How Norway’s Øyafestivalen Became One of Europe’s Best Music Fests: Balancing Huge Headliners With Homegrown Artists, Prioritizing Gender Parity and More

With Glastonbury taking a hiatus this year, festival enthusiasts across the U.K. and Europe have been scouring the calendar for alternative experiences. While Primavera Sound in Barcelona offers sun-soaked sets near the Mediterranean and Reading and Leeds deliver the classic British camping escapade with a rock-heavy edge, a less obvious destination has been steadily winning over both audiences and performers alike. Tucked away in Norway’s capital, Øyafestivalen in Oslo has emerged as a standout contender, blending a compact setting with an impressively broad musical palette.

Opening this Wednesday, Øya presents a stark contrast to the sprawling, mud-soaked chaos of its larger counterparts. With a daily capacity of just 22,000—roughly a tenth of Glastonbury’s—the festival unfolds in Tøyen Park, right in the heart of Oslo, where a distinctly Scandinavian sense of decorum keeps the atmosphere civil and the crowds manageable. Over the past decade, however, this intimate gathering has punched far above its weight, consistently securing heavyweight headliners and curating lineups that span genres with remarkable dexterity. Past editions have featured everyone from Blur and Kendrick Lamar to Charli XCX, and this year’s four-day bill is no exception. The Cure, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Sombr, and local star Dagny top the roster, with additional sets from Geese, Wilco, Lily Allen, Clipse, Blood Orange, and Tomora—the joint project between Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands and Norwegian vocalist Aurora.

What sets Øya apart, according to co-founder and booking manager Claes Olsen, is the obsessive attention to detail. “Anyone can book a big name and throw a flashy show,” he explains. “But it’s the small stuff—where you place the toilets, how you manage sound bleed between stages, the flow of the bars—that makes the difference.” Olsen, who helped launch the festival in 1999, says this meticulous approach has turned Øya into a favorite among artists, many of whom return year after year. The Cure, Nick Cave, Wilco, and Blood Orange are all repeat visitors this year, and Olsen recalls a particularly memorable moment when the Cure’s agent reached out, noting that frontman Robert Smith wanted to play Øya before the band’s planned retirement in 2029. “I’ve been a fan since my teens,” Olsen says. “That email was genuinely thrilling.” The festival now books acts up to 17 months in advance, and demand has surged to the point where Olsen’s team spends as much time declining requests as fielding them.

Beyond its international draw, Øya places a deliberate emphasis on Norwegian talent, weaving local acts throughout the daily schedule rather than relegating them to early slots. The Saturday headlining spot, which closes out the festival, is reserved for a homegrown artist—this year, that honor goes to Dagny, a dance-pop singer from Tromsø known for hits like “Somebody” and “Drink About.” For Dagny, whose third album “Dancefloor Erotica” marks a darker, more electronic turn, headlining Øya fulfills a decade-old dream. “It’s my Madison Square Garden,” she says. “There’s something about the crowd here—they’re so present, so open to the music.” Her sentiment is echoed by Girl Group, a U.K.-based feminist band with deep Oslo roots, who are playing the festival for the first time. The group, which works exclusively with women and nonbinary collaborators, sees Øya as a rare example of a major festival walking the talk on gender parity. This year, Saturday’s main stage features an all-female lineup, including Lily Allen, Irish breakout CMAT, and U.S. singer Hannah Cohen, alongside Dagny’s headline set.

Øya’s commitment to equality extends beyond the stage. The festival has pledged a roughly even split between male and female performers, and it has long been a pioneer in sustainability, eliminating fuel generators back in 2008 and offering only meat-free food since 2024. Last year, it added human rights to its agenda, partnering with Amnesty International to raise funds for medical aid in Palestine. Olsen describes this work as essential, noting that it helps the festival team stay informed about global issues. Meanwhile, Norway itself is enjoying a cultural renaissance, from Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” winning the country’s first international feature Oscar to the national football team’s World Cup semi-final run. Dagny has noticed a parallel surge in local music, particularly in Norwegian-language releases, which she attributes to a post-COVID shift in listening habits. “Sometimes you need quiet and space to create,” she reflects, having moved back to Oslo from London before the pandemic. Girl Group’s Katya Birkeland agrees, pointing to Norway’s social safety net as a catalyst for artistic expression. “When you have good education and financial stability, people can pursue what they love,” she says. For attendees, Øya also doubles as a homecoming of sorts, with Dagny and Girl Group both eager to catch rising acts like Ary, Tomora, and Three40Four. “One of my childhood best friends dances for Ary now,” Birkeland adds. “I haven’t seen her in ages—I can’t wait.”