Festivals in Norway
A feast of flavours, sights, and sounds.
Great art and culture is even better when you share the experience. Music, film, and other popular festivals are a key part of the booming Norwegian culture scene.
Norway offers more than 900 festivals to match almost anyone's interests in music, food, sport, film, theatre, literature, history and much more.
Summer is undoubtedly the biggest festival season, but several exciting events take place throughout the year all over the country.
There is a myriad of music festivals in Norway, covering both popular genres such as jazz, blues and contemporary music, as well as niche festivals showcasing more experimental music. The festival scene in Norway holds a high international standard and measures up to the best festivals in Europe.
Want to know what's on during your visit? Check out our event calendar!
Find your next festival
Photo credit: Maja Brenna / Øyafestivalen
Popular Norwegian music festivals
- Øyafestivalen in Oslo in August
- By:Larm in Oslo in September
- OverOslo in Oslo in June
- Tons of Rock in Oslo in June
- Slottsfjellfestivalen in Tønsberg in July
- Stavernfestivalen in Larvik in July
- Pstereo in Trondheim in August
- Neon in Trondheim in June
- Parken in Bodø in August
- Buktafestivalen in Tromsø in July
- Palmesus in Kristiansand in July
Pop and rock festivals
Showcasing big-name international artists as well as up-and-coming local bands.
Black metal and jazz
Norway is in many ways a country of extremes, so it’s perhaps no coincidence genres like black metal and jazz have thrived here for decades. Norway is the home of black metal, and there is no better place to experience it than the Inferno festival, held every Easter in Oslo. There are also international jazz festivals in Bergen, Molde, Kongsberg, Haugesund, Oslo, Lillehammer and more.
For more extremes, enjoy Ekstremsportveko in Voss, the largest extreme sports festival of its kind, which also includes live music performances. And don't miss Voss's jazz festival, Vossajazz, usually held in April.
Jazz and Blues festivals
Experience Europe's oldest annual jazz festival in Molde and other top festivals.
Festivals for foodies
Food, and especially locally-sourced food, is increasingly important to Norwegians, and there are several annual bigger festivals, like for example the Matstreif festival in Oslo, the Trøndelag Food Festival and Trondheim Brewery Festival and Gladmat in Stavanger, but also several niche festivals like the Rakfisk (semi-fermented trout) festival in Valdres and cider festivals in Hardanger.
Photo credit: Fredrik Ahlsen, Maverix / Visitnorway.com
Popular Norwegian food and drink festivals
- Trøndelag Food Festival in Trondheim in August
- Norway Seafood Festival in Trondheim in March
- Gladmat in Stavanger in June
- Matstreif in Oslo in September
- Bergen Food Festival in Bergen in September
- The Norwegian Rakfisk festival in Valdres in November
- Cider and fruit festivals in places like Hardanger and Telemark at various times
- The Shellfish Festival in Mandal in August
- Oslo Vegetarian Festival in Oslo in May
Food and drink festivals
A multitude of flavours and activities for foodies of all ages.
Festivals in the great outdoors
Try a unique festival in the wild surrounded by gorgeous Norwegian nature. Enjoy live music on remote islands where the sun never sets or high up in the mountains. It's perfect for combining a love of music and the outdoors and you'll be able to explore exciting parts of Norway.
There are also several festivals that focus on indigenous Sami art, music, literature and culture, such as Riddu Riđđu and Márkomeannu.
Photo credit: Kristin Folsland Olsen / Visitnorway.com
Popular festivals in the wild
- Trænafestivalen on Træna island in July
- Vinjerock at Eidsbugarden in Jotunheimen in July
- Trevarefestivalen in Henningsvær in July
- Riddu Riđđu in Manndalen in July
- Bergtattfestivalen in Luster in July
- Márkomeannu in Tjeldsund in July
Enjoy international film festivals
Are you a cinephile? Norway is home to several international film festivals The international film festival in Tromsø in January has a unique Arctic atmosphere, while the Film fra Sør (Films from the South) festival in Oslo screens new and exciting titles from Asia, Africa and South America. Bergen is home to the popular international film festival BIFF, usually held in October.
And last, but not least, there are also a variety of theatre and literature festivals.
Photo credit: Vegard Stien / Visit Tromsø
Popular film festivals
- Tromsø International Film Festival in Tromsø in January
- Bergen International Film Festival in Bergen in October
- Film fra Sør in Oslo in November
- Dokfilm in Volda in Mai
- Oslo Pix in Oslo in August
Find your next art festival
Enjoy theatre, literature and film.
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