The legend Grace Jones is ready for the Kongsberg Jazz Festival and the new outdoor stage at Kvarten
Kongsberg Jazz Festival is moving the largest stage back to the historic Kvarten in 2025. At the same time, we are proud to present the icon Grace Jones and Norwegian rock's vocal beacon Sivert Høyem at our new concert arena.
In 2025, Kongsberg Jazz Festival will take its biggest concerts to an area with solid historical roots: the green oasis Kvarten down by Lågen. Kongsberg Jazz Festival's new main stage will offer the audience big names and great music in scenic surroundings, with an intimate park feel and a natural amphitheater that is guaranteed to create great experiences. There will be concerts at Kvarten on Friday and Saturday during this year's festival and a capacity of up to 5000 spectators per evening is planned.
The first artists ready for the new stage at Kvarten are pop culture icon Grace Jones with an exclusive Norwegian concert, and Sivert Høyem, who can look back on more than 25 years as the leading voice of Norwegian rock with Madrugada and on his own. Sivert Høyem will perform on Friday, July 4, while Grace Jones will take the Kvarten stage on Saturday, July 5. An additional 1-2 artists will be announced per evening.
– We believe Kvarten will provide a more intimate concert experience with a capacity that is well suited to a festival city like Kongsberg. We want to create an arena where the audience can enjoy an entire festival evening. Here you can enjoy concerts in historic and scenic surroundings, says festival director Ragnhild Menes.
Grace Jones exclusively at Kongsberg
Artist, supermodel and actress – Grace Jones has a completely unique charisma and a unique ability to create excitement and admiration.
With albums like night clubbing (1981) and Slave to the Rhythm (1985) she united reggae, new wave and pop in ways that broke genre boundaries and influenced both the present and the future. Songs like "Pull Up to the Bumper", "Slave To The Rhythm" and "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)" are iconic examples of her ability to unite globally oriented soundscapes with contemporary, often urban expressions.
Read more about Grace Jones here.
On stage, she combines a theatrical appearance with a musical precision that makes each concert a unique and visual experience. Over the past decade, she has headlined the Øya Festival, Piknik i Parken and a wide range of European festivals, to rave reviews from both the press and the audience. Grace Jones will take the Kvarten stage on Saturday, July 5, and this will be her only concert in Norway.
Celebration with Høyem on the new stage
Sivert Høyem will take to the new Kvarten stage on Friday, June 4. He has been one of Norwegian rock's leading voices since Madrugada made their debut album with Industrial Silence in 1999. He is a guarantee of unforgettable rock melancholy and goosebumps, both on record and when he and his distinguished band take over the beautiful venue right on the banks of Lågen. Latest album addition to his solo discography, Dancing Headlights, is released on February 7th, with the single "Love vs. The World" out now.
Solid support for the move
The move to Kvarten has been made possible through good cooperation with the Norwegian Mining Museum, which owns the land in the area. The festival has also had a positive dialogue with the municipality and local stakeholders, and is experiencing great support for the initiative.
Over the years, the quarter has been part of Kongsberg's cultural history, including as an arena for folk festivals and jazz camps. Many will remember the Kongsbergdagene, Kanonlotteriet and Bluesteltet in this area. Since 2019, Barnivalen, Norway's longest-running children's festival and Kongsberg Jazz Festival's main attraction for families with young children, has been held here. Barnivalen will be redesigned in 2025, well adapted to the needs of the little ones. More information about this will come at a later date.
– For 60 years, Kongsberg Jazz Festival has been in continuous development, and the move to Kvarten is really just another example of how we as a festival constantly balance tradition with innovation, just like jazz music itself. We are looking forward to writing a new chapter in the festival's history, says festival director Ragnhild Menes.
Everything you need to know about the new Kvarten stage
Photo by Grace Jones: Andrea Klarin
