Throughout the year, major events and festivals take place in Trondheim, the biggest city in central Norway. Check out our recommendations for the unmissable events over the coming year.
Planning a trip to Norway? If you're passing through central Norway on your travels, then why not time your visit to coincide with a special event?
I’ve now lived in Trondheim for more than ten years. Trondheim is Norway's third biggest city and as I’ve found out, there's plenty of festivals and other cultural events held throughout the year.
We keep our eyes on the major concerts, festivals and other big events in Trondheim so you don’t have to!
From music festivals featuring major international artists to celebrations of all things innovative, Trondheim offers something for everyone.
Whether you're a resident of Trondheim or planning to visit, check out this guide to make the most of your time. Also, don't forget to check out this list of things to do in Trondheim.
Minimalen Short Film Festival
21 – 26 January, 2025: If you believe that a lot of great cinema is made by unknown filmmakers trying to gain a foothold in the industry without financial backing, this is the event for you.
Norwegian, Nordic and international films of no more than 30 minutes compete for prizes. This year is the 37th edition of the event and features approximately 250 short films at Nova Cinema and Cinemateket.
Trondheim Calling
30 January – 1 February, 2025: One of Norway's best showcases for unsigned talent, Trondheim Calling returns to the city once again. Many local bands feature across multiple stages at this three-day festival. Festival passes and day passes are available rather than entry to individual events. By day, a music industry conference takes place.
Ski World Cup
26 February – 9 March, 2025: Don't miss the biggest ski festival in Norway this decade. Over the course of 12 days, the world’s best skiers will compete in cross-country skiing, Nordic Combined, ski jumping and para cross-country in Trondheim.
Trondheim’s Ski World Cup event is about more than the races and competitions. There will also be a substantial cultural element, shared between stages at the Granåsen ski arena and downtown Trondheim.
Kosmorama International Film Festival
17 – 23 March, 2025: Established in 2004, Kosmorama is Trondheim’s very own film festival. It aims to strengthen the film industry in central Norway and contribute to innovation at the intersection of culture and commerce.
Screens at Prinsens kino are turned over to the festival for the week, with a program of films from morning to evening over the course of seven days. People attending a film can expect to see the world from a new perspective.
Nidaros Blues
24 – 27 April, 2025: Local heroes, top Norwegian names and international stars come together for Trondheim’s annual blues festival, which this year celebrates its 26th year. This laidback yet popular festival will be held mostly at the Clarion Hotel at Brattøra.
JazzFest
8 – 12 May, 2025: Dating back to 1980, JazzFest is built around the exciting jazz scene in the city and the world-renowned jazz course at NTNU. Trondheim Jazz Festival features mainly contemporary and exiting Scandinavian and European jazz acts, along with a series of popular lectures.
Opening the 2025 event is SuperBlue: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter, delivering virtuosity and innovation in an unforgettable evening of jazz at Trondheim’s Byscenen. Meanwhile, the guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Tora Dahle Aagård has agreed to compose a commissioned work with a premiere performance at the festival.
St. Olav’s Festival
28 July – 3 August, 2025: More than one thousand years since Trondheim was the Viking capital of Norway, this cultural festival attracts many thousands of visitors to the city.
There’s a diverse range of events held throughout the week, although the highlight for the most is the medieval market in the grounds of Nidaros Cathedral.
The theme for Olavsfest 2025 is ‘escape’: “Uncertainty, fear, and societal fatigue shape the daily lives of many. Escapism has become the mental tool we use to avoid despair.”
Many Trondheim locals and visitors enjoy the music festival element of Olavsfest. Fay Wildhagen, one of Norway’s most exciting and distinctive artists, will perform with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra & Opera in the Borggården courtyard to close out the festival in 2025.
Trøndelag Food Festival
31 July – 2 August, 2025: Timed to coincide with St. Olav’s Festival, this celebration of local food transforms the centre of Trondheim into one big diner. More than 80 exhibitors from across central Norway show off the best local food the region has to offer.
Pstereo
15 – 16 August, 2025: A three-day showcase of new music with some established names thrown in too, Pstereo takes place by the river in the shadow of Nidaros Cathedral.
The festival usually sells out in advance, with individual day tickets available for a little longer. Headliners for the 2025 event include The Smashing Pumpkins, Faithless, and Gabrielle.
Festningen
29 – 30 August, 2025: The biggest music festival in central Norway has firmly established itself on the cultural calendar over the past few years.
Held in the grounds of Kristiansten fortress, Festningen 2025 will welcome Arif & Stig, Delara, Erik & Kriss, Golfklubb, Isah, Klovner i kamp, and Roc Boyz to Trondheim.
Trondheim Pride
TBC September, 2025: Central Norway's biggest LGBT+ event takes place over a week and a half in every autumn. Lectures, debates and exhibitions run through the course of the festival, which culminates in a colourful parade though the city streets on the final weekend. Exact dates for the 2025 festival are to be confirmed.
Transform: Trondheim World Festival
8 – 14 September, 2025: The multicultural community of Trondheim celebrates the diversity in society at this week-long festival, with multiple events held across various venues.
Blues in Hell
28 – 31 August, 2025: This blues festival is held over four stages at the Scandic Hotel in the village of Hell, a short walk from Trondheim Værnes Airport.
First held in 1992 as a small local festival with only Norwegian acts, Blues in Hell is back for its 34th edition with Norwegian and international acts. Expect a mix of styles from acoustic blues, via jump, swing, blues rock to modern next generation blues.
Trondheim Chamber Music Festival
21 – 28 September, 2025: Since its establishment in 1996, the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival (Kammermusikkfestival) has aimed to find a balance between being innovative, audience friendly and presenting a program of high quality. It is now firmly established on the Trondheim festival scene.
UKA
2 – 26 October, 2025: Long established, UKA has grown to be an important part of Trondheim’s cultural scene.
The almost month-long (despite the name meaning ‘the week’) student-led festival is packed with a diverse range of events and usually some concerts featuring some of Norway’s biggest artists.
Trondheim Developer Conference
20 October, 2025: A non-profit event for developers, both local and from far and wide. The current year's conference agenda caters to a wide range of topics like front-end, back-end, agile methodologies, and digital design, aiming to bring together local, national, and international contributions.
As you can see, there’s plenty going on in Trondheim throughout the year. I hope you found something for you. If you enjoyed this post, why not share it on Pinterest or Facebook so others can find and enjoy it too? Just hit those social sharing buttons.
Wonderful information! I have been to Norway many times since having a Norwegian AFS student sister in 1964-65. We take turns visiting each other. We have involved our spouses, our children and now our grandchildren in this extended family and look forward to every trip to Norway and they to texas. They have taken us from Nordkapp and the Hurtigruten all the way to Langesund in the south and in between, as they live in Heimdal, near Trondheim. I was told by an Olso shopkeeper that I’ve been to more of norway than she has! It is all beautiful, as are the people!
Wonderful information! I have been to Norway many times since having a Norwegian AFS student sister in 1964-65. We take turns visiting each other. We have involved our spouses, our children and now our grandchildren in this extended family and look forward to every trip to Norway and they to texas. They have taken us from Nordkapp and the Hurtigruten all the way to Langesund in the south and in between, as they live in Heimdal, near Trondheim. I was told by an Olso shopkeeper that I’ve been to more of norway than she has! It is all beautiful, as are the people!
The World Rally Cross in Hell.