The Bergen International Festival relies on the support of many volunteers each year, and you are warmly invited to become a part of our volunteer team!
This year's festival is over, but you can sign up for our newsletter to be notified when registration for next year is open.
At the Bergen International Festival, we believe that inclusion and diversity are strengths. We are seeking volunteers with various skills, life experiences, and perspectives. We encourage anyone who wishes to get involved to sign up, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, ability, or age.
Experience the Festival up close as a volunteer. Video: Sølvrev
As a volunteer, you will experience the festival from the inside at exciting venues with innovative artists from home and abroad. Most importantly, you will meet many friendly people and gain valuable experience as part of the largest festival of its kind in the Nordic region.
Are you a social person and enjoy meeting many different people? As a host, you'll be the first person the audience meets at the venue. The audience host's most important task is to make the audience feel welcome, be helpful and knowledgeable about practical information including entrances, seating, toilets, and wardrobe. The shifts will take place both indoors and outdoors – anywhere where the Festival is present.
We need many sociable and service-oriented audience hosts. Where the audience is, the hosts are!
Do you enjoy a day that is varied, and want to experience the different sides of the festival? Or do you want to try a little from each of the different volunteer tasks? The work of a festival assistant suits versatile people who enjoy varied missions. The workload and content will vary from shift to shift, but the most important thing is to be present and available for new tasks.
Festival assistants should be quick on their feet, always looking for solutions, enjoy helping, know the city well, and appreciate both hectic and less busy shifts. Anything can happen during a festival!
Do you know the Festival well, or maybe you want to get to know us better? The information hosts are tasked with manning the festival information and accreditation stand, which handles festival passes and answering questions from the audience, volunteers, press and artists. The information host's task is to answer questions and to pass on inquiries to the right people. An information host must enjoy talking with many different people as well as getting to know the whole festival programme, venues, and contact people.
Language skills are essential, and knowing both Norwegian and English at a high level is important. This volunteer group often fills up quickly, and we recommend that you sign up for other volunteer roles as well.
Are you linguistically proficient, familiar with the city, and find it exciting to work closely with the Festival's Programme and production department? Then you can contribute to ensuring that artists have the best possible experience with the Bergen International Festival and the city. As an Artist contact, you will be a host and point of contact for the Festival's national and international artists, in addition to serving as a liaison to the Programme and production department. You ensure that artists feel welcome, secure, and informed from arrival to departure. Availability, both in person and by phone, is required throughout the artist's stay. You must also be available for preparatory meetings before the festival.
This volunteer group fills up quickly, so we recommend that you also apply for other volunteer roles. Previous experience in similar roles is an advantage, and proficiency in Norwegian and/or English is a prerequisite. Suitable candidates will be contacted for a brief interview.
For many students, the Bergen International Festival coincides with a busy exam schedule. There are still many students who wish to volunteer with us, even if they don’t have a lot of time to spare.
As a Student volunteer you'll work 10–15 hours instead of the regular 20–25 hours and receive one free ticket. Otherwise, the perks and tasks are the same. To sign up as a Student volunteer, please check the box in the sign-up form.
T-shirt and festival merchandise
Two complimentary tickets that can be used at your convenience during the festival period (one ticket for Student volunteers), and a 30% discount on other tickets
Access to Festival events with available seating 30 minutes before the event begins, excluding Siljustøl and Grieg's villa
Kick-off and after-party
Certificate of service upon request
You work between 20 and 25 hours before and/or during the festival period (12 hours for Student volunteers)
You familiarize yourself with the Festival programme
You are friendly and professional when interacting with the audience, fellow volunteers, and other staff
You arrive on time and sober for your shifts, wearing the festival T-shirt and ID badge around your neck
That you promptly inform your immediate supervisor if you are delayed or unable to attend a shift
You participate in the pre-festival briefing