Jazz for Your Ears and Feet
The festival celebrates the swing tradition with some of Norway’s finest musicians, dedicated to music created for both listening and dancing.
Inspired by the atmosphere of the historic African-American jazz clubs, the festival puts live music at the centre, creating space for both listening and dancing. You can never have too much live jazz, and we present eight bands across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There are breaks between sets so everyone can catch their breath, and after the last concert each evening, our swing DJs keep the night going with the swing jazz classics we love.
You can extend the weekend with a pre-party at the jazz club Cafe Society on Thursday evening. This club also has a dance floor. (separate tickets).
The festival is non-profit and runs thanks to the generous support of Bårdar Swing Club, Cafe Society, New Orleans Jazz Workshop, Jazzforum, Oslo Municipality, and the Arts Council Norway.
Information
The Venue
The beautiful Forstanderskapsalen offers ample space, excellent acoustics, and a hardwood dance floor. Sentralen is centrally located in Oslo and features a bar, restaurant, a café serving pizza, and a rooftop terrace.
The Music
From intimate trios to swinging octets, the festival draws inspiration from the swing era, delivered with a contemporary feel. The focus is on strong pulse, interplay, and music that rewards the listener, always in close dialogue with the dance floor.
Seating and Dance Floor
There is plenty of space for those who want to sit and enjoy the concerts. We have cosy café tables and a bar.
A dedicated hardwood dance floor is open throughout the festival. Swing jazz was, and still is, music made for dancing. At last year’s first Oslo Swing Jazz Festival, the dance floor was filled with Balboa, slow Balboa, blues, and Lindy Hop dancers. Swing DJs play after the last concert each evening.
Quick Info
Tickets: Festival pass and individual tickets available
Venue: Sentralen, Oslo
Facilities: Bar, café, restaurant, rooftop terrace, elevator.
The Team Behind Oslo Swing Jazz Festival:
All info and ticket enquiries: christian@bardarswingclub.no
Core team:
David Skinner & Christian Bjørn
Volunteers:
Pia Lind & Mikkel Bruvik
Oslo Swing Jazz Festival 