BIG MUSIC PROGRAM

This year's program will have something for everyone. Already in the opening performance in the main hall, there will be both choral singing and newly written music in Tore Vagn Lid's Triggersystemet, and during the week there will be great musical experiences in Harstad's largest venue, Storsalen. Tonje Unstad and the Arctic Philharmonic are ready with the premiere of Kloakksymfonier, while former Violet Road artist Herman Rundberg will perform with a full band in his solo project Manne. The northern Norwegian singing tradition gets a renewed focus in Troillkampen, and the Army Band celebrates nature in Arktiske Fugler. At the end of the week, the international star Eivør will be there, after recently touring in the US.

-I am so pleased that we will get so much different music in Storsalenl, and when we also have a fantastic line-up of artists with us at Nordic Hall, with well-known names such as Heave Blood and Die, Ella Marie, Kristi Brud, Jeremy Ledbetter Trio and Hannah Storm, there is a lot to look forward to on the music front. One of the things I'm most looking forward to is experiencing the legendary Ádjágas, who are back after a 12-year hiatus, says festival director Ragnheiður Skúladóttir.

New theatre experiences suitable for everyone

This year's program is packed with premieres of new stories from the north, which is an important part of the ambition for the Festspillene in Northern Norway. A total of 18 new productions will be performed for the first time, including the ambitious performance that opens the festival, Triggersystemet. The first part, "Vivariet", premiered at the Black Box Theatre in Oslo last year to great critical acclaim. Now the second part, "Brunsneglens lange natt", will have its world premiere on the opening day.

- One of the things I would like to highlight about this year's festival is that it is not only new projects that are getting their first screening with us, but there is an extraordinary breadth in ways of telling stories and which genres the artists work in. This is a rare opportunity to experience the fantastic playwright, musician and director Tore Vagn Lid in a large format. The performance is an invitation into a fairy-tale-like fable universe, where, among others, Bjørn Sundquist has one of the main roles as the brown snail. I am so excited about this experience, and I hope as many people as possible will get to experience it, says Skúladóttir.

During the week there will be a number of opportunities to experience everything from dance to theater and performance, and this year Utheim will also be an arena for pub theater. It will be a celebration of all forms of dance when 8 Harstad residents will take to the festival's largest stage in the Icelandic dance performance BALL, a performance that has been a success in Iceland. The Festival Exhibition by Máret Ánne Sara will also feature 2 screenings of a newly developed performance, which is an integral part of the exhibition.

- Máret Ánne Sara is an artist who was recently selected to be Artist of the Year at Tate Modern in London, and the fact that she is exhibiting new works at Støperiet here in Harstad is nothing short of a small sensation. She has been working on the exhibition since January here in Harstad, and it is fantastic that we have actors like Harstad skipsindustri, who have facilitated this in their premises, says the festival director.

Children's PROGRAM

The festival's focus on children's and youth performances continues, and there will be a number of engaging and fun performances for the youngest, including the family performance Aeldre, which takes place in the trees outside Harstad Church. In Davvi Scene, the lavvo that will be located outside Quality Hotel Harstad, there will be a full program of dance, theater and music for the youngest. This year, Katrine Strøm's new performance MALEbarisk will travel to kindergartens in Harstad, while in SNN Park there will be a week where imagination, play and experiences for children are in the spotlight. On the last day of the festival, the week ends with Barnas Superlørdag, a packed day of experiences for children where SNN Park is transformed into a soap bubble disco.

- We are looking forward to seeing the response to both the fun performances and the workshops that you can take part in in SNN Park. In addition, the lavvo will be the place to experience children's performances, a great arena that gives the opportunity to participate in performances on children's terms, says Skúladóttir.

New Club Scene: Explore Harstad

New this year is that Explore Harstad in Sjøgata will be the headquarters for the Festival Store during the day and the Club Scene in the evening. Here you can experience both bands that are already widely played on the radio, such as ULD, and artists who are predicted to take up a lot of space in the years to come. The music spectrum is broad, and the festival is looking forward to having a club scene that provides intimate concert experiences.

- During the day, the audience can come by to get tips for the program and get festival products, while in the evening we are collaborating with Explore Harstad to create a cool club scene where there will be many different artists, good music and a fantastic atmosphere. I think this will be the place where artists, volunteers and the audience meet to land after all the impressions, before they take the night bus from Svipper home when the day is over.

International performances in the city space

An important part of the festival experience for many is city life and the city party, and for 5 days it will be possible to make an unusual phone call in a very special phone booth in Hilsegata with the performance Red Phone from Canada. Many will enjoy the colorful, inflatable characters in Le Grande Phrase who will dance through the city on Sunday, and the arrival of street culture with the dance popup JAM.

- The outdoor performances are the very essence of the festival, which is available to everyone - and which you can experience just by visiting the city center during the week. We love filling the city with life and movement, and I look forward to seeing happy faces and people in Harstad, concludes the director.

The program will be presented with live music on Wednesday, March 26 at 7:30 PM in Thon Arena Nord-Norge.

Tickets are on sale from March 26 at 8:00 PM