27 May–10 June 2026

It's on!

The Bergen International

Festival

27 May to 10 June 2026

Scandinavia's largest festival for music and performing arts

Explore the programme

    Go to event overview

    All artistic directors, festival organizers, and curators are strongly encouraged to visit the Festival (…) Everything is there: popular culture and high culture, the shopping mall and the ivory tower. Nothing is set against the other.

    – Jan Brachmann/Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

    This is the Bergen International Festival

    Scandinavia's largest festival for music and performing arts.

    Esa-Pekka Salonen. Foto: Patrick Swirc

    Esa-Pekka Salonen

    Artist in Residence at the Bergen International Festival 2026.

    Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra are the Festival Musicians of 2026

    They are one of the world’s oldest orchestras, mentioned in Edvard Grieg’s will, and today they are the pride of Bergen.

    Explore Bergen through the arts

    OperaOpptur! Foto: Thor Brødreskift

    OperaUp!

    Rising stars in spontaneous song up Mount Fløyen.

    Drop-in concerts

    Stop by for daytime concerts in Grieghallen.

    Fargespill 20 år. Foto: Thor Brødreskift

    Experience the Festival square in 2026

    From Thursday 28 May to Sunday 7 June the town square will be filled with a playground, music, performances and activities.

    The Festival spirit of 2025 – summarised:

    News

    Viral video art at the Festival Square

    Shoji Yamasaki’s LITTERED MVMNTS O’CLOCK at Torgallmenningen.

    Yvonne Loriod og Olivier Messiaen i 1982.

    Joy and love

    Article about the opening concert with Olivier Messiaens Turangalila Symphonie.

    Francesco Piemontesi. Foto: Miriam Levi

    Festival events in Håkonshallen

    In 2026, the programme includes grand voices, a Swedish cult band, and internationally acclaimed classical musicians.

    Get to know the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

    All 101 musicians of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra are the Festival Musicians in 2026. Get to know Boris, Marie, Greg, Eirik, Ellena and Peter of the Bergen Phil.

    Family events in 2026

    Bring your family to the Bergen International Festival this year.

    See more news