While Norway is known for its breathtaking sights, the country is also home to a thriving music festival scene. Today, we’ll be going through the 10 greatest music festivals in Norway that you can go to!
Norway has music festivals all over the country, from large sites such as Oslo and Bergen to more remote venues out in the beautiful countryside. Whether you are looking for a music festival in a large stadium, a big field, or even a beach, this post has some ideas for you!
Pro tip: As many festivals announce their lineups between December and March, keep your eyes on their socials early on for updates!
Summer Festivals in Norway Weather Expectations
Summer festivals in Norway can get quite warm, but being this far north, you will always want to have some warm clothes in case of a cold evening. For this reason, most Norwegian music festivals take place in the height of summer, when the country is at its warmest.
Festivals Ticket Prices & When to Book
Most of these festivals release tickets between December and March, and they can sell out fast for the bigger ones like Øya and Tons of Rock. Expect to pay anywhere from 1,500-3,500 NOK (roughly €135-315) for multi-day passes, depending on the festival size and lineup.
Single-day tickets are usually available, too, if you just want to catch the headliners.
Pro Tip: follow the festivals on Instagram because they often announce early bird discounts!
Camping vs Hotels
A few of these festivals, like Stavern and Tons of Rock, have camping options, which is honestly the best way to do them if you’re up for it – the festival vibes extend way beyond the stages.
But if camping’s not your thing, most festivals are near cities where you can book hotels. Just know that prices skyrocket during festival weekends, so book accommodation EARLY. Like, months early. And depending on the location, you may have to navigate getting to the festival’s grounds.
By:Larm
When it Happens: Mid September
Location: Oslo
Often called Norway’s South by Southwest, the by:Larm festival is both a gathering of the Nordic music business and a music festival. This event is a mix of conferences and musical performances by Norway’s up-and-coming top talents.
The event happens right in the center of Norway’s capital, Oslo. It’s a wonderful gathering of creativity and culture, with tons of genres and interesting happenings alongside the music. Most people opt to stay in some of the best Oslo hotels for this event, to be close to the action!
Inferno Metal Festival
When it happens: Held during Easter, usually somewhere from Late-March to Mid-April
Location: Oslo
Inferno Metal Festival has been around since 2001 and is known for bringing extreme heavy metal to Oslo’s stages. They consistently bring top metal acts such as Mayhem, who are known as the “Black Metal Pioneers” in Norway’s scene.
Many metal legends hit the stage each year, and you’ll also have the opportunity to discover new bands, especially local talents. This festival takes place across many venues in Oslo.
Bergen Fest
When it Happens: mid-June
Location: Bergen
What first started as a blues and Americana festival has since evolved into a showcase of Norway’s rich and diverse music scene. Nothing exemplifies this more than Bergen Fest, which brings together the best of the best from every genre for a musical experience like no other.
You can expect artists such as Natasha Beddingfield, Of Monsters and Men, and The Kooks. This festival is extra unique because it takes place in the Bergenhus Fortress, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy your music AND history at the same time!
Tons of Rock
When it Happens: Late June
Location: Oslo
Here’s another example of Norway’s undying love for rock. Tons of Rock Festival started back in 2014, but has hit the ground running. Over the years, the festival has brought egends such as Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, and KISS to the stage.
When it comes to this rock festival in Norway, they bring all the flavors of rock to the stage, with a stronger focus on hard and heavy metal.
It takes place on Ekebergsletta, a beautiful park up above Oslo. You’ll feel like you’re miles from the city as you headbang to some heavy metal and rock!
Palmesus Festival
When It Happens: Early July
Where: Kristiansand
The Palmesus Festival is Norway’s biggest beach party. Thousands of people every year gather at the Bystranda beach for two nights of music and partying.
Artists from all over the world fly in for one unforgettable evening. Past headliners have included Stormzy, David Guetta, and Armin van Buuren, making it one of the top electronic music festivals in Norway.
Træna Music Festival
When it Happens: Early July
Location: Nordland County
The Træna Music Festival is held annually on the islands of Husøya and Sanna (located 33 miles offshore!)
This festival has one of the most unique venues in this list, held in an ancient cave and a church with blacked-out windows to shield festival-goers from the midnight sun.
This is why it’s no surprise that the BBC has listed the Træna Music Festival as one of its most stunning places to see music. The journey starts wth taking a ferry to get there, quite a twist from your typical musical festivals in Norway. It takes place across a few different venues in a beautiful setting on this fishing village island – simply magical!
Stavern Music Festival
When It’s Happening: Early July
Where: Stavern
Stavern Festival is one of the biggest and best camping festivals in Norway, drawing crowds of roughly 75,000 people — a far cry from the festival’s initial 175 attendees when it debuted in 2001.
The festival features a mixed bag of artists, including past headliners like Burna Boy, Tinie Tempah, Cardi B, and Major Lazer. This is one of the music festivals in Norway with the largest range of genres and best camping festival vibes, with beautiful, big fields for days.
Image credit: wikipedia.org
Bukta Tromsø Open-Air Festival
When It Happens: Mid July
Location: Tromsø
Bukta Festival started back in 2004 and has been a musical destination ever since. This festival is held annually in Tromsø, and is attended by thousands because of the fantastic rock line-up and focus on local Arctic foods like reindeer and fresh fish. Oh yeah, and the craft beer.
These days, many domestic and international acts grace the stage on a beautiful coastline. Some popular international names include the Sex Pistols, Alice Cooper, and Band of Horses.
Øya Festival
When It Happens: Mid-August
Location: Oslo
The Øya Music Festival has been around since 1999 (one of the longest-running music festivals in Norway) and has featured acts such as Sonic Youth, the Arctic Monkeys, the Gorillaz, Morrissey, and Charlie XCX.
Fun fact: It’s one of the most green festivals out there, serving up 90% organic foods and using the city’s renewable power grid.
The festival is held annually at Tøyen Park in Oslo and lasts for four days. It’s one of Norway’s most important music festivals, bringing together the best of local and international acts for a celebration of music and culture in a beautiful Oslo Park.
Findings Festival
When It Happens: Mid-August
Location: Oslo
The Findings Festival is held at the Bislett Stadium and brings the world’s best electronic music artists to Norway for two nights of dance and music. While the focus is on electronic music, plenty of pop and hip-hop stars make appearances. It takes place right in the center of Oslo and packs plenty of people into the stadium for a proper epic rave.
In the past, headliners have included artists such as Swedish House Mafia, Stave Aoki, Sexxy Red, and Sean Paul. Expect world-famous and upbeat events here every year.
More Music Festivals
If you are looking for more music festival inspo, check out some other articles:
- Best music festivals in Germany
- Best music festivals in Spain
- Best music festivals in France
- Best music festivals in the Netherlands
- Best music festivals in North America
- Best music festivals in Australia
