Paradigm Festival (Groningen, Netherlands) 2026

About

Paradigm Festival is the two day electronic music weekend that the Groningen collective Paradigm builds each summer on the Suikerterrein, the city’s former sugar factory site. The 2026 edition ran on 8 and 9 August with 65 acts booked across nine custom built stages.

What is Paradigm Festival?

Paradigm started in Groningen in 2011 and the festival grew out of the collective’s club programme. Since 2016 the organisation has treated the Suikerterrein as a permanent home rather than a rented field, and the stages are rebuilt and extended through the year by a crew of makers and volunteers. Nearly all of them are assembled from recycled material, which gives the ground the look of a workshop that happens to host a music festival.

Where does it take place?

On the former sugar factory grounds at the edge of Groningen’s industrial heritage district, with the entrance at Suikerweg 1. Nine stages sit between the trees and the concrete: Sun, Dome, Romney, Opus, Club, Axis Mundi, Forest, Valhalla and In de Wei, and the official map marks a secret stage as well. Bus 5 from Groningen railway station reaches the Suikerlaan stop in eight to ten minutes, the walk from the station takes 25 to 30 minutes, and car parking at the site is free. There was no campsite in 2026 and the minimum age is 18.

Who played the 2026 edition?

Ben Sims, Carista, Roza Terenzi, Ryan Elliott, Sandrien, Alex Kassian, Virginia and Quelza were among the 65 acts. Sunday carried much of the weight, with Mathew Jonson, Cassy B2B Yamour, Roman Flügel playing his Tracks on Delivery set and Phara presenting the live project In Glass.

Is there another edition coming?

The organisers have not announced the next edition yet. Paradigm has published no 2027 date or line-up on its own channels, and ticket news reaches the festival newsletter and the official site before anywhere else. This page will be updated once a date is confirmed.