Circus acts and song bringing people together
BALANCING ACTS. Juggling, hoola-hoop, aerial acts and balancing plates were a part of the activities open to the audience on Saturday 1 June. Photo: Thor Brødreskift
Who: The Bergen International Festival (Festspillene i Bergen)
What: Music and activities in the heart of Bergen
‘For the third consecutive year, the Festival square was filled with activities and culture at the Bergen International Festival, resulting in over 42, 000 visits.
‘When you are from Bergen, you just know about the Festival and the festivities happening,’ says Lisa.
She is at the Festival Square at the Bergen International Festival along with her daughter Tuva (6) on Saturday 1 June 2024, to try out various circus acts under the guidance of Cirkus Balance.
‘Never has the Festival been accessible to so many! (...) Visit the Festival square and become hooked’, wrote a reader of the local newspaper Bergens Tidende.
The Bergen International Festival 2024 consists of 15 days of theatre, music, dance, and art. From 23 May to 2 June, an extensive free outdoor programme takes place as Torgallmenningen is turned into the Festival square, supported by the Grieg Foundation.
'The Festival square is a meeting place where everyone can meet, create memories and experience music and culture. The Grieg Foundation’s generous gift means that together we can create experiences for all of Bergen, and we are grateful for the trust they have placed in us,' says festival director Lars Petter Hagen.
This year, artists such as Håvard Gimse and Ragnhild Hemsing, alongside local organizations such as Femti71 and Fargespill, pulled audiences from all over the city to the heart of Bergen.
TIED UP. The dancers in Linearity made the audience a part of the performance. Photo: Thor Brødreskift
Activities for young and old
Cirkus Balance from Fyllingsdalen have installed a large structure with a long silk rope, as well as a gym mat that hints at what’s to come. A woman in a red, glittering gym suit performs impressive acrobatics, bending her body far beyond what most are capable of.
There is an older audience of seniors and teenagers trying to juggle. Angus (7) is trying the hula-hoop while his mother, Line, watches from the sidelines. They moved to Bergen a year ago and have never been to the Festival before – but are already planning on coming back next year
Further down the square, the Spanish theatre company Itinerània are operating two large interactive installations, each drawing its own crowd.
Some are standing in line to try controlling the large puppet hands of Titeretú, while others have brought their friends and family to solve riddles in the large-scale labyrinth, El Laberint.
‘This is an awesome design! I have a great appreciation for mechanics and creative machinery, and this is exactly that,’ says Rune, as his son Vemund eagerly gets back in line to try controlling the puppet for a second time.
HIGH ABOVE. Many came to see the circus performers from Fyllingsdalen at the Festival square during the Bergen International Festival. Photo: Thor Brødreskift
Summer lovin’
The sun comes out as the Singalong – Summer Favourites is about to start.
The concept was launched at last year’s festival, when over a thousand people came together to form a choir. Today is no different, as more and more people decide to stop by.
Niek (3) is in today's audience and gladly wiggles his dancing foot to the music. His family has travelled to Bergen from the Netherlands on holiday and had never previously heard of the Bergen International Festival.
‘This is great! We’re glad we got to come by and experience it,’ say his parents.
"Boys of Summer," "Summer of ’69," and "Summer Nights" from the musical Grease are all on the programme. Some choose to listen rather than join in, while others sing at the top of their lungs.
The four friends Britt Marie, Synnøve, Magnhild, and Maria are part of the latter group. They have traveled to the city centre from Knarvik and Landås to experience today’s festivities.
‘I have had this marked in my calendar for months,’ says Britt Marie.
She heard about the singalong at last year's festival but could not make it.
‘I love singalongs and karaoke. I really wanted to experience the Singalong at the Festival square and knew I wanted to go if I had the chance this year,’ she says.
SUMMER HITS. The Norwegian summer classic “Neste sommer” by deLillos was a big hit at the Singalong. Photo: Thor Brødreskift
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