The Artists Taking Over Utrecht's Nawafiz Festival 2025

Only days away, Nawafiz, Europe’s leading all-Arab music festival, returns to TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, the Netherlands on May 24, bringing a stacked lineup of MENA icons, rising voices, and underground heroes to the stage. Co-curated in part by SceneNoise and the Nawafiz team, this year’s edition features some of the region’s most vital voices, from rising stars to genre-defining heavyweights. Here’s a rundown of the artists set to take the spotlight at Nawafiz 2025.

STORMY

Hailing from Rabat, Morocco, STORMY is one of the most exciting voices in North African hip hop. His 2024 debut album ‘ICEBERG’ showcased his diversity and prowess, with tracks like the Brazilian funk-inspired ‘POPO’ amassing over 45 million YouTube views and 20 million streams, making it one of Morocco's most-watched music videos. 

ZIAD ZAZA

At just 23, Ziad Zaza has emerged as a transformative figure in Egypt’s rap scene, seamlessly blending drill, oriental trap, and Brazilian funk. Hailing from the streets of Sheikh Hassan in Fayum, his roots in underground rap culture have deeply influenced his one-of-a-kind musical style. 

Lina Makoul

Lina Makoul is a prominent independent Palestinian pop singer-songwriter who distinguishes herself not only by her exceptional musical talent but in fostering human connection through her music. Known for her wide vocal and musical range and multi-genre fusion, or as she likes to call it ‘Indiepop in Arabic’, Lina focuses on growing alongside her fellow Palestinian creatives in music, film, and fashion. 

DAM DAM

is the first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic. Formed in the late 1990s by Tamer Nafar, Suhell Nafar, and Mahmood Jrere, with Maysa Daw joining the group after, they were inspired to tell their story through the rhythms of hip hop. DAM’s sound is a unique fusion of East and West, blending fierce Arabic rap with Middle Eastern melodies and the pulsating beats of urban hip hop. 

Lana Lubany

UK-based Palestinian singer-songwriter Lana Lubany brings a whole new sound to MENA’s avant-pop scene. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Rosalía and Billie Eilish, her music blends traditional Arabic and English vocals with modern self-directed electronic production, creating unique, bilingual pop hits. 

NARCY NARCY

is a polymath based in Montréal, Canada. Real name Yassin Alsalman, he raps, produces, directs, teaches, writes, and creates across many-a-discipline. Predominantly recognized as the first Iraqi voice in the hip-hop community, he earned his chops during the war on his motherland, speaking truth to power across the world during one of the most challenging eras in modern Iraqi history. 

Double Zuksh

Trap-infused shaabi duo Double Zuksh are renowned for their distinctive fusion of hip hop and alternative mahraganat. Their music is often characterized by pounding beats, complex rhythms, and incisive lyrics that address the realities of living in contemporary Egypt. 

El Rass

Lebanese rap powerhouse El Rass is known for his sharp lyricism and thought-provoking content. His music often delves into socio-political themes, reflecting the complexities of life in the Arab world. With a commanding presence and a commitment to authenticity, El Rass remains one of the pivotal voices in Lebanese and Arabic hip hop today. 

Bedouin Burger

Bedouin Burger is the collaborative project of Syrian singer and musician Lynn Adib and Lebanese producer Zeid Hamdan. Together, they blend traditional Middle Eastern melodies with contemporary electronic beats, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and innovative. 

Ahmed Eid

Born in exile and raised in Ramallah, Ahmed Eid brings a deeply personal perspective to his blend of Arabic songwriting, experimental production, and traditional instrumentation. Eid’s music balances nostalgia and defiance, drawing from his Palestinian roots while leaning into bold sonic experimentation. 

Abarra

Abarra is a four-piece experimental band that fuses Arabic poetry, post-rock, and ambient textures into a sound that’s both cinematic and emotionally raw. Their compositions merge traditional rhythms with atmospheric electronics to explore themes of memory, displacement, and resistance. 

Retro Cassetta

Retro Cassetta, the alias of Moroccan DJ and collector Badreddine Haouat, is a sonic archaeologist reviving the golden age of Maghrebi cassette culture. With a personal archive of over 20,000 tapes spanning Moroccan, Algerian, and Libyan chaabi, raï, rock, and early rap, he digs deep into analog history to craft sets that are both nostalgic and electrifying. 

baby ganoush (ATAY Collective)

Driven by feeling more than genre, baby ganoush translates the inexpressible into sound — layering euphoria with tension, light with shadow. With roots in Sweden and Lebanon, her eclectic sets drift through ambient, trance, IDM, breaks, grime, dubstep, and percussive club rhythms, unified by heavy bass and emotional contrast. 

Arabella Memdouh (ATAY Collective)

Amsterdam-based DJ and producer Arabella Memdouh brings a high-energy, emotionally rich sound to every set — blending electronic SWANA edits, indie dance, and progressive house into something unmistakably her own. 

Noise Diva (ATAY Collective)

Syrian DJ and producer Noise Diva brings emotionally charged, genre-fluid sets to the dancefloor, fusing Arabic trap, UK garage, and experimental electronics. A resident at Amsterdam’s Garage Noord and co-founder of KLAB and the SALWA Foundation, her sound reflects themes of exile, resilience, and joy, carving out space for bold diasporic expression. 

Disco Arabesquo B2B Abdo Niger

Disco Arabesquo is a DJ and producer known for curating and reviving vintage Arabic disco and funk tracks. His sets are a journey through time, bringing forgotten gems back to the dance floor and introducing them to new audiences, this year, he will be going B2B with Egyptian producer and DJ Abdo Niger, whose high-octane remixes collide traditional Egyptian melodies with trap, hip-hop, and club-driven beats. 

Dabke Night & DJ MaHerrie

Dabke Night is a celebration of the traditional Levantine folk dance, Dabke. These events bring communities together to partake in the energetic and communal dance. For this edition of Nawafiz, they will be teaming up with Syrian DJ MaHerrie, whose sets dive deep into Dabke sounds from across the region. Expect sweat, stomps, and infectious rhythms all throughout the night.