LISTEN — Opening Night in Halle We kick off five years of ZW with a night dedicated to sound in all its forms. The big Halle becomes the space of a collective experience, where brass meets electronics, rhythms turn into rituals, and familiar structures dissolve into something unexpected. Zurich-based trumpeter and composer Angelfightrrr takes us on an echoing journey, feverishly exploring acoustic improvisation, feedback and drones. Holy Tongue deepen the trip into hypnotic territory as we finally get to welcome them to ZW, presenting their latest album, Basilikum. Weaving dub, ritual percussion, post-punk and psychedelic textures into an immersive, body-moving experience; with no fixed boundaries and no allegiance to genre, their work embraces movement, texture and collective energy. The result is immersive, transportive music that shifts between meditation and propulsion, intimacy and scale, always evolving in the moment. An opening ceremony just like ZW: exploratory, open-ended and sometimes loud. Come listen closely, feel the pulse and let the festival begin.