"Isn't it good? Norwegian wood", sang The Beatles in 1965 to ecstatic crowds. Today's Norwegian Wood also draws thousands of people outdoors to pay tribute to the world of music. The festival starts 14 June, and many more music festivals will follow throughout Norway.
12/06/2006 :: Annually there are more than 200 music festivals in Norway of all genres and sizes. In Oslo it's the Norwegian Wood festival that really kicks off the festival summer, however there have already been organised several festivals around the country.
As the summer months progress, hundreds of thousands of Norwegians will attend the festivals, and big names in music also draw an international crowd. At Norwegian Wood it's Lou Reed who's this year's big draw, and the Molde International Jazz Festival has Joshua Redman and the Trondheim jazz orchestra lined up. The Quart festival in Kristiansand has an impressive international guest list, including American rapper Kanye West and British band Depeche Mode.
But for many, the Norwegian summer festivals are first and foremost a chance to see up and coming Norwegian artists. The Oslo-based Øya festival is organised around the premise that smaller bands will front the festival, and has become the breakthrough arena for many Norwegian bands and artists. Madrugada is one of the Norwegian bands that started out on the smallest stage at the festival, but was one of the main attractions in 2005. The festival also has a wide spectre of international artists, and the blind duo Amadou & Mariam from Mali represents a musical segment out of the ordinary.
To read more about the festival scene in Norway, click here. You will also find external links to more festivals around the country.
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs