5 unusual cultural festivals

"In Norway there is about one festival per 5-6000 capita. The offer is fairly distributed between the country’s regions. About two thirds of the festivals take place in cities, the rest in the countryside or smaller towns, says Anders Rykkja", CEO of Norway Festivals.

In a survey from 2014 conducted by Norway Festivals, in cooperation with Norwegian Live Music Association, FolkOrg and the Norwegian jazz forum, one of the findings was that festivals in Norway in total have around 2.2 million spectators. In a country with approximately 5 million inhabitants, this is nothing short of impressive.

To Anders Rykkja, who is a dedicated “festivalgoer” himself, it makes perfect sense why so many people choose to go to festivals.

"Festivals provide wonderful opportunities for people to immerse themselves intensely in artistic and cultural experiences in a limited period of time. People get the chance to meet artists, watch performances, productions and concerts they otherwise would not have experienced", he says.

Read about his five recommendations on unusual cultural festivals.