July 1-5, 2015: Førdefestivalen - Norway

The world comes to Førde!

Førde Traditional and World Music Festival is the largest festival in Scandinavia for traditional and / world music and dance from all over the world. The festival was established in 1990, and takes place in beginning of July each year (week no 27).

The main profile is traditional and contemporary folk music on an accoustic basis. 6000 artists from more than 120 different countries have been presented at the festival the last 25 years. 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 venue is the culture center, “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.

Førde is a small town on the western coast of Norway, 150 km north of Bergen, surrounded by fjords, mountains, glaciers and waterfalls.

From 2010 the festival has been on Songlines’ (the most important international world music magazine) exclusive list of the 25 best international festivals in the world!

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mette-Marit is the patron of the festival.

The festival is one of the most important festivals in Norway, and has a strong financial support from the Norwegian government. The festival plays an important part in the preserving and development of traditional music and dance in Norway.

www.fordefestival.no/english/ 

Next up: Roskilde Festival!

With approximately 170 music acts in the line-up performing on eight stages and over 100,000 passionate music lovers gathered for a full week, Denmark’s Roskilde Festival is among the most cutting-edge and unique music festivals in the world. A position the festival has held for over six decades.

At Roskilde Festival, situated just 35 kilometres outside of Danish capital Copenhagen, the audience comes face to face with a world class line-up, which in recent years has included icons like Metallica, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. And here the audience meets the next generations of musical innovators and agenda-setters from all regions in the world and all musical genres.

However, Roskilde Festival offers more than a chance to explore a world of music. It’s also a way to break away from the real world and explore a utopian city of artistic expression, delicious food, sustainability and party. 

The atmosphere at the festival site – and especially among the inhabitants living in the enormous tent city – is worldwide renowned and offers a sense of love and community spirit rarely found at other festivals.

Roskilde Festival is created by more than 30,000 dedicated volunteers and is 100 % non-profit. 

All profits are donated to cultural and humanitarian purposes by the Roskilde Festival Charity Society.

 

Festival Mundial coming closer

On 27 and 28 June, the railway zone Tilburg is again transformed into Festival Mundial.

On 27 and 28 June Tilburg Spoorzone turns into a colorful festival with no less than 12 stages and 20's area. Crazy artists from every corner of the world travel to Tilburg for a great weekend of music, dance, theater, circus and delicious food! Besides all the performances on the stages, you can relax and listen to vinyl at the Crosley hangout on the beach-area, buy nice and fair products on the FeelGood Market and the Urban Farm, and dance at 'Onze Nachtclub' in the Hall of Fame. And those are just a few highlights of Festival Mundial 2015.

More information:
http://www.festivalmundial.nl/


 

The Arts Festival of North Norway

Artists from around the globe gather under the midnight sun! A strange thought. Perhaps a beautiful dream. Every year during the last week of June, the dream becomes reality at the Arts Festival of North Norway in Harstad!

The festival was first held in 1965, and fifty years later we celebrate an international event of the highest calibre. Our role in the north is unique. We present, in one place, the opportunity to experience a rich diversity of cultural expression, both in the performing and visual arts. The festival fills the city to the brink with cultural activities, inviting the public to explore a jungle of exciting adventures.

The festival is founded upon core values based upon our mission to surprise and enlighten our audience, and to be inclusive, diverse and innovative. At a variety of venues you can meet people from across the generations and from nations around the world. 

The Arts Festival of North Norway is committed to offering children and young children the opportunity to experience art and culture in new ways. The festival is active throughout the year, collaborating with both northern and foreign artists and organizations. The Arts Festival of North Norway coordinates a grants programme for freelance professional groups and young artists, which continues to promote and develop art and culture througout the region.

Don´t miss out on our programme in 2015 – The Arts Festival of North Norway 2015 will take place from the 20th to 27th of June.

 

Africa Festival Würzburg: line-up completed!

The International Africa Festival exists since 1989 and is the largest and oldest festival for African music and culture in Europe. More than 6000 musicians and artists from 56 countries of Africa and the Caribbean have performed in Würzburg so far and about 2.080.000 visitors have heard, seen and tasted the cultural wealth of the African continent.

13 of the 20 newly announced bands will perform for the very first time at the Africa Festival.
Expect music from Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Guinee, Mali, Senegal, Cape Verde, Zanzibar, Zambia, Namibia, South-Africa and Aruba.

More information, musc and video's can be found at www.africafestival.org