Summer is here, which means that in the coming months music lovers will be able to partake in the slew of outdoor festivals arranged across Norway. While all may enjoy the tunes, some are roughing it in crowded campgrounds, and others are relishing in a little more luxury than usual.
The controversial electronica festival Outdoor Extrema was held this weekend on Kalvøya in Bærum and the very first concert of the fifth annual Hove festival, arranged on Tromøya outside of Arendal in the south of Norway, is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. More than 70 concerts will be held over the course of the next four days, featuring international artists such as the Strokes, Linkin Park, Robyn and Bright Eyes, as well as several Norwegian bands.
This music festival season a new phenomenon has arisen, so-called ‘glamping’. A combination of the words glamorous and camping, the trend has enjoyed rising popularity in other festival hotspots, Britain, Canada, Australia and Denmark, but has only recently popped up on Norwegian shores. Two camp sites have been added to the festival this year, where festival-goers can pay a little extra for the luxury of arriving at fully pitched tents, complete with air mattresses, sleeping bags, exclusive shower and bathroom facilities and round-the-clock security.
Some scoff at the idea as music festivals are notoriously grungy and not exactly known for offering excessive comfort and the cleanest camp sites. “People at the regular campsite call this the cheat camp,” Isabell Klementsen,20, told newspaper Aftenposten. She, along with friends, decided to opt for the added comfort and so far, is more than satisfied with her decision.
“We believe that the hotel camp will catch on,” Gaute Drevdal, press officer for Hove festival, told Aftenposten. “Our job is to provide a great festival experience for as many as possible, and particularly the guests over 25 would like a bit more comfort.
Other events coming up this summer will be the Slottsfjell festival in Tønsberg in July, August will host the Øya festival in the centre of Oslo, and in September, northern Norway’s largest music festival, the ‘jet-lagged’ or Døgnvill festival goes off in Tromsø.
Views and News from Norway/Liv Buli
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