GrassrEUts is an EU-funded project under the Creative Europe programme, launched in November 2024 and running for two years, with the mission to promote European and neighbouring music on international stages. At its core is a cross-border network featuring some of the most iconic festivals in and around Europe—Sziget Festival (Hungary), NOS Alive (Portugal), EXIT Festival (Serbia), and the Jazz Festival of Carthage (Tunisia)—to enhance the visibility and competitiveness of emerging artists. Ukrainian artists will also participate in the project, supported by the partner All-Ukrainian Association of Music Events, with the aim of strengthening their international presence and continuing their artistic journey in the face of ongoing challenges.
At the heart of GrassrEUts is a multi-stage music contest designed to spotlight and elevate emerging talent across Europe and its neighbouring regions. The competition begins at the national level, where five promising artists are selected in each country to perform at their local festival. From there, two standout acts per country will be chosen to perform internationally across the partner festival network, offering them a unique opportunity to reach new audiences and grow their careers.
GrassrEUts furthermore addresses pressing challenges in the music sector, drawing on the experience of Sziget in advancing sustainability in festival settings and the expertise of the KUN Centre for Equality and Diversity in promoting inclusion and gender equality.
What makes this process stand out is its grassroots approach—as the audience is deciding on the winners of the national competitions and hereby on who can go on and conquer the international stage the following year. Furthermore, by contributing with ideas on how to enhance inclusion and sustainability, participants can win tickets for the festivals of the coming year as well.
With music as a unifier, GrassrEUts unites festivals, artists, and audiences to build a stronger, fairer, and more connected music scene across Europe and its neighbourhood