Imagine. You are 20-something years old. You are thrilled by the process of writing original music that you think is quite good. You are overjoyed to have bonded with like-minded musicians in your small community. These collaborations are taking you deeper into musically-creative adventures.
Now you have been wondering how you can take this exciting journey to the next level. You discover that the New Colossus Festival in New York City will be showcasing live performances and hosting mixers and panel discussions for aspiring rock musicians from all over the world. The bandwidth of your dreams has just expanded exponentially.
The New Colossus Festival is an annual five-day showcase and networking festival for emerging indie rock bands and music industry hopefuls. The festival is named after Emma Lazares’ 1883 sonnet, “The New Colossus,” whose words are inscribed by the Statue of Liberty. Each year, about 75% of the bands that participate in the festival are from abroad, and about 25% are from various parts of the United States. For many of the showcasing artists, this was their first time ever in New York City, and even in the United States.
Typically, many of the bands playing at the New Colossus Festival then forge on the following week to the similar SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.
According to the organizers, “The New Colossus Festival is a celebration of live music. We are looking for artists who can deliver a great live performance and are looking to grow their fanbase and professional networks. Our focus is on presenting emerging artists from around the world.” The festival does just that.
“Playing in New York is huge just in itself for a Norwegian artist, so honestly I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to play at The New Colossus Festival!” said Yndling, who came from Oslo. “I’ve been so excited to play for some of my American listeners again. I’ve gotten to do that, chat and meet up with those who’ve been there from the start, and I made some new ones at the shows through New Colossus. I am so happy about just that opportunity.”
Big Fat Head (from Columbus, Ohio) at Pianos Showroom on March 4 / Photo by Kevin Keane
“American crowds are so good,” continued Yndling. “It’s a different vibe than playing at home in Norway. We Norwegians are more introverted as an audience. All in all, the New Colossus Festival has been the best experience. I really hope to come back someday for a proper tour and headline show!”
The festival promoters advertised that the festival caters to indie rock bands with original music and a following in their home territory. Bands were eligible for a showcase if they had never played at previous New Colossus Festivals. Emphasizing originality, performers could not be cover or tribute bands. Performers also could not leave the band home and sing to backing tracks.
This year, the festival took place at 12 independent music venues, all within walking distance of each other across the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Area bands were slotted for at least one 30-minute set. International bands received a minimum of two slots at different venues.
test plan (from London, England) at the Parkside Lounge on March 6 / Photo by Everynight Charley
FUUDGE was among the nearly 200 bands who traveled to New York City from 40 countries to participate in the New Colossus Festival. FUUDGE is a stoner-rock band from Montreal, Canada.
“Initially, we were just ‘yeah, let’s go there! It can’t be bad for the band!’” the bandmembers remarked. “Once there, we met all these awesome people, saw a lot of insane live acts, and made friends. This city is just surreal. We did not expect that much fun and inspiring experience for our band.”
Rowena Wise (from Melbourne, Australia) at Baker Falls on March 5 / Photo by Everynight Charley
“I was keen to come to New York City and play shows, to contribute to the vibrations of a city that has been so enriched with music and arts over the last century,” Rowena Wise, who traveled from Melbourne, Australia, told The Manhattan Beat. “New York City is such a melting pot. Coming from a tight-knit community in Melbourne, it is exciting to play shows and realize there are a lot of like-minded people over here. I wanted to captivate and connect with new audiences, which is exactly what I got to do.”
You Said Strange (from Normandy, France) at Arlene’s Grocery on March 9 / Photo by Everynight Charley
“We had been wanting to play the New Colossus Festival for a long time, as we felt its lineup really aligned with our musical aesthetic,” said the members of You Said Strange, who traveled from Normany, France. “We’ve had the chance to play several showcase festivals in the U.S. before, but only on the West Coast. So, coming to New York was a great opportunity to present ourselves to industry professionals and the East Coast audience.
“Our expectations were to reconnect and strengthen our existing partnerships while also building new ones, especially with a U.S. booking agent, label, and marketing team in preparation for our next album in 2027,” the French musicians said. “We also wanted to make the most of our time in New York by creating media content, doing a photo shoot, giving interviews, and meeting professionals and fellow artists. The goal was to build meaningful connections and draw inspiration from the city’s energy to fuel our creative process moving forward.”
Cloudsurfers (from Nijmegen, Netherlands) at Bakers Falls on March 9 / Photo by Everynight Charley
Undertaking such a venture comes at great sacrifice for some artists, however. Interested performers had to submit applications with a $100 fee. If the bands fit the criteria that the promoters posted on the New Colossus Festival website, the promoters approved the band to perform. Then, the musicians were responsible for their own travel, accommodations, promotion, and work authorizations (in the case of international performers).
Some bands were better equipped than others to handle the expenses. The band that closed the festival, the Cloud Surfers, pleaded with the audience to please buy their albums and t-shirts so they could get back home to the Netherlands.
“The sixth edition of the New Colossus Festival has ended, and we are completely blown away by how amazing were all of the 195 bands that we saw,” the team of festival promoters summarized. “We love watching the festival grow as a community every year. We now have had about 800 bands play it. It is so incredible to give these artists an entry point into New York City and see the love showered upon them from the best audience in the world: New York City. Thanks to everyone for coming out and see you next year, March 3-8, 2026!”
FOR MORE PHOTOS & TALES FROM THIS YEAR’S NEW COLOSSUS FESTIVAL, AS WELL AS YEAR’S PAST, VISIT EVERYNIGHT CHARLEY’S MANHATTAN BEAT BLOG NOW!
