Information

We have almost 40 concerts and events in just under six days, and our calling is to be one of Europe's most distinctive chamber music festivals. Classical music, in the chamber music format, is our hallmark. It has been since the festival began in 1991.

But we also present other kinds of music, and one of our ambitions is to place the very best classical music in the context of our own time. Here is a helping hand for understanding our programme and concerts:

The very best in classical chamber music: "The big ones in Risør Church"

Risør Church is our main venue for classical music, and it is here that we set the standard for performing the classical canon. Here you get everything you expect from a leading chamber music festival, both the new and the good old.

Curious, new, charming and exciting at Risørhuset

Risør's cultural centre is the venue for those of you we would call general music lovers. If you like artists who think in new ways, explore, and still know how to impress, Risørhuset has the concerts for you. Jazz, folk, pop and alternative music are presented here.

The great public celebration at Stangholmen

On an island ten minutes by boat from town, with Denmark as the next stop, lies Stangholmen. Here we present one of the country's most distinctive summer concerts every year. With room for well over 1,000 audience members, this is the concert of big sound and big names, under a sunlit sky and with the open sea on every side. It is something special to watch all the boats glide in from different points of the compass and dock.

Hollenderhagen and Home Visit concerts

The concerts in Hollenderhagen are meant to feel relaxed in a lush summer garden. That does not mean the music will not impress, but here you can lean back and let the world drift by while enjoying top artists.

The Home Visit concerts are chamber music in its original form. We visit private homes in Risør and present concerts for a few dozen listeners. It does not get more intimate than this, and both classical and other kinds of music are performed.

The town square and all around the town

Every day at 12.00 we gather in the town square for Free Concerts. This can be almost anything, but the point is good music, a good atmosphere and glorious weather.

The town square is also used for ticketed concerts with their own food and drink service. If you buy a ticket you get a little extra, but if you simply want to hear the music you can stop and enjoy it.

Risør Rundt is exactly what the name says. Three short concerts at three different venues, with a brief walk in between. Variety delights, and as you walk you can let your thoughts wander to the music, or to nothing at all.

See the full programme here, and feel free to filter by venue.

Classical music may have a reputation for being a little strict. Some rules are necessary and make sense, while others are not worth obsessing over.

Applause where you are not supposed to clap?

When much of the classical repertoire was first performed, there was often both cheering and complaining between movements and pieces. We think that if you are genuinely impressed, your body is allowed to react, as long as it does not become quite like La Scala in Milan and the notorious Loggionisti. Often you can sense when it is time to sit still and when you can loosen up a little. Read the room, but nobody should blame you for doing something "wrong".

Talking, coughing and other noises?

This is, of course, one of the necessary rules. We are here for the music, and few things are more irritating than the sound of someone trying to speak quietly. That almost makes it worse, and it feels like shouting. Listen first and talk afterwards.

There is not much you can do about coughing. By all means cough, and if it really comes on, you are allowed to step out of the hall for a moment. Throat lozenges? Yes, smart. But read the sentence above again: few things are as loud as a sound you are trying to hide.

Photos and video during the concert?

We live in a time when everyone has a camera in their pocket, and it is pointless to try to police everything. We therefore ask that we all show consideration for one another together.

But especially in Risør Church we are strict: the flash from a mobile phone camera can ruin a great deal. The artists are reading sheet music and are fully concentrated. If they get a sudden flash in their eyes, they can lose their place completely and spoil both melody and rhythm. That is not something we want either the artists or the rest of the audience to experience.

Cheering and joy both before and after the concert are, of course, entirely appropriate. Some concerts, such as the Free Concert and others, also have a slightly lower threshold for filming and video.

Distances in Risør are short, and all our main venues are close to the town centre.

Frydendal Church is about a 20-minute walk from the town square, and for the concert at Stangholmen we arrange dedicated boats from the town centre.

Some of our venues have accessibility challenges. Contact us if you have special access needs.

See all our venues here in Google Maps.

We know many people like to print out the programme and have it on paper.

Click here to go to this year's programme PDF.

Buying tickets before and during the festival

We sell tickets through Tixly, where you can pay by credit card, debit card and Vipps. Tickets are paid for at the same time as you place the order online.

During the festival we have a dedicated ticket tent in the town square, open from 11.00 to 14.00, and at all concert venues before each concert.

Tixly and your purchase account

We recommend creating a Tixly account for ticket purchases either before or during the purchase process itself. We recommend using your private email address rather than your work email, as that may change without warning.

If you have your own account, you can easily log in and see which purchases you have made.
To become a Friends member, you must have your own Tixly account.

To log in, or create a new Tixly account, click here.

If you have forgotten your password, click here.

As a Friends member, you receive these benefits related to our ticket sales:

• One week of presale before everyone else.
• NOK 30 discount on all concerts except children's performances.
• A dedicated event during the festival with music, food and drink.

You must have your own Tixly account to use these benefits. See more about Tixly accounts under the "About Buying Tickets" tab.

For more information about Friends membership, click here.

We offer tickets at NOK 180 for all children and young people up to and including age 20, and for students up to and including age 30.

ID and student ID must be shown at the entrance.

Music is the very best gift!

Our gift cards can be used for all our paid events. You may choose the value of the gift card yourself, and it is valid for two years from the date of purchase.

For more about our gift card, click here.

How to use the gift card when buying tickets

Once you have selected your tickets and reached "Payment", you can choose to use your gift card as the payment method. You will then be asked to enter the gift card number and PIN code. The amount on the gift card will then be deducted from the purchase total.

If you buy tickets for more than the value of the gift card, the remaining amount must be paid by payment card. If you buy tickets for less than the value of the gift card, the remaining balance will stay on your gift card and can be used to buy tickets at a later date.

Some of our venues have accessibility challenges. Contact us if you have special access needs.

If you have a companion card, your companion attends free of charge. Add a companion ticket when buying your own ticket, and bring the companion card with you to the entrance.

The companion must take out a ticket to secure a seat.

Tickets are refunded only if an event is cancelled.

If you wish to change concert or seat, please contact us.

We cannot resell tickets that have already been sold. You must do that yourself and comply with applicable laws and regulations for the resale of tickets.

Car and parking

Most people who visit Risør during the chamber music festival arrive by car. We are located along the E18, with the turn-off down to town at the Vinterkjær junction (if you are coming from the east, it is immediately after you pass the Sørlandet tunnel).

Risør is Norway's best-preserved wooden town and was not built for cars. We therefore recommend parking outside the town centre itself and continuing on foot. There is parking by the Tjenna campsite, by Risørhuset and by Risør upper secondary school.

Walking distances in town, and between the concert venues, are short.

We also encourage as much car-sharing as possible. The more people in each car, the easier it is to find parking for the whole party.

Risør is one of Southern Norway's oldest towns, and not least one of its harbour towns. As early as the 15th century, the town was an important place for shipping. We therefore know how to welcome seafarers to town.

Read more about Risør guest harbour here.

Vy operates buses to the Vinterkjær junction on its route between Oslo and Kristiansand. From Vinterkjær there is a bus down to central Risør.

If you travel by train on the Sørlandet Line, get off at Gjerstad. From there you take a bus to central Risør.

With Entur you can plan and pay for the whole journey here.

The nearest airport is Kjevik in Kristiansand. From there you can take a bus or train to Risør.

If you fly to Gardermoen, we recommend taking the train to Oslo and then either a bus or a train to Risør (see bus and train for more information).

Book early. Risør is a small town, and accommodation fills up quickly before the festival.

Hotels in the town centre

• Risør Hotel
• Det Lille Hotel

Guesthouse

• Risør Pensjonat

Camping

• Sørlandet Feriesenter - camping, cabins and apartments.
• Motorhome parking at Tjenna in the town centre.

Renting a house

• Airbnb - Search for Risør for private rentals. People in Risør are used to renting out to our festival audience in June.

Central Risør

We can almost guarantee that you will find something you like along the waterfront. The festival is the starting signal for summer in Risør, and the restaurants are ready to welcome you.

As mentioned, an ice cream is also practically mandatory when you visit Risør.

Festival serving

Every day we sell coffee and waffles in the town square during the Free Concert at 12.00, and outside the church before concerts there.
This year we also have food and drink service at the concerts Sankthansfest på Torvet and Årstider på Torvet. You must have a ticket for the concerts to use this service.

Read more about Sankthansfest på Torvet

Read more about Årstider på Torvet

At Stangholmen

Food and drink are sold at Stangholmen. If you would like to eat in the restaurant before the Festkonsert, book a table well in advance.

Now that you are in Risør, you should also get to know the town and its surroundings. There is plenty to do, especially if you are travelling with children. Here is a list of some of the things you can experience:

Walk to Risørflekken, with views of the town and the sea.

Risør Aquarium, Southern Norway's only saltwater aquarium.

Den Lille Dyrehage, home to, among other things, Norway's largest crocodile.

Risør Kunstpark, one of the country's most distinctive galleries.

Risør Havbad, the town's own sauna in the middle of the harbour entrance.

Aktiv Risør, for those who want a workout between concerts.

Summer belongs to Risør. That is a claim we are proud to be part of. Given that Risør normally has just under 5,000 inhabitants, it is almost against nature that three of the country's best-known festivals are held here by the open sea every year. Focused work by enthusiasts, local businesses and politicians means that we can say, with heads held high and in a clear voice: we are a municipality of culture.

Villvin Arts and Crafts Market

In the 1970s, several artists moved to Risør to work. Now, 50 years later, the Villvin Arts and Crafts Market is one of Europe's most recognised arenas for art and craft.

Read more about the Villvin Arts and Crafts Market here.

Risør Wooden Boat Festival

For more than 40 years, Risør has celebrated its proud and long history as a true seafaring town. At one point Risør was one of the country's largest sailing-ship towns. Few things are as impressive as when the whole harbour fills up with rare and unique wooden boats.

Read more about the Risør Wooden Boat Festival here.

Together with us at the chamber music festival, these are the major national festivals that make Risør a destination for widely different people and interests.

In 2025 we could also congratulate Håndarbeidsfestivalen on its first festival. With that, we have extended the summer into autumn. Villvin showcases the very best, while Håndarbeidsfestivalen gives you the chance to develop your own skills.

Read more about Håndarbeidsfestivalen here.