Beginning Saturday, June 13, Wardruna in collaboration with Over Oslo, are curating a concert evening where musical traditions from the north are woven together with a modern soundscape. The evening will be hosted at Grefsenkollen, at the spectacular amfi that is known for its stunning views overlooking the Oslo fjord. Joining the lineup are the acclaimed Mari Boine and Gåte performing an acoustic set. More artists will be announced in the following weeks.
Einar Selvik comments the curated show: “Nordic Night has been held in various forms on different continents. We have always focused on presenting our art – and that of others – in surroundings that are adapted to and complement our music. This is also the first time we are curating Nordic Night in Norway, and we are very excited to invite some fantastic artists to an equally fantastic venue in Oslo – Grefsenkollen!”
The following day, Sunday, June 14, Wardruna and By Norse Music will host a special event at Riksscenen, Oslo. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore Wardruna’s musical world through workshops led by band members, focusing on voice and traditional instruments.
A single ticket grants access to all workshops, and fans can also browse merchandise from Wardruna and selected By Norse artists. In the afternoon, a free and open meet & greet with the band will take place.
Workshop details and times will be announced soon.
Returning from Fire in the Mountains (FITM), Blackfeet Nation (MT) in the US, Norwegianworld music collective WARDRUNA are donating over $14.000 to Firekeeper Alliance, the non-profit supporting indigenous needs and fighting suicide in Browning, Montana. The funds were raised by the creation and sale of a limited-edition t-shirt, designed by a student in the Blackfeet Nation. Over 500 items were sold, online and at the festival that took place last July.
“It makes us profoundly happy and proud to see that the Wardruna community all over the world responded with a genuine desire to support the Firekeeper Alliance, their cause, purpose and work”, states the band. “True light-work is about daring to name and face the shadows, the dark and the pain. Thank you Firekeeper Alliance for your important work with suicide prevention. It was deeply moving to see the positive ripples of this work at Fire in the Mountains. Keep the fire burning!”
Charlie Speicher, director of Firekeeper Alliance adds: “The connection between FITM, FKA, Wardruna, By Norse and AISAmusic is one of the most powerful relationships I’ve been a part of. This support of our mission and the work we are doing means a lot to us. From the very bottom of ourhearts, thank you. This gesture, and everything else you have supported us with, is going to translate directly to creating a safer world here for our loved ones. Please know that your love, support, and generosity has lifted our organization to allow us to help our community in ways we never dreamed would be possible.”
Created by Reb Pollock, as a part of the Heavy Music Symposium for youth in Browning, the design represents resilience, rootedness, and the fire that lives within the Southern Pikunni.
Wardruna and the Norwegian music label ByNorse took part in the festival, celebrated ceremony and cultural collaborationwith the Blackfeet Nation. Several band members hosted workshops, shared andexchanged stories of their histories with the local community and music fans. “As for many others, our experienceis hard to put into words. It was one of those events that changes people and views,” says main composer Einar Selvik.
The band also recently performed at the iconic amphitheatre of Pompei, a venue of historic value and significance in popular culture, where few international artists have performed.
Wardruna will return to the United States and Canada in September. Find all confirmed tour dates on the official website:www.wardruna.com/tour-dates
North America
4 Sep · Ft. Worth, TX · Will Rogers Auditorium 5 Sep · San Antonio, TX · Tobin Center for the Performing Arts 7 Sep · Phoenix, AZ · Ikeda Theatre – Mesa Arts Center 8 Sep · Los Angeles, CA · The Greek Theatre *(no Chelsea Wolfe) 9 Sep · Oakland, CA · Paramount Theatre 11 Sep · Portland, OR · The Keller Auditorium 14 Sep · Seattle, WA · The Moore Theater 16 Sep · Salt Lake City, UT · Capitol Theatre 17 Sep · Colorado Springs, CO · Pikes Peak Center 19 Sep · Minneapolis, MN · Orpheum Theatre 20 Sep · Chicago, IL · The Auditorium Theater 22 Sep · Toronto, ON (CAN) · Massey Hall 23 Sep · Rochester, NY · Kodak Center 24 Sep · Boston, MA · Wang Theater 26 Sep · New York, NY · Beacon Theatre 27 Sep · Philadelphia, PA · Kimmel Center 28 Sep · Washington, DC · Warner Theater
Europe
14 Nov · Hannover, DE · Kuppelsaal 16 Nov · Copenhagen, DK · Det Kongelige Teater – Gamle Scene 17 Nov · Copenhagen, DK · Det Kongelige Teater – Gamle Scene 19 Nov · Stockholm, SE · Cirkus 21 Nov · Helsinki, FI · Finlandia-Talo 22 Nov · Lahti, FI · Sibeliustalo 23 Nov · Tampere, FI · Tampere-Talo 25 Nov · Tallinn, EE · Alexela Kontserdimaja 27 Nov · Wroclaw, PL · Centennial Hall 28 Nov · Munich, DE · Showpalast 29 Nov · Stuttgart, DE · Liederhalle – Beethoven-Saal 2 Dec · Porto, PT · Casa de Música 4 Dec · Madrid, ES · The Music Station 6 Dec · Toulouse, FR · Salle Horizon 7 Dec · Torino, IT · Auditorium del Lingotto 8 Dec · Strasbourg, FR · Le Palais de la Musique et des Congrès
As part of the previously announced Nordic Night Showcase, By Norse Music will organize a series of workshops at Fire In The Mountains 2025, held on the tribal lands of the Blackfeet Nation, Montana, US. Band members of Wardruna will host a number of music related workshops, alongside the founders of the record label and platform By Norse Music.
The workshops are an aspect of the Nordic Night Showcase, a dedicated program at Fire In The Mountains, organized by By Norse, The Firekeeper Alliance, Wardruna and Fire In The Mountains. The events focus on music, nature and culture as common ground, and music as medicine in the contemporary world and its challenges. The Nordic Night Showcase also features performances of Lindy-Fay Hella & Dei Farne and BardSpec.
Ivar Bjørnson, co-owner of By Norse states: “We thank you; the Firekeeper Alliance, Fire in the Mountains and the Blackfeet Nation – for inviting us and for letting us be part of not just a historic cultural event, but also to this workshop series. Getting to know the people, the philosophy and work behind the Firekeeper Alliance has been inspiring and rewarding on so many levels during these months of preparation and communication across the Atlantic – we are brimming with excitement and enthusiasm as we stock our ships and study the star maps for the journey ahead. Until soon!”
Charlie Speicher comments on behalf of The Firekeeper Alliance: “It is our great honor at Firekeeper Alliance to host our friends in Wardruna along with members of the By Norse Music family at our workshop series at FITM. In our short time as a non-profit organization,Wardruna and By Norse have stepped up and offered us massive support, for which we will be forever grateful. We couldn’t be more excited to feature these passionate artists, musicians, and industry professionals to celebrate with us by sharing their stories and knowledge at the festival. And we can’t wait for them to experience what we gave in store for them here in the Blackfeet Nation. This reciprocal exchange has affirmed our belief in the healing power of music and that when we connect with others that feel the same, there is no limit to the positive synergy we can create.”
Fire In The Mountains is set to take place in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, on July 25 – 27, 2025 in the Blackfeet Nation, Montana, US. Standing by the indigenous community hosting the festival, this will be an event without alcohol.
Weaving new sounds with sources of Ancient Nordic Musicology
In this session, main Wardruna composer Einar Selvik will be speaking about his research and approach to Old Nordic musical expressions and the extensive creative concepts behind the music of Wardruna. These topics flow into a broader discussion: how does one go about gathering cultural fragments from the past and sustainably letting them take root in the present? How does one apply that to one’s own culture and background?
Voice and rhythmic improvisation
Wardruna vocalist Lindy-Fay Hella and backing vocalist and percussionist Sondre Veland will dive into the power of the voice. This inspiring and playful workshop will entail improvisation, pushing creative boundaries, playing with sounds, and discovering new ways to express oneself. Lindy-Fay Hella will also explain some of her own vocal techniques she uses in Wardruna. Using your voice is not just limited to singing, but the courage to express yourself and your identity.
The Idea Behind By Norse
Ivar Bjørnson and Simon Füllemann, two co-founders of the label and company By Norse will take you through the journey from intention to materialization – how wanting to create a home for art and a safe haven for artists and label staff to grow and thrive within. What is the concept behind it and how would a young band approach a label for a deal? Nordic music is explored but also the approach to it; what is Nordic music and that By Norse sees this as an attitude rather than a position of where you are born and raised. Hear how three friends who had an idea with an existing, substantial catalogue of releases turned it into an evergrowing family of art and culture.
Music as Medicine – The Healing Power of Heavy Music
Featuring Chelsea Wolfe, Steve Von Till, Nate Newton (Converge), Kurator of War (Pan-Amerikan Native Front), and Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved, BardSpec). This collective of musical legends will be sharing their perspectives on how heavy music can help us stay sane in an insane world. Moderated by Firekeeper Alliance Director Charlie Speicher.
Norwegian music collective WARDRUNA are now announcing the second part of the world tour that commenced in 2024. Over forty dates in Europe and the United States have been confirmed, including iconic venues and places such as the Amphitheatre of Pompeii in Italy and The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. Wardruna will tour in support of their new, highly acclaimed album Birna.
Following successful tours in Europe, the United Kingdom and Norway, Wardruna will perform at a selected amount of summer festivals. These include Fire in the Mountains in the US, Summer Breeze Open Air in Germany and Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Romania, among others. The band will return to North America in September 2025, with Chelsea Wolfe as special guest on a number of shows. The winter of 2025 sees the band round up this extensive touring cycle in Europe, including their first ever performances in Spain and Portugal.
Tickets will go on sale on Friday, February 21 at 10 am CET (Europe) and 10 AM ET (United States).
In the summer and fall audiences in Europe and North America will witness the awakening of the bear live on stage. Playing at manmade historical locations like the world heritage site Odeon of Herodes Atticus, at Acropolis in Athens, as well as surrounded by natural wonders such as the Red Rocks in Colorado, US, Wardruna in dialogue with the audience, continues to create moments of true connection between inner and outer landscapes.
Part II of the world tour is no exception to that. In Wroclaw, Poland, the group is set to perform at the historic, UNESCO world heritage site The Centennial Hall. Wardruna have also recently announced a special concert at the Amphitheatre of Pompeii, a site of cultural significance in history and popular culture. Main composer Einar Selvik states: “We are genuinely honored to be invited to perform at the amphitheater in Pompei and it is hard to find the right words to express how special this feels. Not on only because of the historical and cultural significance of this rarely used venue but also the place it has in more recent cultural history with Pink Floyd’s legendary performance at this very site. Needless to say, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”
Wardruna released their new album Birna in January 2025 via By Norse Music and Sony Music. The album unravels the long and entangled history of the relationship between man and Bear and contemplating the present state of how we humans relate to the wild in general.
Birna was written and recorded between 2021 and 2024.
Music by Einar Selvik and Lindy-Fay Hella.
Lyrics by Einar Selvik.
Birna is performed by Einar Selvik, Lindy-Fay Hella, Eilif Gundersen, HC Dalgaard, Sondre Veland, John Stenersen, Arne Sandvoll.
The album features guest appearances by: Koret Artemis (Choir), Jonna Jinton (vocals and field recordings), Hans Fredrik Jacobsen (willow-bark flute), Kenneth Lien (Jaw-harp), Iver Sandøy (backing vocals).
Mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios.
Cover photo by Tuukka Koski. Cover artwork by Øivind A. Myksvoll
Photography by Morten Munthe
Biography by Oda Malmin
Proofreading by Lauren Barley
Wardruna live in 2024/2025
UK & Ireland 2025: With special guest: Jo Quail 17 Mar · Liverpool – Philharmonic – Low on Tickets 18 Mar · Birmingham – Symphony Hall 19 Mar · London – Royal Albert Hall – Low on Tickets 21 Mar · Bristol – Beacon – Low on Tickets 22 Mar · York – Barbican – SOLD OUT 23 Mar · Dublin – Olympia Theatre – Low on Tickets 25 Mar · Glasgow – SEC Armadillo
Norway 2025: 26 Apr · Oslo – Operaen – SOLD OUT 27 Apr · Oslo – Operaen – SOLD OUT 29 Apr · Trondheim – Olavshallen – SOLD OUT 02 May · Kristiansand – Kilden – Low on Tickets 03 May · Stavanger – Konserthuset – Low on Tickets 04 May · Bergen – Grieghallen – SOLD OUT
Summer 2025
7 Jun · Reykjavik, IS · Harpa 25-27 Jul · Red Eagle Campground, MT (USA) · Fire in the Mountains Festival 3 Aug · Rasnov, RO · Rockstadt Extreme Fest 5 Aug · Pompeii, IT · Anfiteatro degli Scavi 7 Aug · Serravalle di Chienti, IT · Montelago Celtic Festival 9 Aug · Istanbul, TR · Harbiye Open Air Theater 11 Aug · Antwerp, BE · OLT Riverenhof 13 Aug · Bristol, UK · ArcTanGent Festival 15 Aug · Dinkelsbühl, DE · SummerBreeze Open Air 16 Aug · Chemnitz, DE · Filmnächte Chemnitz Theaterplatz
North America
4 Sep · Ft. Worth, TX · Will Rogers Auditorium 5 Sep · San Antonio, TX · Tobin Center for the Performing Arts 7 Sep · Phoenix, AZ · Ikeda Theatre – Mesa Arts Center 8 Sep · Los Angeles, CA · The Greek Theatre *(no Chelsea Wolfe) 9 Sep · Oakland, CA · Paramount Theatre 11 Sep · Portland, OR · The Keller Auditorium 14 Sep · Seattle, WA · The Moore Theater 16 Sep · Salt Lake City, UT · Capitol Theatre 17 Sep · Colorado Springs, CO · Pikes Peak Center 19 Sep · Minneapolis, MN · Orpheum Theatre 20 Sep · Chicago, IL · The Auditorium Theater 22 Sep · Toronto, ON (CAN) · Massey Hall 23 Sep · Rochester, NY · Kodak Center 24 Sep · Boston, MA · Wang Theater 26 Sep · New York, NY · Beacon Theatre 27 Sep · Philadelphia, PA · Kimmel Center 28 Sep · Washington, DC · Warner Theater
Europe
14 Nov · Hannover, DE · Kuppelsaal 16 Nov · Copenhagen, DK · Det Kongelige Teater – Gamle Scene 17 Nov · Copenhagen, DK · Det Kongelige Teater – Gamle Scene 19 Nov · Stockholm, SE · Cirkus 21 Nov · Helsinki, FI · Finlandia-Talo 22 Nov · Lahti, FI · Sibeliustalo 23 Nov · Tampere, FI · Tampere-Talo 25 Nov · Tallinn, EE · Alexela Kontserdimaja 27 Nov · Wroclaw, PL · Centennial Hall 28 Nov · Munich, DE · Showpalast 29 Nov · Stuttgart, DE · Liederhalle – Beethoven-Saal 2 Dec · Porto, PT · Casa de Música 4 Dec · Madrid, ES · The Music Station 6 Dec · Toulouse, FR · Salle Horizon 7 Dec · Torino, IT · Auditorium del Lingotto 8 Dec · Strasbourg, FR · Le Palais de la Musique et des Congrès
Norwegian world music collective WARDRUNA have announced a unique show this summer. The group will be performing at the historic Anfiteatro degli Scavi, Pompeii. Aside from its historical and cultural significance, in recent cultural history, this site is known for the legendary performance by Pink Floyd. Tickets are on sale now.
On behalf of Wardruna, main composer Einar Selvik comments: “We are genuinely honored to be invited to perform at the amphitheater in Pompei and it is really hard to find the right words to express just how special this feels. Not on only because of the historical and cultural significance of this rarely used venue but also the place it has in more recent cultural history with Pink Floyd’s legendary performance at this very site. Needless to say, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”
Wardruna will perform in support of their newly released record Birna. With this record, the band seeks to address the here and now and the way forward. “The more I thought, read, and researched, the more I realized that this album should mainly have a contemporary focus. Unraveling the long and entangled history of the relationship between man and Bear and contemplating the present state of how we humans relate to the wild in general,” explains main composer Einar Selvik.
Birna was written and recorded between 2021 and 2024. Order the album at https://bio.to/Wardruna
Music by Einar Selvik and Lindy-Fay Hella. Lyrics by Einar Selvik.
Birna is performed by Einar Selvik, Lindy-Fay Hella, Eilif Gundersen, HC Dalgaard, Sondre Veland, John Stenersen, Arne Sandvoll.
The album features guest appearances by: Koret Artemis (Choir), Jonna Jinton (vocals and field recordings), Hans Fredrik Jacobsen (willow-bark flute), Kenneth Lien (Jaw-harp), Iver Sandøy (backing vocals).
Mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios.
Cover photo by Tuukka Koski. Cover artwork by Øivind A. Myksvoll
Australia& New Zealand 2025: 25 Jan – Sydney – Enmore Theatre 27 Jan – Brisbane – Fortitude Music Hall 30 Jan – Auckland – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre
UK & Ireland 2025: With special guest: Jo Quail 17 Mar – Liverpool –Philharmonic 18 Mar – Birmingham – Symphony Hall 19 Mar – London – Royal Albert Hall 21 Mar – Bristol – Beacon 22 Mar – York – Barbican – SOLD OUT 23 Mar – Dublin – Olympia Theatre 25 Mar – Glasgow – SEC Armadillo
Norway 2025: 26 Apr – Oslo – Operaen – SOLD OUT 27 Apr – Oslo – Operaen – SOLD OUT 29 Apr – Trondheim – Olavshallen – SOLD OUT 02 May – Kristiansand – Kilden – Low on Tickets 03 May – Stavanger – Konserthuset – Low on Tickets 04 May – Bergen – Grieghallen – SOLD OUT
Europe & United States 2025: 7 Jun · Reykjavik, IS · Harpa 25-27 Jul · Red Eagle Campground, MT (USA) · Fire in the Mountains 3 Aug · Rasnov, RO · Rockstadt Extreme Fest 5 Aug · Pompeii, IT · Anfiteatro degli Scavi 7 Aug · Serravalle di Chienti, IT · Montelago Celtic Festival 13 Aug · Bristol, UK · ArcTanGent Festival 15 Aug · Dinkelsbühl, DE · SummerBreeze Open Air 16 Aug · Chemnitz, DE · Filmnächte Chemnitz Theaterplatz
Norwegian world music collective WARDRUNA have released their new album ‘Birna’. Birna, translating to the she-bear in Old Norse, is a work of art dedicated to the warden of the forest, nature’s caretaker. Combined with the record, the group simulteanously released the Blu-ray/DVD, ‘Live at the Acropolis’, recorded at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis, Athens.
Birna seeks to address the here and now and the way forward. “The more I thought, read, and researched, the more I realized that this album should mainly have a contemporary focus. Unraveling the long and entangled history of the relationship between man and Bear and contemplating the present state of how we humans relate to the wild in general,” explains main composer Einar Selvik.
A six-song exploration of the bear and the cyclical process embedded both in nature and the worldview of older cultures, drives the creative process behind the album.
Birna nurtures the insight that has been at the core of Selvik’s philosophy right from the start: sowing new seeds whilst strengthening old roots. Instruments and wisdom from ancient times, coupled with modern day soundscapes and recorded sounds of nature, provide a rare opportunity to tell us something valuable about ourselves. It works as a reminder that we are part of nature, not above it, and it offers a way of remembering, not for memory’s own sake, but to gain both new and forgotten insights.
Einar Selvik comments on the release of ‘Birna’: “Today is the release of our sixth album Birna – a sonic journey into the woodland realms of the bear and its cyclic life rhythm. It is very much a conceptual album that is perhaps best experienced when listened to from beginning to end. If you wish to dive even further into the deeper meanings of the songs but don’t understand the language, then please know that our albums always include a booklet including lyrics translated into English. Give it a listen and let us know what you think.”
Birna was written and recorded between 2021 and 2024.
Music by Einar Selvik and Lindy-Fay Hella. Lyrics by Einar Selvik.
Birna is performed by Einar Selvik, Lindy-Fay Hella, Eilif Gundersen, HC Dalgaard, Sondre Veland, John Stenersen, Arne Sandvoll.
The album features guest appearances by: Koret Artemis (Choir), Jonna Jinton (vocals and field recordings), Hans Fredrik Jacobsen (willow-bark flute), Kenneth Lien (Jaw-harp), Iver Sandøy (backing vocals).
Mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios.
Cover photo by Tuukka Koski. Cover artwork by Øivind A. Myksvoll
Photography by Morten Munthe Biography by Oda Malmin Proofreading by Lauren Barley
Wardruna live in 2024/2025
Australia& New Zealand 2025: 27 Jan – Brisbane – Fortitude Music Hall 30 Jan – Auckland – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre
UK & Ireland 2025: With special guest: Jo Quail 17 Mar – Liverpool –Philharmonic 18 Mar – Birmingham – Symphony Hall 19 Mar – London – Royal Albert Hall 21 Mar – Bristol – Beacon 22 Mar – York – Barbican – SOLD OUT 23 Mar – Dublin – Olympia Theatre 25 Mar – Glasgow – SEC Armadillo
Norway 2025: 26 Apr – Oslo – Operaen – SOLD OUT 27 Apr – Oslo – Operaen – SOLD OUT 29 Apr – Trondheim – Olavshallen – SOLD OUT 02 May – Kristiansand – Kilden – Low on Tickets 03 May – Stavanger – Konserthuset – Low on Tickets 04 May – Bergen – Grieghallen – SOLD OUT
Europe & United States 2025: 07 June – Reyjavik, IS – Harpa 25 – 27 July – Read Eagle, US – Fire In The Mountains 30 Jul – 3 Aug – Rasnov, RO – Rockstadt Extreme Fest
13 – 16 Aug – Dinkelsbühl, DE – Summer Breeze Open Air
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