Booster Festival, born out of the ArtEZ Academy ofMusic, wins prestigious award

Ben Houdijk

The Booster Festival, an event that provides a stage for emerging pop musicians, won an IJzeren Podiumdier award in the category “Best Festival Programme” during Eurosonic Noorderslag. The festival originated eleven years ago at the ArtEZ Academy of Music in Enschede. In the years since Booster's inception, it has been embraced and further developed by various partners from the pop music scene in the eastern Netherlands.

A milestone for talent development

Winning this award is a huge recognition for the festival, which plays a crucial role in the development of new musical talent. It was awarded by fellow professionals from all venues and festivals in the Netherlands. The jury praised Booster as an essential link between emerging artists and the music industry. The festival is made possible by the “Van Basis naar Booster” (From Basics to Booster) collaboration project with ArtEZ Academy of Music, Metropool, the City of Enschede and BRUT as partners.

A great example of training for professional practice

The students who follow the minor in Music Management organise the annual Booster Festival in Enschede on behalf of PAMM Productions. By participating in the organisation of this festival, students get a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in the music industry, one of the key areas of the conservatory's programme. This means working with professionals, artists and other students, while contributing to a large and influential event.