- History and position necessitate development, and in recent years, we have worked purposefully to clarify our role and our mission in the north. We aim not only to reach about 30,000 audience members each year but to do so with a program that constantly takes risks and pushes boundaries. The long history and central position of the Festival demand that we, with clarity and ambition, take on a significant responsibility as a development actor for the cultural field in the north," says festival director Ragnheiður Skúladóttir.

And when we are to celebrate our 60th anniversary – it requires a little extra glitter and glam – and who better to take on the task than our former festival profile Trygve Luktvasslimo. The theme for this year's festival is coexistence – and Trygve has expressed this brilliantly in this year's poster, which adds something entirely new by starting in the world of film – and from there, will take the design onto everything from clothing to branding and festival magazines.

The Festival in Northern Norway, in collaboration with Sparebank1 Nord-Norge, invites everyone to two very special events designed to encompass a wide audience, with a special focus on youth and the future.
"Over the last decade, it's the Hip-Hop Bonanza here in Nordic Hall that has sparked the most enthusiasm among young adults in the region. Now, together with SNN, we invite Poppa Lars back to create an epic hip-hop evening, as a thrilling start to the week and as a grand invitation to hip-hop enthusiasts in the north," Skuladottir explains.

We are also repeating last year's success, when participants at the Youth Festival got their own, alcohol-free youth zone in Nordic Hall – and we will keep this for all the concerts in Nordic Hall during the Youth Festival.
The biggest anniversary event is being developed together with project manager Dag Erik Enoksen. Here, all choir singers, vocalists, and other residents are invited to celebrate the Festival's 60th anniversary through sing-alongs. The People's Choir is part of our City Festival initiative and is a free event open to everyone on the last Saturday of the festival week. Our ambition is that everyone should be able to use the voice they have and feel a sense of belonging to the city and the festival, with the help of three exceptional artists leading the way alongside Harstad's many choirs. The People's Choir will conclude the festival and is, in scale and scope, an extraordinary event for the Festival in Northern Norway, realized thanks to the anniversary gift from Sparebank1 Nord-Norge.