Timeline Of Annual Events In Norway

Many of Norway’s most popular festivals are those of the Christian calendar- Christmas and Easter are particularly big events, but there are also a number of secular events and festivals which are celebrated with much exuberance. The Samis, for instance, celebrate a number of traditional festivals mostly around Eastertime, which feature everything from reindeer races to folkloric chanting. By and large, the biggest national festival is Midsummer’s Eve (generally June 23), when bonfires are lit on beaches and there’s much merrymaking.

Other than these, there are a number of cultural festivals, scattered across the country. Of these, the most well known is probably the Bergen International Festival, held in late May and early June. Highlights of the festival include the works of native celebrities like Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Grieg, but there are also hordes of artists from across Europe who give performances in opera, ballet, drama, classical music and other arts.

The mid-July Jazz Festival in Molde is, likewise, a popular event, as is the Holmenkollen Ski Festival held on the outskirts of Oslo in February. For those of a more serious bent of mind, the main event is the conferring of the Nobel Peace Prize, on December 10 in Oslo.