We are Festival Musicians 2026!
They are one of the world’s oldest orchestras, mentioned in Edvard Grieg’s will, and today they are the pride of Bergen: a towering musical institution among the seven mountains. The Festival Musicians of 2026 are the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
The city’s own orchestra has achieved numerous successes in recent years through critically acclaimed recordings, major international tours, and is this fall nominated for the prestigious title “Orchestra of the Year” by the British magazine Gramophone. The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bergen International Festival have always been closely intertwined.
Without the orchestra, it is inconceivable that the Festival could have been launched in 1953, and in nearly every year since, the orchestra has been a central performer in the festival’s programming. It is with great pleasure that Bergen International Festival announces the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra as Festival Musicians of 2026.
By Morten Hammerborg, history professor at Høgskulen på Vestlandet
Published 13 October 2025
Photo from this years Festival: Thor Brødreskift