30 Years of Music, People, and Magic

We call it a pearl jubilee when we celebrate three decades of dance, laughter, dedicated volunteers, applause, and musical moments that have become part of the city and of us.

From the very first note at what was then called the Arendal Jazz and Blues Festival to today’s Canal Street as we know it—with concerts at Arendal Cemetery, Strømsbo Farm, Teaterplassen, Poppes Plass, Sam Eydes Plass, the Cultural Center, and Barnestreet at Kanalplassen—Canal Street has been a meeting place for everything we love about summer in Southern Norway.

C(S)U in week 30! For the music. For the city. For each other.

About 40-50 different artists and bands visit the festival. Even though jazz traditionally has been well represented, most genres are presented here. In addition to offering the best Norwegian artists, the festival has included artists like Bob Geldof, Lauren Hill, Joss Stone, Waterboys, Gary Moore, Solomon Burke, Melody Gardot, Angélique Kidjo and more on the stage the last five years.