The Bergen International Festival (Festspillene i Bergen) was established in 1953 and is the largest of its kind in the Nordic countries. It is the longest standing and the foremost music and theatre festival in Norway. The CEO and artistic director of the festival is Anders Beyer. The festival is under the Patronage of His Majesty King Harald V. With a combination of dramatic landscapes, local colour and imaginative programming, the festival is well established as a centre for the northern European arts scene, presenting premieres and new productions in the spheres of music, opera, theatre and dance. Each year close to 300 events are staged in the course of 15 days in 20 venues, including the homes of Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull. Classical music and the theatre are cornerstones of the festival, and every year new productions are presented in collaboration with international partners. The festival also gives priority to new music, commissioning several works every year. The festival welcomes over 100.000 visitors each year and receives governmental funding on both regional and national level, in addition to corporate sponsorships. We want to invite, inspire and challenge a large local and visiting audience. During the festival we declare a state of emergency in the city. With our partners in and outside Bergen, we offer music, theatre, dance – and much more – that reflect our lives and dreams and has unexpected effects on the way we perceive the world. We have created guides for the colourful, vast landscape that is the festival programme. We believe it has something for every taste and occasion, and by arranging the events under the three terms Festivities, Foundations and Friction, we hope to make it easier to find what you are looking for. Festivities: Entertainment and surprises. For young and old. Playful scenes in the streets and events at new and familiar venues broad appeal. Experiences for your head, heart and feet. Foundations: The best of the best in the classical art tradition. Tradition and renewal, depth and reflection. Performances and concerts with a history. Friction: Reckless and shrewd, experimenting and exploring. New technology and boundless artistic landscapes.