Held every July, the Førde International Folk Music Festival is Scandinavia's biggest celebration of traditional and world music. Over five days, around 80 programme events take place across 30 stages in and around the town — concerts, workshops, street performances, and late-night sessions in the pubs.
The festival draws between 17,000 and 20,000 visitors annually, which transforms this otherwise quiet town into something unexpectedly lively. Tickets for individual events are available, but many of the street performances and daytime workshops are free. Accommodation books up months in advance — if you are planning to attend, reserve early.