Ice Music Festival

Ice Music Festival Norway is an annual winter music festival started in 2006 by drummer Terje Isungset where artists carve and play instruments made entirely of ice 1 2. It began in Geilo and in recent years has been held in the remote mountain village of Finse in Hardanger 3 2. Over several cold winter days, audiences enjoy outdoor and igloo concerts featuring ice guitars, ice drums, an ice harp and other frozen instruments set in snow-constructed stages. The program often blends music with climate-science themes; for example, past editions included Sámi joik singing and a climate-lecture by a polar oceanographer 4 5. The festival highlights Norway’s Arctic conditions by turning ice into art and has been called one of the most unique music festivals in the world 2 6.

The Ice Music Festival reflects Norway’s deep engagement with its winter landscape and environmental consciousness. It celebrates water and ice as art forms, creating a cultural dialogue about nature and climate. For instance, the festival has featured talks by climate scientists and intricate ice sculptures built by art students 1 2, underlining its emphasis on environmental art. Organizers describe it as a tribute to art, the environment and water 3, engaging both local and international communities in the experience of Norway’s frozen wilderness.