The German Moers Festival is no longer primarily a jazz festival, but a curated laboratory for free improvisation, sound art, compositional music, and political absurdism. At times it feels forced. Most of the time, it is liberating.

Klang Festival was at its strongest when the works spoke directly to the body rather than to the programme notes. Not everything succeeded, but this year's festival was willing to take risks.

At Jazzkaar, international stars are no longer the main attraction. Instead, the festival offers a glimpse of an Estonian scene in the process of shaping its own musical identity.

Niels Rønsholdt’s new music-theatre work »Osmosis« creates a compelling universe of inverted trees, yearning voices, and rock-inflected asceticism. Yet the work’s central idea remains elusive.

Contemporary music is still alive – but often despite its own obsession with complexity and endless duration. That became clear at the festivals in Witten and Cologne.

While the industry talked about AI and formats, it was the bodily, fragile, and defiant musical experiences that lingered at Spot 2026.