The Cultural City of Bergen

BOREALIS

Borealis is an annual festival that focuses on innovative and experimental sound and music. Here, art and music meet, and the audience can experience exhibitions, conversations, and unique sound experiences.

LANDMARK/ PLAYDATE

Whether it’s a DJ filling the venue to the brim or musical projects where the band’s setup takes up most of the floor space, Landmark is a place to visit for those interested in good music and a great party. Playdate is a concert series for improvised music that takes place at Landmark.

GRIEGHALLEN

Bergen’s musical grand hall. Here, the great classical concerts are performed by the philharmonic, and musicians and ensembles from near and far are invited. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra holds high-quality classical concerts throughout the year.

ØSTRE / EKKO
Østre is a venue for electronic music and other experimental sound-based art forms. It focuses on the production, programming, dissemination, and experience of new experimental sound expressions. Throughout the year, concerts, club nights, exhibitions, and art installations are organized.

USF VERFTET
The old sardine factory on the Nordnes peninsula houses spaces for art, film, and music. It features exhibition spaces, artist studios, a writing school, and, not least, a vibrant music scene with both local, national, and international names on the lineup.

NATTJAZZ
Nattjazz is an annual festival that has delivered exciting concerts to the Bergen audience for over fifty years. It presents music both for those who want to enjoy familiar material and those who wish to expand their musical horizons.

VILL VILL VEST
What’s happening among the young and promising? That question is often answered if you visit the annual festival Vill Vill Vest. In addition to concerts, the festival also organizes a series of talks and debates for the industry. Bands in the making and artists on the rise take the stage.

COLUMBI EGG
Folk music club with a regular venue at the Literature House. Columbi Egg is known for the close connection between performer and audience. Here, you have the opportunity to hear acoustic folk music from Norway and the rest of the world. Both world stars and talented amateurs take the stage.

KVARTERET
The city’s student house organizes concerts every single week. A wide range of genres and expressions. Multiple stages, multiple bars – and many students.

BERGEN JAZZFORUM
Bergen Jazz Forum has been operating since the 1970s. They regularly organize concerts and their main goal is to promote the music scene in Bergen and the surrounding area.

PERFECT SOUNDS FOREVER
Bergen-based concert organizer and company that also hosts an annual festival. A strong provider of indie pop.

BERGEN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
The festival presents both international and local artists, as well as collaborative projects across musical and geographical boundaries. The festival has showcased artists from most corners of the world.

GALLERI TAXI
A small student-run gallery with frequent exhibitions. The little gallery in Håkonsgaten regularly announces open calls for artists. Here, a wide range of expressions are displayed, primarily by young and newly established artists who leave their mark on the art city.

HORDALAND KUNSTSENTER
Hordaland Kunstsenter is a resource center for contemporary art in the Vestland region of Norway. In addition to exhibitions, they frequently host events, talks, projects and everything art related. In their distinctive building in Nordnes, you can relax in one of the city’s coziest cafés, with even friendlier prices, while browsing the bookstore.

BERGEN KUNSTHALL
Bergen Kunsthall is one of the largest venues in the city for contemporary art. Both solo and group exhibitions are shown here throughout the year. Bergen Kunsthall hosts both the graduation exhibition for master’s students from the art academy and the prestigious annual festival exhibition.

ENTRÉE
In the middle of the city center, you will find the non-profit gallery Entree. You enter a white exhibition space where both local and international contemporary art is displayed. Here, quite literally, the ceilings are high. The place has a tradition of showcasing works by both emerging artists and well-known names in the art field.

TAG TEAM
Tag Team is an artist-run exhibition space for contemporary art, which also has production facilities. It often focuses on promoting artists with ties to the region. The place is open, flexible – and showcases both solo exhibitions and facilitates various group projects.

KNIPSU
A place where experiments and contemporary art are allowed to take place. The venue is interdisciplinary, showcasing everything from performance art to publications. Knipsu functions both as a concrete space for displaying art and as a mobile arena for artistic projects. Galleri Knipsu is located in Kanalveien.

KUNSTGARASJEN
Kunstgarasjen lives up to its name: Art is displayed here, in a large old garage building. The garage has proven to be a steadfast cornerstone of the city’s art scene for years. Over ten exhibitions are shown here annually, including both group and solo exhibitions. Here, you can both experience and purchase contemporary art.

ALDEA
Aldea is run by and for artists and designers, offering workshops, studios, residencies, and a community in the old art academy premises on C. Sundts gate. The gallery aims to push creative boundaries through interdisciplinarity between artistic disciplines. Aldea seeks to be an open community, with a range of resources available for hire to the city's professional art and design field.

GYLDENPRIS KUNSTHALL
Gyldenpris Kunsthall originates from its predecessor Bergen Kjøtt. In large old industrial premises at Hop, just outside the city center, they showcase larger exhibitions with well-known names from the contemporary art scene.

BERGEN ASSEMBLY
Bergen Assembly calls itself a ‘flexible model for art production’ that holds a series of public art exhibitions and events in the city every three years. Under the ‘Bergen Assembly’ umbrella, there is room for a wide variety of expressions and working methods. Different individuals with various competencies are invited to leave their mark on the cyclical art event. Bergen Assembly has an office where everyone is welcome.

KUNSTHALL 3.14
A venue for international contemporary art, often presenting artists who engage in dialogue with political and social commentary themes. Kunsthallen is located in what was once the premises of Norges Bank, a stately building in the city center. In addition to the exhibition program, Kunsthallen organizes a live program with lectures, film screenings, and performances.

BERGEN KJØTT
A workspace and production place for artists and musicians – but also a cultural center that often invites people behind the red brick walls. In the former production factory for meat and margarine in Sandviken, there are now 28 studios, a stage for audiovisual exhibitions and concerts, as well as a bar and a smaller project room.

KODE
Under the KODE umbrella, there are four art museums and three composer homes. Permanenten, Stenersen, Lysverket, and the Rasmus Meyer collections are strung like pearls along Lille Lungegårdsvann. KODE has a significant art collection, in addition to continuously showcasing temporary exhibitions.

KRAFT
KRAFT is an exhibition space and knowledge center for Norwegian and international contemporary crafts. In addition to the exhibition program, there is also a craft shop, a library, and the print series Parallell.

LYDGALLERIET
A venue for sound-based art. The goal is to promote various auditory expressions through exhibitions, live events, and community building. Lydgalleriet is actually unique in its genre, as it is the only permanent exhibition space in the country for sound art and other sonic practices.

PAMFLETT
An artist-run print shop located in Møllendal. It specializes in risoprint but also facilitates publications, residencies, exhibitions, and workshops. Whether you want to learn something entirely new, get help realizing large projects, or just have a chat with people passionate about their craft, Pamflett is a great place to visit.

BODEGA
A gathering point for the design and architecture community in Bergen, but also just an ordinary bar. It hosts various events by and for the design community – such as launch parties and discussions.

KIOSKEN STUDIO
An exhibition and project space that operates across genres, in addition to being a sales outlet. It works with the goal of showcasing local designers and artists to the city’s population.

GRAFILL BERGEN
Grafill is the organization for professionals in design, visual communication, animation, and illustration. Grafill has its own branch in Bergen, which annually organizes several events for people in the industry.

BERGEN ART BOOK FAIR
An annual festival for self-published zines, books, and printed matter. Here, both local and international designers and artists with a passion for print, form, and books meet. Created and organized by Pamflett.

BERGEN INTERNATIONAL WOOD FESTIVAL (BIWF)
How to work with wood in new ways? This is explored by the annual wood festival, led by students and teachers from KMD. The city is filled with various wooden constructions that explore both form, function, and the material wood.

BERGENSBASERTE DESIGNKONTORER – VISUELL KOMMUNIKASJON
A number of former students from KMD have stayed in the city and have started design offices that create visual identities for both small and large brands. PART, Haltenbanken (interior and visual communication) and Overhaus are examples of such offices that all contribute to shaping the visual environment that the people of Bergen surround themselves with.

BERGENSBASERTE DESIGNKONTORER – MØBEL OG ROMDESEIGN
Bergen also has a strong community of designers working with furniture, space, and industrial design. Many of these have backgrounds from KMD. Philipp von Hase, Lars Beller, Stine Aas, Berg & Hindenes  and Vera & Kyte are all examples of Bergen-based offices that represents innovation in the design field. Several of them hold open events from time to time.

BERGEN LIGHTS
A light festival in the middle of the dark season that is accessible to everyone using the public urban spaces. The festival aims to provide good inclusive light experiences and promote the growing community of artists, designers, and other actors working with light. 

DESIGN REGION BERGEN
A hub for the professional design and architecture community in Western Norway. A membership organization that also serves as a meeting place for designers, architects, and buyers of design and architecture. The aim is to strengthen the design and architecture community in Western Norway.

BLEKK
A community created by illustrators, with exhibitions and sales of illustrations by local artists. Regularly organizes workshops for people who want to learn.

TRYKKERIET
Trykkeriet at Kronstad is a favorite place for both artists and designers. It is the largest resource center for the dissemination and production of printmaking art in the Nordic region. The target audience is everyone from children to professional artists and designers. Here, courses, print production, exhibitions, and print sales are offered.