess Who? were making something of a statement. Performers came from a number of Middle Eastern countries and African states, to play shows in a city with one of the most diverse communities in the Netherlands. There was little doubt we were seeing a pointed celebration of open borders and it was beautiful to see.”
Alanis Obomsawin. Photo: Melanie Marsman
– Line of Best Fit (uk)
Le Guess Who? 2017 Press Index Visit online press archive
Visit online audio archive
Watch LGW video recordings
Netherlands
United States
Turkey
Czech Republic
3FM 3voor12 8Weekly AD ArtiestenNieuws Concertzender Culturele Zondagen Cultuurpers Dagblad van het Noorden DJBroadcast DUIC DutchReview Elle Magazine Entertainment Business Earth Beat Festileaks Festivalinfo Groninger Gezinsbode HIFI Haarlems Dagblad Heaven Holland.com In de Buurt Jazzflits Lust for Life Maxazine Mixed Grill Nationale Onderwijsgids Never Mind the Hype Noisey NRC Nu.nl OOR PodiumInfo Roar e-zine RTV Utrecht Stadsblad Utrecht The Daily Indie Trouw Uitagenda Volkskrant Vovert Vrije Geluiden Nieuws030 Lust for Life Written in Music
Bandcamp Consequence of Sound Dutch Culture USA Esquire Medium.com Stereogum New York Times NPR Pitchfork Under The Radar Under The Radar Redbull Music Acedemy Redbull Radio
Bantmag Hafif MĂźzik Red Bull Turkey Veganlogic
Full Moon Magazine
United Kingdom The 405 cast the dice Crack Magazine Dazed Magazine Drowned in Sound FACT Magazine Gigwise London Ecnomic Ma3azef MOJO Magazine Rarely Unable Record Collector Magazine Resident Advisor Songlines Sonic Cathedral The Independent The Line of Best Fit The Overtake The Quietus The Skinny The Wire Uncut EZH / Jazz Standard Long Live Vinyl Travel + Leisure
Canada Le Devoir VICE Quebec
Belgium DaMusic Dansende Beren De Morgen Enola Magazine Focus Vif Gazet van Antwerpen Gigview Gonzo (circus) HUMO IndieStyle Knack Foxus MixedWorldMusic
Germany ByteFM Groove Intro Magazin kulturnews.de Popmonitor Spex Magazine Spiegelsaal Visions
Greece Clocksound
Spain Clubbing Spain This Is Underground Crazyminds
Sweden Festivalrkyten HYMN
Hungary A38 Recorder Magazine
France La Blogotheque Manifesto XXI New Noise Magazine Radio Panik Xsilence
Italy Billboard Blow Up Magazine La Repubblica Lost in Groove Relics Controsuoni Rockerilla Rumore Mag Sentire Ascoltare Zero.eu
Norway Klassekampen
Ireland The Thin Air
Portugal Bodyspace
Finland Image Magazine Rumba Magazine
Switzerland 3FACH
Mount Eerie. Photo: Ben Houdijk
Luka Productions. Photo: Tim van Veen
Pharoah Sanders. Photo: Ben Houdijk
“Eclectic and probing.” - New York Times
“Few festivals, if any, succeed in gathering such a wide spectrum of futurefacing artists whilst delivering one cohesive message; breaking boundaries, no matter the context, is important but also hugely entertaining.” - Crack Magazine (uk)