Festspillene i Nord-Norge celebrates its 60th anniversary with a grand opening ceremony and a merry "slabberas" in Generalhagen, Harstad's newly renovated public park.
The festival marks its anniversary with a dose of it´s history as well as the city´s history, which celebrates 120 years! There will be speeches, blasts from the past and present and like in any good party, there will be a few surprises.
The Minister of Culture and Equality, Lubna Jaffery, will open this year's festival. The hosts are the actor Kim Jøran Olsen and the actress/musician Ida Holten Worsøe. Check your outfit – there will be an official photography session from the stage for the history books.
"Slabberas" means, according to the dictionary, "a cheerful gathering where people drink coffee or tea and eat cakes, and where lively talking and gossiping take place."
This is appropriate since Festspillene i Nord-Norge has been a topic of conversation and an object of gossip for 60 years.