We have gathered a few Nordic Hall highlights in the article below, but if you are curious about the full programme, you can see it here.
Feber (NO)
This is the concert for anyone who likes pop with warmth, intimacy and lyrics that strike exactly where adult life feels a little unresolved.
Feber make folk pop about adult life without easy answers, and perhaps that is precisely why their music resonates so strongly. The duo consists of Inge Bremnes and Helle Larsen, and came together during the pandemic with producer Bendik Brænne. What began as a musical meeting between two acquaintances developed into an expression marked by warm melodies, strong lyrics and a subdued Nordic darkness that suits their songs beautifully.
The fine thing about Feber is that they do not need grand gestures to capture attention. Their music is carried by moods, details and recognisable emotions – by everything that happens in life when you are trying to figure out love, identity, direction and everyday days that do not always go quite to plan. The result is understated, honest and close, yet full of melodies that stay with you long after the concert is over.
When Feber come to the True Northern Arts Festival, everything points to a concert experience with both nerve and calm – an evening for those who want to hear music that does not shout the loudest, but may still settle the deepest.
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Festspillfinale (NO)
This is the evening for anyone who wants to end the festival week with a bang – and possibly whiplash.
After a whole week of concerts, performances and artistic encounters, we gather for the grand festival finale. On stage are two bands that, in their own distinct ways, represent raw power from the north: Bodø’s reggae veterans MANNA and Tromsø’s hardcore legends Turdus Musicus.
MANNA have long been a distinctive name in Northern Norwegian music. The band is known for staying close to traditional roots reggae, while their lyrics carry clear elements of social criticism. They released several studio albums before disbanding in 2011, but reunited in 2015 and have continued to deliver ever since. That makes them a band with history, authority and a presence all their own on stage.
Turdus Musicus come from a different corner of the musical landscape, but with at least as much force. The band’s roots go back to 1998, and they are associated with hardcore punk, post-hardcore and heavy metal. In 2026, they are also releasing their first album in 17 years – a comeback that says a great deal about the position they still hold in the Northern Norwegian underground scene.
When these two bands meet in the festival finale, this will not be a solemn ending with dim lighting and low volume. Rather, this is a finale that kicks back, raises the roof and sends the audience out into the summer night with a racing pulse, a smile – and possibly a very stiff neck.
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Madcon (NO)
This is the concert for anyone who wants pure party atmosphere, songs they already know and a singalong to “Beggin’”.
Madcon are back, and they are coming to the True Northern Arts Festival with both new songs and a catalogue that still has a life of its own around the world. The duo consists of Tshawe Baqwa and Yosef Wolde-Mariam, who have been rapping together since 1992. Their major breakthrough came in 2007 with “Beggin’”, but their story does not stop there. For many years, Madcon have been among the Norwegian artists who have truly managed to combine domestic success with international reach.
There is also something very distinctive about Madcon on stage. Their music moves easily between rap, pop, soul and danceable hooks, and songs such as “Beggin’”, “Glow”, “Freaky Like Me” and “Don’t Worry” have made them a name most people associate with dancing and instant singalong appeal. The fact that “Glow” became an international Eurovision moment also says something about their scale.
As they now come to the True Northern Arts Festival, everything is in place for an evening where the audience can relax their shoulders and turn up the volume. This is the concert for anyone who wants to dance, sing along and feel that very special festival atmosphere that arises when a hit machine finally comes to Harstad.
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NO 4.
This is the concert for anyone who likes pop songs with strong lyrics, big emotions and choruses you want to sing along to.
No. 4 have become one of Norway’s most beloved bands, and it is not hard to understand why. The trio’s expression combines poetic lyrics, warm melodies and a particular ability to write songs that feel both intimate and expansive at the same time. The band consists of Emilie Christensen, Ingeborg Marie Mohn and Julia Witek, and they have made the journey from small, intimate stages to some of the country’s largest concert venues.
Through songs such as “Alt feil”, “Lite og stort”, “Låst” and “Farlig”, No. 4 have become a soundtrack to everyday life, love, friendship and the small and large crises that come with being human. They have several Spellemann nominations behind them, and were also awarded the Prøysen Prize in 2017 – honours that say something about how strongly they stand, both with audiences and in Norwegian music. Now they come to the True Northern Arts Festival with both familiar material and music from the critically acclaimed album Indre liv.
But it may be live that No. 4 truly show why so many people have taken them to heart. Their concerts are known for singalongs, intimacy and an atmosphere that can shift seamlessly between the vulnerable and the euphoric.
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Performances in Nordic Hall:
