Norway's biggest music festivals ranked by attendance (2026)
Author: Liam Cook · Last updated: 10 November 2026
Tons of Rock in Oslo is Norway's biggest music festival, with 150,000 visitors across four days in 2025. Øyafestivalen follows with more than 85,000 visitors, around 22,000 a day, then Moldejazz, Palmesus, Bergenfest and Pstereo.
Norwegian festivals usually publish total attendance for the whole festival, adding up every day, rather than a daily capacity. This ranking uses that total so every festival is measured the same way, and gives a daily figure where one is published. Every figure links to its source.
Norway's biggest music festivals at a glance
| Rank | Festival | City | Total attendance | Days | Figure from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tons of Rock | Oslo | 150,000 | 4 | 2025 |
| 2 | Øyafestivalen | Oslo | 85,000+ (about 22,000 a day) | 4 | 2025 |
| 3 | Moldejazz | Molde | Almost 60,000 | 6 | 2024 |
| 4 | Palmesus | Kristiansand | Almost 40,000 | 2 (plus Palmesus Junior) | Festival's own figure |
| 5 | Bergenfest | Bergen | About 30,000 (6,700 a day) | 4 | Festival profile |
| 6 | Pstereo | Trondheim | About 25,000 | 2 | 2014 (latest published) |
1. Tons of Rock: 150,000
Norway's largest rock and metal festival takes over Ekebergsletta in Oslo for four days each June. The festival says 150,000 people attended in 2025, and early-bird tickets for 2026 sold out in record time (Tons of Rock).
2. Øyafestivalen: 85,000+
Oslo's flagship pop and rock festival runs for four days in Tøyenparken, with around 22,000 visitors a day (Finansavisen). Music Norway puts total attendance at more than 85,000 (Music Norway).
3. Moldejazz: almost 60,000
One of the world's oldest jazz festivals stages around 120 concerts over six days, with almost 60,000 visitors in 2024 (Store norske leksikon).
4. Palmesus: almost 40,000
Billed as Scandinavia's biggest beach party, Palmesus fills Bystranda in central Kristiansand. The festival says almost 40,000 people attend each year (Palmesus). In 2026, NRK counted 32,000 across three days, including 13,000 at the family day Palmesus Junior (NRK).
5. Bergenfest: about 30,000
Held inside Bergenhus Fortress in the city centre, Bergenfest attracts about 30,000 people a year, with a capacity of 6,700 a day (Yourope). Bergenfest is planned in Crescat: read Powered by Crescat: Bergenfest 2024.
6. Pstereo: about 25,000
Trondheim's riverside festival on Marinen celebrated its 20th edition in 2026. The most recent published attendance is about 25,000, from 2014 (Wikipedia).
What does it take to run a festival in Norway?
Norwegian festivals combine large volunteer crews, city-centre sites and short summers, so planning starts early. See our 18-month festival planning timeline, or read how Momentium and other Norwegian festivals plan with Crescat Festival.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest music festival in Norway?
Tons of Rock in Oslo, with 150,000 visitors across four days in 2025. Øyafestivalen is the biggest pop and rock festival, with more than 85,000 visitors.
What is the biggest festival in Bergen?
Among music festivals, Bergenfest, with about 30,000 visitors a year. Festspillene i Bergen (the Bergen International Festival) is a larger arts festival covering music, theatre and dance.
When is festival season in Norway?
Mainly June to August. Bergenfest and Tons of Rock open the season in June, Palmesus follows in late June or early July, Moldejazz runs in July, and Øya and Pstereo close it in August.
Why rank by total attendance?
Most Norwegian festivals publish a total for the whole festival rather than a daily capacity. Longer festivals will look bigger on this measure, so the table shows the number of days too.
See also the biggest festivals in Sweden, Denmark and the UK.