'We are filled with a deep sense of gratitude' |
This is the Embassy's first culture newsletter following the death of His Majesty King Harald on 28 August. During this time, Norway has been in national mourning. This period ended on Thursday, following the late King's funeral in Oslo.
We echo the words of Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in his funeral address:
'We are filled with a deep sense of gratitude: For 35 years with King Harald as Norway’s King. And above all, for the way he was our King. He struck a balance between being stately and being down-to-earth.
When we rejoiced, he rejoiced together with us – with his resounding laugh and a twinkle in his eye. When sorrow came to us – such as after the attacks of 22 July – he grieved together with us.
... An era has ended. A new era is beginning.
The Norwegian monarchy stands on the foundation of our history, firmly anchored in our Constitution and government by the people. To King Harald I say, on behalf of the people of Norway: Thank you for your life of service. And to King Haakon VIII I say: Long live The King!'
An English translation of the address can be read here.
We also remember the late King's elder sister Princess Astrid, Mrs. Ferner, whose death at the age of 94 was announced on Friday.
The next Norwegian Highlights newsletter will be sent in early October, continuing monthly.
Photo: King Haakon, Queen Mette-Marit, Queen Sonja, Crown Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Oslo. Photo: Anette Ask/Det kongelige hoff. |
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Norwegian Film at the BFI London Film Festival |
London, 7 - 18 October, BFI Southbank & other locations: The London Film Festival presents 12 days of the world’s best new films, series and immersive storytelling. This is your chance to delight in the undiscovered, as all feature films and series are being shown in the UK for the first (and sometimes the only) time. Tickets go on general sale this Thursday 17 September.
This year's festival includes the highly-anticipated UK Premiere of Fjord, by Romanian Director Christian Mungiu and starring Renate Reinsve. Winner of this year's Palme d'or at Cannes, Fjord was filmed in Hjørundfjorden, western Norway, in spring last year. The film will be shown in a gala screening at the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall on 17 October.
The programme includes several other films with Norwegian co-producers: 9 Temples to Heaven Ben’Imana
The Difficult Bride Elephants in the Fog
Hearing No Good Men
PLEASE, in the programme Life / Drawing The Station
Stolen Memories, in the programme Altered States
Still from Fjord, courtesy of Picturehouse Entertainment. |
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| Bristol, 23 - 27 September: The festival presents several short films from Norway:
Borderline (dir. Johannes Vang): A Norwegian customs officer, a Finnish poacher, and a mysterious Swedish woman meet at the border between their homelands, becoming entangled in a conflict over laws, language, and prejudice.
Trio (dir. Morten Borgestad & Fridtjof Stensæth Josefsen): A man is trying to find his place among friends. What begins as a simple stroll turns into a physical struggle for belonging.
Gravity Racer (director: Finn Walther): A fearless four-year-old sets out to conquer the steepest hill in town with his homemade Gravity Racer, but as bravery meets gravity, he’s faced with the consequences of his decision.
Image courtesy of the festival. |
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Lars Elling: The Princes of Pauper’s Pond |
Released in the UK on 24 September by Orenda Books, translated by Don Bartlett: In 1912, two brothers are sent into the forest to fend for themselves, forging a bond through hunger, freedom and endurance. Before the summer is over, a decision fractures that world, leaving a scar that will mark their family for generations. The Princes of Pauper's Pond is a wondrous, profound and deeply moving debut novel by one of Norway’s finest artists, Lars Elling.
Photo: Baard Henriksen.
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Alma Sophia Grønli Geller at Goldsmiths Fair |
London, Goldsmiths' Hall, 22-27 September: Alma Sophia Grønli Geller is an award-winning jeweller originally from Norway.
She creates sculptural, minimalistic and delicate pieces in her London-based workshop. Sculptural form is very important in her jewellery and the design process. Her collections include repeated shapes that create unique forms and new wholes. All her jewellery is made by hand which gives the architectural shapes an organic feel; none of the shapes are ever exactly the same. |
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Elenor Martinsen: New Patterns |
London, Gallery White Box, 26 September - 6 October: Living and working near Tyrifjord in Norway and in Portugal, Elenor Martinsen's first solo exhibition in the UK is taking place at Gallery White Box in Blackheath. |
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Oxford, Schwarzman Centre, 25 Sep – 10 Oct: When Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was first performed in 1879, its end scene of heroine Nora walking out on her family scandalised audiences. The play has subsequently been hailed as a feminist classic. But behind the plot is a dark secret – Ibsen stole his story from the real-life circumstances of a young Norwegian-Danish writer, Laura Kieler – threatening her marriage, reputation and career. Created by award-winning theatre company Breach and powered by research from leading Ibsen expert Professor Kirsten Shepherd, Burning Down the House takes a flamethrower to Ibsen’s original play and shines a light on Laura Kieler.
Get an exclusive ticket discount for Burning Down the House; 10% off tickets across all dates and price bands, subject to availability.
Use promo code: KIELER10 at checkout. The discount will be applied once the promo code is entered during booking. |
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London, Shepherd's Bush Empire, 3 October: As part of their return to the stage, Norwegian alt-rock band Kaizers Orchestra head out on an extensive European tour in October 2026.
Since the release of their landmark debut Ompa til du dør in 2001, Kaizers Orchestra has built a cult fan following across the globe.The band seamlessly blend rock energy with theatrical cabaret and avant-garde percussion. They have built a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts in the world, with fans screaming back their Norwegian lyrics (even if they don't speak the language!)
Image courtesy of Crosstown Concerts. |
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New Nordic Voices: Contemporary Film Festival presented by UCL |
London, UCL East Cinema, 2-4 October: As UCL celebrates its bicentenary, this new three-day festival celebrates the richness and diversity of contemporary Nordic film. The festival showcases recently released films from across the major languages of the Nordic region: Danish, Greenlandic, Faroese, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Old Norse, the Sámi language group, and Swedish. Among the screenings is Armand (2024) from director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, starring Renate Reinsve.
The festival promotes the creativity of pan-Nordic filmmaking in the UK and provide a platform for students and members of the public to watch and appreciate Nordic arthouse, as well as shining a spotlight on student and staff excellence in both Nordic and Film studies.
Tickets for all screenings are free and open to the public. Follow the link below to secure your place.
Image courtesy of the festival. |
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Looking Back at the BBC Proms |
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Looking ahead: Skodespelet (The Play) by Jon Fosse at Coronet Theatre |
London, 26 - 29 November: The UK premiere of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Jon Fosse's latest work, Skodespelet (The Play) performed by Det Norske Teatret, comes to The Coronet Theatre this November. Darkly comic, mysterious and unexpectedly uplifting, the play follows four travellers waiting for a boat whose destination remains unknown.
Directed by Johannes Holmen Dahl and presented in Norwegian (Nynorsk) with English surtitles, this acclaimed production premiered at Det Norske Teatret during the 2025 Fosse Festival. |
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Norwegian Summer Book Tips from NORLA |
Meteorological autumn may now be upon us, but this list of recommendations will help you hold on to the feeling of a Norwegian summer for a little longer. |
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MORE DATES FOR YOUR DIARY |
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Happening Now Anders Danielsen Lie plays the jazz pianist in the film Everybody Digs Bill Evans, on release now.
▶ 19 September, Stirling
As part of Bloody Scotland, Ørjan Karlsson is speaking at the Golden Lion Hotel together with authors Malcolm Kempt and Zoe Rankin in the session 'Murder at the Edge of the World'.
▶ 3 October, King's Lynn
As part of the King's Lynn Book Festival, Stein Ringen and Ørjan Karlsson are speaking in the session 'Scandi Noir: How it All Began'.
▶ 8 October - 14 November, London
Jermyn Street Theatre presents Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, in a new adaptation by Richard Eyre, directed by Kwame Owusu. |
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