Bergen International Festival

The Bergen International Festival (Festspillene i Bergen) presents art in all its guises: music, theatre, dance, opera and visual art.

The city is turned upside down when the Bergen International Festival starts in May. The 2021 festival will be a combination of events with audience at the venues, and a selection of streamed events.

The festival was established in 1953 and is the largest of its kind in the Nordic countries. It is the longest standing and the foremost music and theatre festival in Norway.

2022 Festival programme 
The 70th festival opens in the Grieg Hall on 25 May 2022 with the world premiere of the symphonic version of Taylor Mac's performance A 24-decade history of popular music, together with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in the Grieg Hall.

Information about the programme is available at the festival’s website. The different events are divied between three categories: festivities, foundations and frictions.

Festivities
Entertainment and surprises. For young and old. Playful scenes in the streets and events at new and familiar venues broad appeal. Experiences for your head, heart and feet.

Foundations
The best of the best in the classical art tradition. Tradition and renewal, depth and reflection. Performances and concerts with a history.

Friction
Reckless and shrewd, experimenting and exploring. New technology and boundless artistic landscapes.