In this year’s third artist announcement, we invite you to the world’s coolest family concert, a lazy good time, a story of chaos and order, and a cinematic journey with Himmelskip — as well as welcoming back familiar names celebrating strong collaborations.

The world-renowned ensemble London Sinfonietta returns to Tromsø for the first time since 1994. Together with Marius Neset — who some may remember as our 2025 festival profile — and percussion phenomenon Anton Eger, they present the brand-new commissioned work Changes. The piece premieres at the London Jazz Festival in November and is brought to Tromsø in collaboration with the Ilios Festival in Harstad.

The festival’s children’s programme opens with “The World’s Coolest Concert for Kids – and Adults”, where Heidi Solheim takes the audience on an energetic and humorous musical journey with Dinosaus & Rockefot. The concert is performed twice on the same day, with the second show offered as a RELÆXT performance.

Ida Løken Valkeapää was originally scheduled to present “Once Upon a Time There Was a Family…”, a musical monologue exploring the difficult theme of violence in close relationships.
Editor’s note: This performance has now been replaced by “Daddy’s Little Boy” by Sven Henriksen.

This release also features two rhythmic highlights: Lazy Pete at Amtmandens on 5 February and Himmelskip at Blårock on 6 February. Lazy Pete — also known as Peter Estdahl — returns to Tromsø with new music produced by Lars Horntveth, blending jazz, soul, and R&B with a deeply personal storytelling style. Himmelskip, a young band from Oslo, creates a distinctive musical landscape where folk, rock, and jazz merge into a cinematic and energetic sound.