About – ENG

Left of the Dial is an international showcase festival that takes place in October in the centre of Rotterdam. It offers a cross section of the most relevant artists of the moment. Or at least, what we feel are the most relevant artists and we could be wrong of course.

We showcase basically every type of (pop) music, but we tend to stay away from the more electronic genres as Left of the Dial takes place in the same weekend as Amsterdam Dance Event. (Read more about why both events are in the same weekend here)

One of the most distinctive features of Left of the Dial is that 90% of the artists on the lineup play two or more shows. This initially was because we felt it wasn’t right for some bands to travel all the way to Rotterdam for just one show. If something wouldn’t quite go to plan, all that effort would’ve been basically for nothing. It gives artists some peace of mind to know that not everything hinges on a single show, and that alone often leads to better performances.

It also turned out to be much more practical for our ticketholders. If one venue is at capacity, you get another chance to see that band somewhere else the next day. As a result, the festival-revellers are more likely to stray from their planned route and check out acts they might have skipped otherwise.

Above all, it proved to be a real game-changer for the festival atmosphere: artists don’t have to rush off to a show in another city straight away, and instead stick around for two days, or more. They have plenty of time to talk to their new found fans, and they go and watch fellow artists to cheer them on.

In short, the unique hand strong sense of community people often mention when talking about Left of the Dial is, to a very large extent, thanks to the simple fact that bands perform more than once.

Throughout the year, we run our own music venue named Rotown located at Nieuwe Binnenweg in Rotterdam. We have also always promoted (bigger and smaller) shows in all kinds of venues in Rotterdam. About 15 years ago, the summer festival season started to extend well into September, which meant that the number of bands that planned to do a club tour in October was getting enormous. Much bigger than we could accommodate in the many venues that we service. In such a busy period it is difficult for young talent to compete against the better-known acts, so to give all new artists the opportunity to present themselves to a larger audience, we decided to set up Left of the Dial. Back in 2018. It started out as a two day festival with only a handful of venues, and look at us now!

The festival is named after a song by The Replacements. ‘Left of the Dial’ is a reference to American radio stations. To find the best alternative music, you had to turn the dial on your radio to the left. That matched the feeling of the festival perfectly. Moreover, The Replacements are one of the best bands in the world, also a fair reason to name a festival after a song of them.

To Left of the Dial, all bands are equally important. There are no headliners and even though not everyone might know them yet, every day is filled to the brim with artists worth checking out. That’s why we hope everyone is willing to experience the entire festival together with us. Simply, that’s what the artists deserve. And it’s more fun too. (If you’re not happy with this answer, please read this, and if that still doesn’t make you feel better, we can only say we’re sorry, but we’re still only selling 3-day passes!)

We basically like to explain things. Like, a lot. Initially, we mainly did this on social media because we try to keep the website as accessible as possible, and long blocks of text aren’t really helpful when you’re trying to quickly find some information. But not everyone uses social media, so we’ve compiled the things we found most important on a blog.

In 2023, we’ve published a magazine about organising festivals. As long as supply last, we’ll sell them at the festival, but (almost) all articles are also available online. We mainly made the magazine to inspire other people to organise their own festival as much fun as Left of the Dial, where we can hang out without having to work!

In 2020, the physical edition of Left of the Dial had to be cancelled at the very last minute. The pandemic flared up and we were forced to pull the plug with the start of the festival only being 3 days away. To keep ourselves busy, we created a parallel universe in which Left of the Dial DID continue. That universe can still be seen today and was the inspiration for Left of the Dial TV in 2021. The thinking behind it was simple: pandemic or not, Left of the Dial TV can always happen. That is why we’ve broadcasted a TV program for 72 hours during the festival. In the summer of 2021, the Left of the Dial crew has made an endless amount of videos, which are combined with music clips and live sessions. The best items can still be viewed on this website!

Luckily, so far people have been really nice to us, check our press clippings to see some examples!

Left of the Dial is a showcase festival founded in 2018. The 3 day multi-venue event takes place in the city centre of Rotterdam and has grown into an important stepping stone for emerging artists, such as Deadletter, Maruja, Lambrini Girls, Tramhaus, Madra Salach, and many more. Attracting thousands music fanatics daily, Left of the Dial has a strict no headliner policy – all billing is alphabetically – and takes great pride in being known among artists as ‘the international kings of hospitality’.

For previous lineups including LOADS of amazing bands, check this page
For press quotes, check this page

Or more poetically:
Held in the blossoming Dutch port city of Rotterdam, Left of the Dial turns its offbeat geometric features into a panoramic scenery of free-thinking, noise-making spirits.
The festival harvests a no headliner-policy and a flexibility to bring live music to a great diversity of locations. This includes the city’s iconic longtime music bastion Rotown, the V11, the big red boat moored at the Wijnhaven, or the majestic church Arminius. Rotterdam is also brimming with spaces such as WORM and Rotown, independent venues that have been vital proving grounds for an acclaimed network of local bands and artists.

Other than programming an annually-expanding, eclectic lineup, Left of the Dial also aims to create a sense of communion and camaraderie. It’s an artist-friendly environment that brings like-minded people of all ages and backgrounds together, creating a shared rapidly snowballing flagship culture. In that respect, the organisation offers a sweet alternative to the formal atmosphere of some other European showcase events.
One example is the print-to-order service a the Merch Minimart, which allows bands from the UK to press and sell their merch and circumvent post-Brexit regulations. One of the most beloved recurring events at Left of the Dial remains Bands On A Boat, which grants attendees a gorgeous trek across the harbour, all while seeing some incendiary acts inside.

Even during the pandemic, Left of the Dial proved to be most resourceful and plucky, creating a Parallel Universe livestream event with several memorable live performances. This project further fleshed out the festival’s distinct visual house style. In 2021, Left of the Dial employed cartoonish sky dancers as location markers instead of the usual logos banners. These things make the experience as immersive and memorable as possible for everyone involved, from its visitors to its volunteers.

Long story short, Left of the Dial experiments with the very notion of what showcase festivals could become. It makes daredevil plunge from the top rope when it comes to seeking out the bewildering ways live music can infiltrate the daily hustle and bustle.