The open air Viking festival Midgardsblot, runs from 18 through 20 August in Midgard, a park in Borre in the county of Vestfold, where the mighty rulers of the Norwegian Vikings lived, feasted, and were laid to rest.
Experience a three day blot with blasting metal and true Vikings at historic grounds. Some of the world’s leading metal bands will enter the Midgardsblot stage.
New Open Air festivals are sprouting like mushrooms all over Europe. Yet Midgardsblot in Norway has a very special touch. It is a larger, longer, and even more ambitious festival exploring the links between extreme metal and Viking culture. You are all summoned to the world of the Vikings with exceptional concerts in unique and historical surroundings.
Main organizer Runa Lunde Strindin says the idea to the festival came with the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian constitution in 2014. She got a call from the Akershus county, which has a constitution building from 1814 at a place called Eidsvoll, where the constitution of Norway was signed. They wanted to do a black metal concert at one of the Viking Grave mounds there. It was one festival day on the 13th of September that year, and it was a huge success.
Last year Midgardsblot was arranged in Borre. One of the performers, Wardruna founder Einar Selvik, a man steeped in Viking history, not least in his musical contribution to the much loved TV series, Vikings, emphasizes that Borre is a stunning place and the whole Vestfold region should be highly significant for anyone who is into Norse history. The area is full of historical sights. “Last summer I had the great privileged to perform a song on the site’s biggest burial mound in front of 700 Viking re-enactors honoring the past,” says Selvik.
The festival this year is bigger than last year and will include a beer festival with craft beer and tastings, Viking village and market, festival camp at the beaches of Borre park where you can live like a Viking. There will be Viking battles and ancient Norse games, guided tours, exhibitions, lectures and activities for the whole family.
Feature image (on top): Midgardblit Festival in Borre, Norway
Open Air Viking Festival in Norway, written by Tor Kjolberg