27 May–10 June 2026

Welcome to 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

    History of the Bergen International Festival

    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.

    The Festival spirit of 2025 – summarised:

    News

    Grieg Foundation renews partnership

    Grieg Foundation continues its support of the Bergen International Festival.

    Mozarts Requiem. Foto: Thor Brødreskift

    Relive Mozart's Requiem

    Watch the concert recording from the 2025 Festival.

    The Joy of Turangalîla

    On Turangalîla, birdsong, the power of love, and what Messiaen called 'Real music, beautiful music – you can listen to without understanding it.'

    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.

    Amalie Stalheim m/unge strykere. Foto: Thor Brødreskift

    Apply as a young composer

    Deadline Sunday October 19th 2025.

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