Viking Magazine - Mar/Apr 2024 - 10

who contributed to the opening
musical number of Disney's " Frozen. "
In addition, the Bodø City Museum
was transformed into a pop-up Sámi
museum in February, with exhibitions
that will last the rest of the year.
While specific details are still largely
under wraps, here's what we know
about the rest of Bodø 2024.
PURE MUSIC
As part of Bodø's efforts to be the
most sustainable European Capital
of Culture, this March music festival
aims to be the world's most sustainable
concert.
BODØ 2024:
A Year-Long
Celebration
After being named a 2024
European Capital of Culture, the
town in Northern Norway will host
over 1,000 cultural events this year
BY MACY HARDER
W
ith state-of-the-art concert
venues, a flourishing culinary
scene, vibrant street art and a deep
connection to Sámi culture, it's no
surprise that the Norwegian town of
Bodø was named a 2024 European
Capital of Culture by the European
Union (EU). Launched in 1985, this
annual EU initiative was designed to
be a year-long celebration of Europe's
diverse cultural features. Bad Ischl,
Austria, and Tartu, Estonia, were also
named to this year's list.
Bodø is the third Norwegian city to
earn this title-following Bergen in
2000 and Stavanger in 2008-but it's
the first-ever European Capital of Culture
located north of the Arctic Circle.
Such an achievement calls for a massive
celebration, and the organizing
committee for Bodø 2024 has planned
exactly that. Its year-long program
includes over 1,000 cultural events
throughout Bodø and the larger
10
Mar/Apr 2024
Nordland region, with a focus on
Arctic culture and the Sámi lifestyle.
Using Nordland's changing seasons
as a backdrop, the program is divided
into five themes that reflect the Arctic
year. It opens with " Here Comes the
Sun, " followed by " Spring Optimism, "
" Midsummer Madness " and " Autumn
Storms, " before concluding with
" Arctic Light. " The program promises
light festivals, museum and art exhibitions,
live music, bonfires and Nordic
culinary celebrations.
The celebration kicked off Feb. 3
with a spectacular opening ceremony
in Bodø harbor. Much of the production,
created and produced by
Berlin-based company Phase7 in collaboration
with Nordland Theater,
took place on a floating stage modeled
after the small ear stones found in cod.
Afterward, the city hosted a European
cultural night full of live music and
special events. As the High Patron of
Bodø 2024, Norway's own Queen Sonja
was present for an official opening at
Stormen concert hall.
An important element of this year's
program is highlighting the Sámi community
and their ties to the Nordland
region. The Sámi Trilogy, which premiered
in early February, showcased
Sámi music, theater and perspectives on
climate change, featuring compositions
by Sámi musician Frode Fjellheim,
MARCIALONGA
ARCTIC SKI RACE
This 26-mile ski marathon on
March 9 will start and finish in the
heart of Bodø. Surrounded by both
mountains and sea, the course will
highlight Northern Norway's diverse
natural landscape. A large celebration
is planned for the finish line, featuring
music, food, cultural performances
and the largest traditional Sámi tent
in the world.
MIDSUMMER MISCHIEF
In a grand celebration of Midsummer,
the Midsummer Mischief event will
offer music, theater, visual effects,
food and other activities. The outdoor,
family-friendly event on June
22 is expected to be one of the largest
on the Bodø 2024 calendar, with the
hopes of attracting over 5,000 people.
NORDLAND BY LIGHT
Nordland's first light festival is set to
open in November 2024. Inspired by
the growing trend of dark sky tourism,
the festival will begin by turning off
the lights across Nordland. This will
provide a unique opportunity to
heighten the senses in the absence of
sunlight and artificial light sources.
The rest of the event will consist of
light installations, performances,
walks and more.
To read the story in full,
visit sofn.com/blog/bodo2024/.
sonsofnorway.com
PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) PHASE7/VISIT NORWAY, DAN MARINER, COUNTERFEIT MEDIA/VISIT BODØ

http://www.sofn.com/blog/bodo2024/ http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - Mar/Apr 2024

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