White Nights & Jazz: 10 Summer Festivals in Norway
Norway, renowned for the beautiful fjord scenery and railway journeys that offer spectacular views of ravines, waterfalls and mountains, also boasts a thriving jazz scene. Every year from May to August, when the days just don’t turn into nights, no less than 10 festivals take place across the country.
Hamar Jazz Festival
Also known as AnJazz, this festival takes place in Hamar over five days in early May. Located on the shores of Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake, this medium-sized town in eastern-central Norway is about an hour and a half away from Oslo either by car or train.
Maijazz
As the name suggests, this is another jazz festival taking place in May. It is held in Stavanger, one of the largest cities of the country. Located in south-western Norway, this coastal city is only 50 minutes on the plane from Oslo. Stavanger is also the gateway to two famous Norwegian attractions, the Lysefjorden (Light Fjord) and the Preikestolen (commonly known as the Pulpit Rock). Maijazz is scheduled to take place between the 6th and the 11th of May 2019. Some events are free; the ticketed ones cost between NOK 150 and 800.
Bodø Jazz Open
Bodø is a small city above the Arctic Circle in northern Norway, about an hour and a half on the plane from Oslo. It is also where the very first Norwegian jazz band, the Bodø Jazz Band, was established. Nowadays, Bodø is home to this annually held festival, due to take place between the 8th and the 11th of May 2019. From Bodø, you can continue your journey to the picture-perfect Lofoten islands.
Trondheim Jazz Festival
Jazzfest, as it is also known, provides a perfect excuse to visit the beautiful city of Trondheim on the western coast of the country, once Norway’s capital, now the third-largest city. The flight from Oslo lasts only 50 minutes. Jazzfest is due to take place between the 8th and the 12th of May 2019. Whilst there, make sure you visit the impressive Nidaros Domkirke (Cathedral).
Bergen International Jazz Festival
Also known as Nattjazz, this is one of the largest jazz festivals in Norway. It is held annually in late May/early June and takes place in a converted sardine factory at USF Verftet, in a beautiful location not too far from the city center. Doors open at 19.00 or 20.00 except for Sunday (18:30); so you can combine it with sightseeing in the country’s second largest city. Or you can go on a day trip to the fjords; the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord are of outstanding beauty and only a couple of hours from Bergen. Each evening there are up to 6 Norwegian or international bands or artists playing. This year Nattjazz featured Khruangbin, Lana Trio and Thomas Dahl & Court among many other household names (9-day pass NOK 2150, 5-day pass NOK 1350, 1-day-pass NOK 140-650). When the music stops (not before midnight), wander around in the twilight – it will soon turn into full daylight.
If you want to attend one this summer, there’s still time… Coming up this summer are the following five festivals:
Kongsberg Jazzfestival
Kongsberg Jazzfestival is due to take place between the 4th and the 7th of July 2018. Even though Kongsberg is a small town in southern Norway (less than an hour and a half away from Oslo either by car or train), this festival features some of the biggest names in the international and Norwegian jazz scene (such as Gregory Porter, Rohey and the Erlend Apneseth Trio). The motto of the festival is ‘Jazz Is More’; yet, it should have been ‘Jazz And More’, as this year’s programme also features a DJ-set by internationally successful Norwegian electronic music duo Röyksopp, an A-ha concert (A-ha are also Norwegian, in case you didn’t know), and a live collaboration of Sting and Shaggy. You can buy a festival pass (NOK 3345), day passes (NOK 970-1395), or even tickets for individual concerts.
Moldejazz
Molde International Jazz Festival, or simply Moldejazz, is one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe. Molde, on the west coast of the country, is known as ‘Town of Roses’; yet most people know this town because of Moldejazz. Due to take place between the 14th and the 21st of July 2018, it will be hosted at various venues of the town, including the Cathedral, the Romsdalsmuseet (an open-air museum worth visiting anyway) and several squares. The legendary Van Morrison will play at the Romsdalsmuseet on the 18th of July 2018 (NOK 795). The day and week passes may have already sold out, but there are concerts free to attend. To get to Molde, you will have to fly to Ålesund (55 minutes from Oslo); from there, it is a 2-hour drive. If you stop in Ålesund, go for a walk around the art nouveau town centre; then climb the 418 steps to Aksla and admire the spectacular view of the town, the surrounding mountains and the nearby islands.
Sildajazz
Named after the Norwegian word for herring (sild), Sildajazz takes place in Haugesund, a small coastal town in south-western Norway. It will be held between the 8th and the 11th of August 2018. The American jazz vocalist Lizz Wright will play on the opening night (NOK 400). The flight from Oslo lasts only 50 minutes.
Tromsø Jazzfestival
Tromsø is the largest town in northern Norway, lying 400km north of the Arctic Circle, about an hour and 50 minutes on the plane from Oslo. It will host a jazz festival between the 9th and the 12th of August 2018. Whilst there, make sure you visit the Arctic Cathedral, then take the cable car to the top of Mt Storsteinen.
Oslo Jazz Festival
The Norwegian capital is home to the last festival of the summer, which takes place every August, when the city enjoys 16 hours of daylight and 8 hours of twilight. This year it will be held between the 12th and the 18th of August and will feature a large number of Norwegian and international bands and artists. There will be several concerts each day from 18.00 till late; on Saturday the 18th of August, there will be concerts from as early as 12.30. It will be hosted at various venues around the city: the Opera House, Oslo Konserthus (Concert House) (very close to the Royal Palace), Rockefeller Music Hall (also in the city center), Nasjonal Jazzscene Victoria and Universitetets Aula (both on Karl Johans gate). You can buy day passes or tickets for individual concerts.
In addition to these (summer) festivals, there are also a few taking place during the rest of the year:
Dølajazz
This annual festival takes place in the town of Lillehammer about 2 hours on the train from Oslo. It is due to take place between the 18th and the 21st of October 2018.
Polarjazz
Polarjazz is the northernmost jazz festival in the world. It is held in Longyearbyen, a small town in the subpolar archipelago of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean. Midway between continental Norway and the North Pole, Longyearbyen is three hours on the plane from Oslo or an hour and a half from Tromsø. Since more than half of Svalbard is covered by glaciers and one-sixth of the world’s polar bears live there, the backdrop is simply unique. Polarjazz is held every February when Longyearbyen enjoys zero hours of daylight.
Vossajazz
Vossajazz takes place in the town of Voss the week before Easter (late March/early April). Since the ski season lasts from December until April, this jazz festival can easily be combined with a ski holiday, as well as with a fjord cruise to the Hardangerfjord and the Sognefjord. Voss is an hour on the train from Bergen, or five hours and a half from Oslo. Vossajazz is due to be held between the 12th and the 14th of April 2019.
If you want to combine one of these festivals with sightseeing in Norway, make sure you read my post ‘Fjords and Jazz: Norway in 9 days’.
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God Tur1,
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)
1 Norwegian for ‘have a nice trip’
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