Norway offers over 200 festivals of every size featuring every type of music, including chamber music festivals, large national festivals and hip rock festivals. Visitors can choose between exotic venues with the midnight sun, the polar night or magnificent natural surroundings as a setting.
For many years the word "festival" in Norway referred exclusively to the Bergen International Festival. Founded in 1953, this festival was inspired by the Edvard Grieg Music Festival that took place in Bergen in 1898. The Bergen event was followed up in 1961 when Molde, "the city of roses", organized the country’s first jazz festival, which has subsequently become one of Norway’s largest music displays. Norway’s oldest folk music festival, the Norwegian Traditional Music and Dance Competition, was established as early as 1923. This was originally a competition for folk music performers, but audiences have long regarded it as one of the best opportunities available to hear Norwegian folk music.
The number of Norwegian festivals increased substantially from 1950 onwards. There are festivals devoted to a wide range of genres. The Bergen International Festival in May-June is an all-round event where both Norwegian and foreign artists present a variety of artistic idioms. The Festival of North Norway combines the midnight sun and beautiful scenery with music played by local, national and international performers. The Vestfold International Festival presents concerts throughout the entire county of Vestfold.
Since 1990 a number of contemporary music festivals have attracted attention. Ultima – Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, at the beginning of October, is the largest of these. Bergen has chosen to combine two festivals into one – Bears - which will take place at the end of March starting in 2004. ILIOS Contemporary Music Festival at the beginning of January marks the return of the sun to Harstad after the long polar night.
Norway can also offer an outstanding selection of chamber music festivals. Summer festivals that take place in Risør, Stavanger and Oslo are arranged by some of Norway’s most prominent musicians, as is the Winter Chamber Music Festival in Røros. The Trondheim Chamber Music Festival holds an international chamber music competition.
Norway is home to a number of jazz festivals. The Molde International Jazz Festival in late July, the Kongsberg Jazz Festival in early July, and the Oslo Jazz Festival in early August encompass most types of jazz. Vossa Jazz, during the Easter holiday, combines jazz and folk music, while the Norway International Trad Jazz Festival in Haugesund in mid-August focuses on traditional jazz.
In addition to the Norwegian Traditional Music and Dance Competition, held at a different site in Norway each year, the most important folk music festivals are held in Førde in early July and in Bø,in the county of Telemark, in mid-August.
Two of the most popular rock festivals in Norway are the Quart Festival in Kristiansand in early July and the Øya Festival near Oslo at the beginning of August. But there are also more specialized pop music festivals such as the Notodden Blues Festival and the metal festival Inferno, which takes place at Easter.
By The Music Information Centre Norway