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Ekkofestival
An annual autumn festival of electronic music and contemporary art in Bergen, Norway
Ekkofestival, usually shortened to Ekko, is a yearly festival of electronic music and contemporary art in Bergen, Norway. It was first held in 2003 and returns each autumn, with more than 400 artists and bands having appeared over the years, among them performers the festival introduced early in their careers.
When is Ekkofestival kept?
Ekkofestival is kept on once a year in the autumn, with editions falling in September in 2009 and running from late October into early November in 2016.
Ekkofestival is a yearly gathering in Bergen, Norway, given to electronic music and contemporary art. It began in 2003 and has since become one of the city's regular autumn events. Over the years more than 400 acts have appeared on its stages, and the programme has a habit of placing well-known names next to performers it has introduced early.
What it is
Ekko is built around electronic music, and it makes room for contemporary art as well. The listening on offer is broad: many genres turn up in a single edition, yet electronic sound is the thread that runs through all of them. Bergen, on Norway's west coast, is the city where it happens, and it has been held there every year since 2003. Over that stretch the event has expanded a good deal, from a modest start into a fixture with a wide line-up. Visual art stands beside the concerts, and some editions have carried an extended art programme.
History and growth
The first edition took place in 2003. In the years after that the festival grew steadily, turning into a recurring autumn presence in the city. More than 400 artists and bands have appeared on its programmes over its life so far. Early booking is one thing it is noted for: acts have been brought forward before wider audiences knew them. Musicians who are already long established have played there too, so each edition ends up holding a mixture of the unfamiliar and the known side by side.
When and where
Ekko belongs to Bergen, on Norway's west coast, and it has been staged there every year since 2003. The festival is a Norwegian event and Bergen is its home. Autumn is its season, though the timing has shifted between editions. In 2009 it ran from 24 to 26 September at USF Verftet, a venue in the city. The 2016 edition opened on 26 October and closed on 4 November at Østre. Late October is given as the usual slot, so two different venues have hosted it.
Music and art
The programme covers a wide stretch of electronic music. Many genres appear in one edition, and electronic sound is the element they share. Concerts form the centre of the festival, with contemporary art shown beside them; the 2009 edition added an extended visual art programme. Line-ups have ranged from household names to acts near the beginning of their careers, and the performers listed for 2009 included Röyksopp, Efterklang, Karin Park, Woolfy, The Field and Jonathan Johansson, among many others.
How Ekkofestival is kept
The festival runs over several days in Bergen each autumn. A programme of concerts fills its venues, with electronic music of many kinds on offer, and visual art is shown alongside the performances. Acts come from Norway and from further afield. Some are well known and others are close to the start of their careers. Recent editions have stretched across roughly a week, as in 2016, when the festival opened on 26 October and closed on 4 November. The 2009 edition was shorter, three days at USF Verftet.
When and where
It is held once a year in the autumn, and the dates move. The 2009 edition ran from 24 to 26 September. In 2016 the festival lasted from 26 October to 4 November. Late October is given as the usual time of year for it.
Bergen, on the west coast of Norway, is where the festival belongs, and it has been held in the city every year since 2003. The venues named in the sources are USF Verftet, used for the 2009 edition, and Østre, where the 2016 festival took place.
What Ekkofestival means
Its role is to present a wide range of electronic music and to give new acts an early hearing, while also making space for contemporary art. That pairing of the new and the established is what gives the festival its character, rather than any single style of sound. For Bergen it marks a regular point in the autumn calendar, when the city's venues fill with electronic music for several days.
Questions people ask about Ekkofestival
When is Ekkofestival kept?
Ekkofestival is kept on once a year in the autumn, with editions falling in September in 2009 and running from late October into early November in 2016.
What is the Ekkofestival?
An annual festival in Bergen, Norway, devoted to electronic music and contemporary art. It began in 2003 and has grown since. More than 400 artists and bands have appeared on its programmes, a mix of performers who are new and others who are already known.
Where does it take place?
In Bergen, on the west coast of Norway. It has been held in the city every year since 2003. Two venues appear in the sources: USF Verftet, which hosted the 2009 edition, and Østre, where the 2016 festival was held.
What kind of music is on the line-up?
Electronic music of many sorts. Genres vary from one edition to the next, but electronic sound runs through all of them. Concerts sit at the centre of the programme, and contemporary art is presented alongside them; the 2009 edition added an extended visual art programme.
See also
MornaCape Verde's guitar-and-voice song, danced in pairs, listed by UNESCO in 2019
Holmenkollen Ski FestivalAn annual Nordic skiing festival at Holmenkollen in Oslo, held each March since 1892Good reading and sources
- Ekkofestival on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Ekkofestival", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-14.
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