More than 20 years of meaningful cultural impact
Bergen International Festival Celebrating over two decades of shared commitment to cultural access and community impact.
Since 2002, the Bergen International Festival has been one of Grieg Foundation’s most enduring and valued partners. Over 24 years, we have contributed nearly NOK 36 million to the Festival, supporting everything from major opera productions and innovative new works to outdoor concerts, family programming and inclusive community initiatives.
The partnership began the same year the Foundation was established, driven by a shared vision: to make high-quality culture accessible to a broad and diverse audience. What started with support for landmark productions like Das Rheingold and The Barber of Seville has grown into a long-term collaboration with far-reaching impact. A key milestone came in 2022, with the creation of Festallmenningen – an open, outdoor stage in the heart of Bergen that has quickly become a hub for free performances and cultural experiences for all ages. Through a three-year agreement signed in 2023, this public arena continues to flourish as a space where art meets community.
“Art and culture are what humans achieve when they reach beyond themselves.”
Throughout our collaboration, the Festival’s inclusive programming has reached more than 500,000 people. Each year, tens of thousands gather in public spaces to enjoy concerts and performances made freely available to all. Families, schoolchildren, international visitors, and long-time festivalgoers have all taken part in these cultural moments – many experiencing the arts for the very first time.
The true impact of this partnership lies in lowering the barriers to participation.
The true impact of this partnership lies in lowering the barriers to participation. Thanks to sustained support, the Festival has been able to offer cultural experiences regardless of income, age, or background. Children have met the arts in playful, engaging ways. Audiences have discovered new voices and forms of expression. And Bergen’s identity as a cultural capital has grown stronger – rooted not just in excellence, but in openness.
As our founder Per Grieg Sr. has said: “Art and culture are what humans achieve when they reach beyond themselves.”
We are proud to highlight the Bergen International Festival as our Partner of the Month – and proud to stand alongside them in the belief that culture should be a shared experience, open to everyone.
The greatest impact of the partnership with Grieg Foundation has been making art and culture accessible to all, regardless of income, age or background. The support has enabled:
Free and open public events that lower the threshold for participation.
Programmes for children and youth that offer first-time encounters with various art forms.
Investments in innovation, including major opera productions of high artistic quality.
This partnership has been essential in enabling the Bergen International Festival to remain an inclusive, innovative and international festival with strong local roots.
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