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The Faroe Islands, a whole festival

Mirjana Binggeli 5. July 2024 | Arctic, Culture
With its 53 000 inhabitants, isolated location, sheep and typical landscapes, the Faroe Islands offer music lovers several festivals to suit a wide variety of tastes. Festival-goers will be able to discover Faroese folk, which has a strong presence on the local music scene, alongside a plethora of other genres. From classical to metal, pop, rap, jazz and electro, music lovers will be able to feast their ears against a backdrop of landscapes bathed in the Arctic midnight sun. Photo : Pixabay

With three music festivals in the heart of summer, the Faroe Islands are becoming increasingly well known for their musical programming and local artists who are beginning to make a name for themselves internationally.

When summer rhymes with music festivals. While the countries of the northern hemisphere are getting out their amps and setting up their stages, the Arctic is not to be outdone. And for good reason: bathed in endless summer sunshine and benefiting from milder temperatures, conditions are ideal for festivals. And if there’s one place that’s starting to make a name for itself for the quality and diversity of its programming, it’s the Faroe Islands.

This diversity can be explained by the strong local interest in culture and arts. Music, painting, literature, the Faroese seem to be artists at heart, touching on all genres to make them their own. Just like the musicians, who seem to surf with casual ease between genres and languages. Rap, slam, rock, electro and classical music are all performed in English and Faroese, while a vibrant indie scene comes to life. Musical projects of remarkable quality abound, and local artists are beginning to enjoy international success, such as Eivør, whose haunting voice carries Faroese folk music around the world.

Often compared to Iceland artist Björk, Faroese singer Eivør is one of the young artists from the archipelago who are breaking through on the international scene. A real coup, especially when the interpretation is mainly in Faroese. Video: Eivør / YouTube

And to keep music lovers happy, the Faroe Islands offer not one but three festivals between July and August alone. To kick things off in style, please meet the G ! Festival . From July 18 to 20, the island of Esturoy will see a parade of local artists, but also from all over Scandinavia and even from Great Britain and Scotland. This year line-up includes Eivør and Swangah, a local hip-hop duo who rhyme in Faroese over effective beats.

The Faroes are far from lacking in hip-hop artists, like Swangah. This duo, active since 2011, has met with great success, proving that flow knows no language barrier. Video: Swangah // iLLtonkt / YouTube

In the north of the archipelago, in Klaksvík, the second largest Faroese town, the Summar Festivalur from August 4 to 6. More pop and rock than G!, the festival is expected to draw a crowd of around 10 000, with a selection that once again gives pride of place to Faroese artists. The Summar Festivalur, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, has made a name for itself by bringing in international artists, including the German band Scorpions, who came to whistle the melody of Wind of Change in the idyllic setting of Borðoy Island.

Headlining the 2024 edition of the Summartónar Festival, Faroese violinist Andrias Blaasvær is a member of both the Royal Danish Orchestra and the Faroe Islands Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Summartónar Festival

Finally, the Summartónar Festival will have the 18 islands of the archipelago beating to the rhythm until the end of August. Dedicated to composers, this festival features concerts by local and international artists throughout the archipelago. And it’s fair to say that the festival organizers aren’t afraid of diversity, with this year’s line-up allowing classical musicians to rub shoulders with hardcore punk artists.

And for those who don’t get around to it, the festivities continue beyond the Faroese summer with autumn festivals. The line-up includes Skrapt from October 18th to 20th. Launched last year, this yet-to-be-discovered festival is clearly oriented towards alternative music.

Last but not least, the Hoyma. Scheduled for September, the latter offers concerts in… the living rooms of families living in the Faroes. Yes, you read that right. Or when the Faroese’s sense of hospitality and their love of music combine to offer a musical experience, sheltered from the first frosts of a winter ready to seize this Arctic archipelago.

For more practical and festival information: https://visitfaroeislands.com/en/testpages/festivals

Mirjana Binggeli, Polar Journal AG

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