Get inspired: MOMO must sees

Need some MOMO Festival inspiration? We got you. We have invited insiders, artists and friends of the festival to guide you through the program – the artists and discoveries they wouldn’t want you to miss. They’re here to share their personal highlights, hidden gems, and must-see performances to help you navigate the program and make the most of  your MOMO Festival 2026 from 16-18 April.

We’ll be introducing new faces regularly – explore their tips, discover their festival and Rotterdam gems, and get inspired below!

Luca Dattisi

Kicking things off: Luca Dattisi. Musicologist, content creator, writer, who gives you his carefully picked tips.

In his interview he shares his top tips for this year’s festival: don’t miss the amazing live show from KABEAUSHÉ, goosebumps guaranteed with the great singer-songwriter Naima Bock, and for the fans of heavy yet danceable music: Mandy, Indiana. Pro tip: make sure to check out the performance & art program too – or you might miss out on a lot!

Check out the interview:
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KABEAUSHÉ

Friday 17 April

A fearless performer when it comes to creating something bold and genre-defying.

Naima Bock

Friday 17 April

“A great singer-songwriter with a super nice taste for melody.”

Mandy, Indiana

Saturday 18 April

“An enthralling, danceable swirl of discordant EDM and crashing waves of unruly noise-rock” – The Guardian

Fee van Gils

At MOMO HQ we chatted with Fee, who’s part of the MOMO Production team. Insider tips!

Check out her festival highlights: she’s looking forward to the high energy percussion of BCUC, check out the London based guitar (and violin!) rock band Man/Woman/Chainsaw and get ready to get swept away by the music and visuals from Rival Consoles.

Check out the interview:
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BCUC

Saturday 18 April

BCUC have an impressive sense of dynamics, allowing songs to develop, fade away, change direction and then build to an often furious climax” – The Guardian

Man/Woman/Chainsaw

Saturday 18 April

Overgrown with noisy freak-outs and offbeat melodies, at the heart of it, they pen charming, emotionally-charged pop songs.

Rival Consoles

Friday 17 April

Ryan Lee West (Rival Consoles) builds immersive sonic worlds with his visionary production smarts, fusing ambient, widescreen techno and synth-driven electronica into his own distinct language.

Bart Huiskens

There is a lot to discover during MOMO Festival- also within performance & dance. That’s why we asked Bart, programmer for Theater Rotterdam & MOMO Festival, for some help! Be sure to highlight these tips in your MOMO timetable:

We’re opening the festival with the Dutch premiere of Figures of Speech, a special collaboration between brother and sister. Get taken into a whole different world with the hypnotic installation DRIFTING. Experience a trance full of rhythm, movement, remembrance and ecstasy at AJJIT. Bonus tip: check out the premiere of the performance Mx. CoelaCunt will live forever.

Check out the interview:
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AJJIT - Khadija El Kharraz Alami & Cheb Runner

Saturday 18 April

“Morrocan music blends with electronic beats in a club setting where bodies, stories, and music come together.”

Figures of Speech - Lander & Femke Gyselinck / GRIP

Thursday 16 April

“Here, rhythm isn’t just past of the whole – it’s the starting point. It’s the driving force that connects music and dance.”

DRIFTING - Touki Delphine

Thu 16 & Fri 17 April

“A calm, dreamlike environment where nature and technology blend into one.”

Bente Spigt

More acts you definitely must see. We invited MOMO board member Bente Spigt (Chairperson) to talk about her favorites for MOMO Festival 2026. From big energy performance Obongjayar to a unique club night experience with Kossa Kossa – be sure to circle them in your timetable!

Check out the interview:
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Obongjayar

Saturday 18 April

“If you want to see a real, pure artist, next level, with an incredible performance, voice and physical presence – it’s just stunning.”

MOMO Nights: afterparty

Saturday 18 April

MOMO Festival doesn’t end when the last show does. Saturday night, 160K becomes the place to be for an afterparty spread across two spaces, where club energy meets spontaneous live moments.

anaiis

Saturday 18 April

“anaiis has consistently surveyed Blackness as both an interior experience and a conduit to themes that live outside of self: family, folklore and heritage” – CLASH Magazine

Sheree Lenting

Are you into dance with deeper meaning and complexity? Sheree, programmer for Theater Rotterdam & MOMO Festival, got you!

In KM’s of resistance you sense how protest is something you bear together. Through breath, through rhythm, through exhaustion. Discover how breath and voice can take centre stage in a completely different way at HA. In The Hereditary, you see how two young Black men use hip-hop and modern dance to explore deeply ingrained and sometimes toxic forms of masculinity.

Check out the interview:
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The Hereditary - Ibrah Jackson

Friday 17 April

In a powerful physical dialogue, two young Black men explore deeply rooted, toxic masculinity. Whether the father is present or absent, this toxic masculinity is passed down through generations.

KMs of Resistance - Mehdi Dahkan

Saturday 18 April

A choreographic and sound performance that explores the primal act of breathing as a means of expressing resistance.

HA - Jana Jacuka

Friday 17 April

An exploration of the voice as a choreographic instrument. 

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