We asked this year’s teams of European Capitals of Culture for highlights for the coming summer. This is how we were answered from Norway, Estonia, and Austria.
Bodø, Norway, TOP3
Midsummer Mystery, Breivika Beach 22.6.
Bodø2024’s big summer opening event will be a celebration of landscape, summer, and the sea, with a strong focus on audience participation. We don’t want to reveal too much but can say that this being Midsummer, fire (as in bonfires) will also feature. Don’t miss this spectacular event produced by the British company Walk the Plank!
Midsummer Midchief. Kuva / Photo: David Engmo, Bodø2024
Kjerringøy Land Art Biennale (KLAB), from 6.7. onwards
Kjerringøy Land Art Biennale, Europe’s only land art biennale, invites every other year artists working with various genres to investigate, transform, reflect and communicate with the landscape. Artists work with 100% natural and degradable materials found on location. Integrated into the landscape, the works have a temporary character, which means that they gradually disappear. The opening of this special edition of KLAB will take place in Kjerringøy 6-7 July, and feature new artworks both along the Kjerringøy Road and by the shores of the stunning Nevelsfjord, a short drive away.
Kjerringøy Land Art Biennale 1 Rita Marhaug & Tracy Kelly, Observance (Tilstede) 2015. Kuva/photo: Marie Peyre
Culture along the Nordlandsruta (The Nordland Trekking Trail), 27.7.–17.8.
The Nordlandsruta is a 650km long marked hiking trail that runs along the border between Norway and Sweden. Along the route are Northern Norway’s three largest mountains, Norway’s second largest lake, around fifty fishing lakes, several glaciers and unique natural and cultural landscapes. The route goes through six reindeer herding districts, five Sami language areas, three national parks and a number of protected areas. A joint tour will be organised along the route in summer 2024, with various artistic events at selected locations.
Nordlandsruta. Kuva/Photo: Zdeno Dvorak.
Read more from the website of Bodø2024 (opens in a new tab).
Tartu, Estonia, TOP3
Kissing Tartu – concert show and a collective kiss, 18.5.
On 18th of May, European Capital of Culture Tartu will witness a historic event that will debunk the image of modest and cool Estonians. We will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Estonia’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest and share a kiss together. The open-air concert will feature some of the most beloved Eurovision songs from Estonia and the rest of Europe, and at the same time tells the story of Tartu, Estonia, and Europe. Town Hall Market, Tartu. Free entry.
Kissing Tartu.
“Forgotten Peoples”-concert, 15.6.
The Choir of the Paris Philharmonic Orchestra performs “Forgotten Peoples”, a work dedicated to Finno-Ugrian indigenous people. The choral composition, a masterpiece by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis, will be heard at the Estonian National Museum and sung in Vadja and Isuri languages and in the Ingrian Finnish dialect. The interpretation of the French choir is interwoven with captivating video and lighting design. Estonian National Museum (ERM), Tartu. Tickets 17–34 euros.
Estonian National Museum. Kuva/Photo: Tartu2024.
Peipsi Food Street 175 km, 17.–18.8.
Dozens of pop-up restaurants spread out on the shores of Lake Peipus, serving local food from the region’s forests, fields and of course, Lake Peipus. The festival includes cultural programme and as a novelty, you can take part in the workshops held by different chefs during the festival. Municipality of Lake Peipus. Free entry.
Peipsijärvi / Lake Peipus. Kuva/Photo: Ahto Sooaru.
Read more from the website of Tartu2024 (opens in a new tab)
Salzkammergut, Austria, TOP3
sudhaus. Art with Salt & Water, until 31.10.
It was once called “white gold”: salt is a crucial element and has shaped the entire Salzkammergut region. sudhaus is the central art exhibition of Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024. With the international and interregional participation of renowned artists, the topics of salt and water are presented in the form of objects, sculptures, installations, films, photography and sound works. The exhibition is open in Bad Ischl until the end of October.
sudhaus, Motoi Yamamoto. Kuva/Photo: Mitchell Kearney
Salzkammerqueer. Queer communities in rural areas & Salzkammer Pride 16.5.
Salzkammerqueer aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences among like-minded people and to provide a home base and infrastructure for an active LGBTIQ* community in the Salzkammergut region that will exist beyond the project period. In addition to various networking events, the first Salzkammer Pride will take place in Bad Ischl on June 15, 2024.
Salzkammerqueer. Kuva/Photo: Karolina Jackowska
New Salt. Festival for Sonic Exploration and Digital Art, 5.–8.9.
NEW SALT is a series of events for experimental music positions and digital art that will be presented in different formats and places within the Salzkammergut region. NEW SALT condenses style-influencing musical and aesthetic positions and builds a bridge from contemporary composition to avantgarde electronica all the way to danceable club music, while opening up spaces for discussion and expanding points of view. The project will culminate in a four-day festival in Bad Ischl in September 2024.
New Salt, Rojin Sharafi. Kuva/Photo: David Višnjič
Read more from the website of Salzkammergut2024 (opens in a new tab).
Our own Capital of Culture year starts in about a year and a half. In the meantime, it is definitely worth taking a closer look at this year’s offerings!
