The Nordic Folk Expo
Folkelarm – showcase festival and industry gathering
Folkelarm is Oslo’s only folk music festival. It is an intimate event where we present the best and most promising folk musicians and folk dancers from the Nordic countries. Folkelarm is both a festival for audiences and an industry gathering – an important meeting point where musicians, artists, concert promoters, agents, organizers, record labels, and audiences come together.
Folkelarm has been held annually in Oslo since 2005.
In 2026, the festival will take place from November 19 to 22 at Riksscenen in Oslo.
Folkelarm is both a festival and a conference.
The conference program is an important meeting place for the Nordic and international music industry. During the daytime, talks, seminars, and debates are held for artists, organizers, bookers, agents, and anyone with an interest in folk music and folk dance. In the evenings, a broad and diverse concert program is presented, where selected showcase artists are given the opportunity to perform for both audiences and the Norwegian and international music industry.
The main focus is to highlight Nordic artists on the verge of a breakthrough, either nationally or internationally, and to create new opportunities for bookings and collaborations.
Folkelarm is owned and produced by FolkOrg – the Organization for Folk Music and Folk Dance, in collaboration with Riksscenen – the National Stage for Folk Music, Dance, and Joik.
Since its inception in 2005, Folkelarm has also presented the Folkelarm Prize (Norwegian Folk Music Awards), which honors the best folk music releases of the past year. From 2026, the award will be presented in 11 categories.
Many thanks to all partners, volunteers, contributors, and staff who help make Folkelarm the largest and most important industry event for folk music and folk dance in the Nordic region.
