Festivals in Norway

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.

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.

And speaking of extremes, every year in Voss you can enjoy Ekstremsportveko, 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. 

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. 

Food, and especially locally-sourced food, is increasingly important to Norwegians, and  a number of new food festivals are popping up here. It’s perhaps unfair to mention only one, but the Rakfisk festival in Fagernes (Rakfisk is a type of fish – trout, sometimes char – that has been salted and left to ferment in brine for two to three months) is an event you should not miss if you are in the area.

And last, but not least, there are also a variety of theatre and literature festivals.