News Archives – Borealis Festival

New release from Elina Waage Mikalsen

Elina Waage Mikalsen has released ‘Geardu gierdu – Bone pieces’ on Breton Cassette!

Geardu gierdu – Bone pieces is a sensitive and expressive exploration of the nighttime and it’s transformational powers. Through improvisations later restructured and recomposed, Sámi artist and experimental musician Elina Waage Mikalsen works with voice, fieldrecording and her grandmothers suohponstuolet (loom). Together this constitutes the stem for her music, which does not move forward, but in circles.

Cover design: Montserrat Llampallas
Image: Ingrid Bjørnaali

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First tickets out now!

Get your hands on the cheapest way to experience the whole festival: The Early Bird Borealis Pass. Limited amount available only until 31 December. This year with three price levels for your choosing depending on your economic situation at the moment.

Buy now

Get ready for Borealis 2024

Borealis 2024 will celebrate innovative experimental sound and music making from across Norway and Sápmi. Over 5 days we bring together adventurous listeners in concert halls, on mountain tops, and in swimming pools to listen together here in Bergen. 2024’s festival is for the first time programmed in collaboration, this year with Sámi artist Elina Waage Mikalsen, bringing a whole programme of experimental Sámi artists together in a way that has never been done in Bergen before.

Agnes in radio interview

Our Managing director Agnes Hvizdalek has been interviewed by NOISE is the Message!

NOISE is the Message/El RUIDO es el Mensaje is an experimental radio art project from Latin America. The platform focuses particularly on stories from female sound artists, and they experiment with the way the narrative is presented. The radio program is broadcasted on the National University of Rosario in Argentina and TSONAMI Radio in Chile.

Listen to the episode

Borealis Listening Club X Laugaren

Welcome to a truly unique edition of the Borealis Listening Club at Laugaren! We usually gather at Studio 207, but in November, we are combining listening with a sauna experience at Laugaren – Bergen’s new floating cultural arena and meeting place! Please bring your swimwear and bathrobe and join us in the warmth on this Wednesday evening – we’ll provide refreshments. The listening will take place in a spacious room with seating for about 20 people on stools and benches, and it will be combined with sessions inside the sauna itself, right next door. Heat, the sea, music, and beautiful surroundings create the perfect setting for a Borealis Listening Club that’s a bit out of the ordinary.

The club is usually free, but this time, you’ll need to purchase a ticket. The proceeds will exclusively support the running of Laugaren. There are very limited spots, so be quick!

Wednesday 29 November, 19.00–20.30 in Laugaren (the sauna is docked by USF Hallen)

SOLD OUT!

Borealis Listening Club #47

Wednesday 25 October, 19:00–21:00 CET we meet again for Borealis Listing Club – as always with lots of new tunes, heaps of popcorn and delicious beverages in Studio 207.

This season we want to hear and talk about the music you listen to.
If you’ve heard anything lately that is strange, funny, delightfully ugly or downright brilliant, send it to us on blc@borealisfestival.no!

Invite your friends: BLC #47

Podcast on ‘Hungry Listening’

In episode 26 of Darmstadt’s podcast ON AIR, Peter Meanwell interviews artist, curator, and author Dylan Robinson about his book Hungry Listening: Resonant Theory for Indigenous Sound Studies. The book is a sharp critique of colonial assimilation practices in the classical music world and has been a key text for Meanwell and Borealis in their collaboration with Elina Waage Mikalsen.

Listen here

Seminar on Sámi experimental music

On October 19 & 20, we are organising Šuvva – a workshop in Tromsø together with Elina Waage Mikalsen. This is a platform for Sámi artists and musicians interested in sound and music from the in-between spaces. The participants will come together to get to know each other, present their practices, listen to music and discuss how we relate to sound through presentations, listening sessions, conversations and shared meals.

Join our festival team!

Several payed part-time positions are now opening up in Borealis! We have a team of six people working throughout the year, but as the festival approaches, we need more hands and energy to contribute to the realisation of the festival in March. We’re looking for a Volunteer Coordinator, Transport & Logistics Coordinator, Ticket Coordinator and Event Managers. Would you like to be part of our team?

Application deadline: Friday 20 October

Borealis Listening Club #46

The first Borealis Listening Club of the autumn is coming up on Wednesday 27 September 19:00–21:00 – as always with new sounds, heaps of popcorn and delicious beverages!

Look forward to music by organist and composer hero Ruth Bakke, up-and coming sound artist and sculptor Tobias Kvendseth, and lots more! This season we want to hear and talk about the music you listen to. If you’ve heard anything strange, funny, delightfully ugly or downright brilliant lately, send it to us on blc@borealisfestival.no!

BLC #46