IDER
IDER is the London singer-songwriter duo of Lily Somerville and Megan Markwick, blend moody indie rock and sleek electronics with haunting vocal harmonies rooted in their folk origins. The result? Raw, clever, emotionally charged pop that cuts deep and lifts high. Expect plenty of new material at Hit The City, as IDER’s third album ‘Late To The World’ dropped in February. Its tongue-in-cheek title reclaims the power of late blooming, doing things on your own terms, in your own time. Early singles ‘You Don’t Know How To Drive’ and ‘Know How It Hurts’ hint at a richer, bolder sound: cinematic, minimal, and laced with defiance. Live, IDER is intimate yet fierce. A spellbinding mix of softness and strength, heartbreak and humour. Come for the harmonies, stay for the honesty.
Joya Mooi
Singer-songwriter Joya Mooi creates music for the fearless blending R&B, indie and pop with soulful depth and introspective lyrics. Drawing from her South African heritage and Amsterdam roots, she delivers a sound that’s both rich in identity and emotionally resonant. With her EP ‘Open Hearts’ (Aug 2024), Mooi enters a fresh chapter: groove-driven, disco-tinged tracks crafted with producer duo Easy Freak and Bastian Langebæk (Olivia Dean, Jessie Ware). It’s a vibrant evolution of her signature style. Having toured South Africa and supported Benny Sings across Europe, Joya is no stranger to the stage. Now she brings her magnetic live energy to Hit The City. Expect soulful melodies, bold storytelling, and a live show that stays with you long after the final note.
Little Moon
Step into the cosmic world of American indie folk band Little Moon, the dreamlike project of Utah’s Emma Hardyman. What began as a romantic album for her husband evolved into Dear Divine. A breathtaking exploration of love, grief, and spiritual rebirth, written in the wake of her mother-in-law’s passing and her own departure from the Mormon church. Her soaring vocals and lush, future-baroque arrangements evoke something between a Zelda soundtrack and Vashti Bunyan. On stage, she’s joined by close friends Bly Wallentine, Bridget Jackson, Chris Shemwell, Grace Johnson, and Nathan Hardyman, weaving a rich, emotional soundscape. It’s a transformative, celestial experience. An act of radical love and healing. Don’t miss it.
Luca St
Where house music blasts from the bathroom at 7AM on a Monday, where adrenaline is force-fed through kick and bass, and the gas bill hits harder than your hangover, that’s where you’ll find Luca St Feel the pressure rising? Good. With self-proclaimed “love songs, but my way,” Luca delivers raw emotion wrapped in relentless rhythm. Think spoken word caught in a rave, or as he puts it: “ritmisch gelul op een housebeat.” This is hip-hop reimagined. Catch him live at Hit The City, where love gets loud and lyrics hit like a strobe.
BUG
Trust us — there's no way you'll leave the Dynamo venue without breaking a sweat after a BUG show. Within minutes, the place transforms into a writhing mass of bodies or something that can only be described as pure chaos. BUG delivers an explosive blend of rap, punk, and pounding rave beats, topped off with raw, unfiltered lyrics. Think The Prodigy-level madness, but with a sharper, more contemporary edge. Add in choreographed elements and performance art, and it’s no surprise they became a crowd favorite at both Popronde and ESNS in recent editions.
Death Sells
Death Sells, a four-piece from Eindhoven, forges a fierce connection between grunge, noise, and punk that grabs you and won’t let go. Get ready to be pulled into a world of tinnitus-inducing dissonance, bone-crushing riffs, and songs that feel more familiar than your average TikTok scroll. Buckle up — their live shows are raw, relentless, and unmistakably real.
Lézard
The ongoing collapse of civilization is a lot easier to stomach with a spicy groove — something Belgium-based collective Lézard has figured out fast. Beneath the band’s precise, almost functional geometry simmers a feverish hysteria: a Boogie Wonderland for oddballs, misfits, and lost souls you can’t help but join. Channeling the spirit of Devo, LCD Soundsystem, XTC, and Belgian pioneers Telex, Lézard has already turned heads with their ‘disco vogue’ brand of art punk. They wear their garish pop smarts like a too-tight three-piece suit on the hottest summer day — loud, unapologetic, and impossible to ignore.
LYVIA
LYVIA’s sound cuts through with raw, soulful melodies and sharp spoken-word verses, blending honesty and grit in equal measure. From busking on Nottingham’s streets to viral stripped-back street performances, she turns shy reflections into powerful anthems inspired by Amy Winehouse and Lauryn Hill. With sold-out UK tour under the belt, it’s clear that Lyvia’s live shows have become a charged space where being unapologetically yourself is the real power move.
Angry Blackmen
Angry Blackmen are the Chicago duo tearing into the horrors of modern America with raw poetry and spine-snapping industrial hip hop. On their 2024 album The Legend of ABM, Quentin Branch and Brian Warren waste no time. Jumping straight into a barrage of glitchy, noise-heavy beats and pathos-laced bars about themes such as racism, capitalism, addiction, and survival. It’s a 30-minute blast of existential urgency told through personal anecdotes and razor-sharp wordplay. Expect their live shows to be just as unfiltered and loud. An electrifying deep-dive into the pre-apocalyptic world we’re already living in.
Vampire Boyfriend
Vampire Boyfriend serve up dreamy alt-pop with a bite. Think jangle guitars, gloomy aesthetics, and lyrics that flirt with darkness but always land somewhere tender. It’s the sound of a grown-up teen goth making peace with her past, wrapped in sixties shimmer and deadpan charm. Led by Janine van Osta, the Rotterdam-based four-piece bring introspective songs to life on stage with a wink and a ritual, offering a soundtrack for self-acceptance that knows the power of a well-placed ABBA reference, or a Satanic chant.