Showcase Festivals: Are They Worth It?
Showcase Festivals are a wonderful place for emerging artists to perform in front of the best of the best in the industry. In addition, the amount of networking opportunities, panels, marketing and general shmoozing is often worth the price of the ticket for those of us on the industry side of things. Loads of parties hosted by various companies and organizations, often with free food and drinks, sweetens the deal and allows for businesses to have relaxed meetings on how to conquer the music world together.
That said, a lot of the big Showcase Festival players have notoriously, and much to their disadvantage, turned a blind eye to our genre. Pop, folk, hip-hop, indie and R&B are always predominantly represented. Is it even worth it for an artist to spend thousands of their local currency to perform at these events if they’re not able to get in front of the right faces? What’s the actual return on investment for participating when your genre is barely represented?
We’ve put together a stellar panel of some of the showcase festivals that actually pay attention to metal (or are starting to) and understand the importance of equal representation for all genres. Not just for an artist to be given an opportunity to show what they’ve got in front of industry professionals that work in metal, but also for delegates in the heavy side of the music business. Learn about what each one of these showcase festivals are doing to provide a brilliant networking opportunity and quality program and why it’s 100% worth your investment to attend.
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Trine Ulrich (DK)
Mono Goes Metal
Trine Ulrich is the Project Manager of MONO Goes Metal, a Danish showcase initiative strengthening the metal scene through curated showcases, masterclasses, and strategic networking. The project acts as a career accelerator and stepping stone to larger national and international stages.
Previously, she served on the international funding committee at ROSA, supporting Danish artists in expanding their global touring. She also mentors artists through Autor / Komponister og Sangskrivere and lectures at leading Danish music academies. With a background in management and booking, Trine brings hands-on insight into talent development, internationalization, and the long-term positioning of metal artists.
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Robin Werner (DE)
Reeperbahn Festival
Robin Werner is Unit Lead and Senior Partnerships Manager at Reeperbahn Festival, Europe’s flagship event for music and creative industry professionals. At the heart of the festival’s international strategy, Robin builds bridges between artists, industry players, and showcase platforms around the globe - crafting partnerships, curating lineups, and creating space for fresh talent to be seen and heard. Passionate about forward-thinking formats and cross-cultural exchange, he brings a sharp eye for collaboration and innovation to every project. Robin spearheaded and programmed the new HEAVY Reeperbahn strand at Reeperbahn Festival, creating a dedicated platform for heavy, metal and extreme music within one of Europe’s most influential industry festivals. Beyond Reeperbahn, Robin is the co-founder of Germany’s Fill The Void and KiezKultur festivals, the ethical ticketing platform ticketree, and runs the artist management company WØRNA music.
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Celine Høie (NO)
By:Larm Black
Celine Høie is a Senior Project Manager and A&R at Indie Recordings / Sounds Like Gold. Her roster includes acts such as Kampfar, Gaahls WYRD, Jordsjuk, Eradikated, and Djerv, among others.
She is also the Project Manager and Booker for by:Larm Black, the rock and metal program at by:Larm, the largest showcase festival in the Nordics. Having been involved with the festival for several years, 2026 marks her third year leading and booking the Black program.
Sounds Like Gold is a Norwegian record company that brings together several of the country’s most recognized independent labels under one roof, including Propeller, 777Music, Grappa, and Indie Recordings.
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Mattias Tell (SE)
Westside Music Sweden / Viva Sounds
Founder of Westside Music, an independent Gothenburg-based company strengthening the indie music scene in Västra Götaland through live shows, media projects, and release support, all with a focus on collaboration and international visibility.
Westside also produces Viva Sounds, an international club festival and indie conference each November, bringing together live acts and industry professionals for a concentrated weekend of shows, conversations, organic meetings and chaos.
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Mod: Pål Dimmen (NO)
Music Norway
As Head of Grants, Pål Dimmen is primarily responsible for Music Norway's grant schemes. This means that he provides advice on schemes and guidelines, in addition to coordinating application processing, specialist committees and other administrative tasks. He is also in charge of Music Norway’s metal activities, and participates in network festivals and industry meetings in Norway and abroad.