Kongsberg Jazzfestival

Since 1965, the town of Kongsberg 80 km West of Oslo, has played host to one of the most important jazz festivals in Norway. During the course of its celebrated 44 year history, the Kongsberg Jazz Festival has featured jazz giants such as Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Diana Krall, Ornette Coleman and many more. Kongsberg is called the Silver City due to it’s mining history, and this was also the direct inspiration for Sonny Rollins’ tune by the same name

The program of Kongsberg Jazz Festival has a strong focus on contemporary jazz and innovative sound, and is generally regarded as one of Scandinavia’s most innovative jazz festivals, presenting a mix of internationally acclaimed artists and some of the finest Norwegian artists. The festival motto is to give the audience both what they have longed to hear – and what they didn’t know they would love to hear.

Around 50% of the concerts have free admittance, which brings around 30.000 people to the streets of Kongsberg every day of the festival. The festival also includes a concert program for children. The festival also makes an effort to create an arena where artists listen and play eachother’s music. Thus the festival has contributed to a string of musical meetings between musicians from all parts of the world, sometimes creating jazz history during the four festival days.