Next festival dates: July 2-7, 2024
The links below will be updated:
PROGRAM BROCHURE IN ENGLISH (pdf)
SEE FULL ENGLISH PROGRAM
SEE FULL LINE-UP
FAQ
Tickets
Festival tickets are on sale at TicketCo.no.
It’s easy to find your way around
If you’re coming by car, just follow the signs to Førdehuset, where you’ll find the festival office, switchboard, comprehensive public information, festival registration and ticket offices.
Where are the concerts?
The main arena for festival concerts is Førdehuset, which has several concert scenes. In addition, concerts are arranged both in and around Førde. See the festival map for complete information. For concerts outside the city center, bus transport from and to Førdehuset is included in the ticket fare.
Seating arrangements
Nearly all of the concerts employ general (un-numbered) seating, while a few, usually outdoor, concerts have festival or lawn seating. There is the option of reserved seating for concerts at Idrettshallen, Førdehuset.
The concerts start on time!
To avoid delays in our tight schedule, all concerts start precisely on time. Members of the public who arrive late will be admitted during the applause.
More about Førdehuset
Førdehuset is one of Norway’s oldest concept-built Community Centres. It was built in 1976, and restored and expanded in 1997. It contains a swimming pool, 2 cinemas with daily screenings, a sports hall, theatre, library and art gallery. It bustles with activity year round – concerts, sporting events, conferences, dances, etc., and is also the main arena for the largest annual event in Førde – the Førde Traditional and World Music Festival.
About Førde
Førde is a town of some 13.000 residents, centrally located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane. Førde lies innermost in Førde Fjord, in the region known as Sunnfjord. Førde and the surrounding communities offer many different activities and attractions. You can find more information about these on the web pages of Fjord Norway and Fjordkysten.no
The world meets in Førde!
The Førde Traditional and World Music Festival is the largest festival for trad and world music in Scandinavia, presenting about 80 acts from 30 venues and 250 artists from all over the world for 25-30 000 visitors each year. In addition, we arrange concerts and other events during the year. The festival is regarded as one of the most important in Norway, and receive grants from the National Arts Council, the region and the municipality. The festival runs for five days in week 27 every year. In 2019 the festival got the EFFE Award 2019-2020 as one of the five best festival in Europe regardless of genres. For many years the festival was rated among the 25 best world music festivals worldwide by the international music magazine Songlines. It has been rated on the Guardian’s top 10-list of smalltown festivals in Europe, and on National Geographic's top 7 list of festivals in Europe.
The festival programme is of great variety, with concerts, workshops, exhibitions, children’s events, dance evenings etc. Plus different kinds of projects during the festival week and throughout the year.
The main festival arena is the culture centre, “Førdehuset” with four concert halls from 170 to 2500 seats. Festival events also take place in hotels, museums arts centres and outdoor stages in and nearby Førde, altogether about 20 venues.
Unique music in unique surroundings: Førde is a small town on the western coast of Norway, 150 km north of Bergen, surrounded by fjords, mountains, glaciers and waterfalls.
The festival emphasizes a theme each year:
1990: Eastern Europe
1991: Aborigins and minorities
1992: African roots
1993: Gipsy music
1994: The far East
1995: The Mediterranian Sea
1996: South of the Sahara
1997: Latin America
1998: European Minorities
1999: Music around the Black Sea
2000: Celtic music
2001: Music along the Silk Road
2002: The Iberian Peninsula
2003: European voices
2004: Saludos del Caribe! Music of Caribbean
2005: Sounds from the Caspian Sea
2006: Brazil
2007: Emotions francaises - France and the French diaspora
2008: Dialogue
2009: World Voices
2010: FREEDOM and Oppression
2011: Women’s World
2012: Coexistence
2013: Music & Nature
2014: Local-global for 25 years!
2015: World ConneXions
2016: Flight!
2017: Nordic Sounds!
2018: The Dance in the Music - the Music in the Dance!
2019: 30 years without borders!
2020: Gender at stake (The festival was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic)
2021: HOME
2022: Music in times of crisis
2023: Dreams
2024: Roots
Facts about Førde Traditional and World Music Festival
250 artists,
25 countries represented
80 concerts, workshops and other festival events,
25 0000 visitors.
250 volounteers
Staff: 6 persons working for the festival all year
Concerts through the year: The festival also organizes concerts throughout the year, presenting both traditional, world and jazz music at top level.
