At the beginning of August, jazz enthusiasts set up an arena on the waterfront in Hemnesberget. This is preparation for a popular three-day music festival.
In 2016, the club Hemnesjazz was named “Jazz Club of the Year” by Norway Jazz Forum. Their clubhouse, which once housed a hardware store, is called Jernvaren.
Many upcoming stars played at the Hemnesjazz Festival long before the rest of Norway, and in some cases the rest of the world, knew who they were. That said, many already famous musicians have also played at the August festival or have held concerts at other times of the year.
During the festival, the waterfront of Hemnesberget village is especially lively. The outdoor concerts at Lapphella, Hundneset and Bakken are not to be missed! The aforementioned Jernvaren, the park and the local church are other festival concert venues which have unique settings for great music experiences.
Each festival has its own character. Hemnesjazz has always tried to combine musical quality with social well-being. That the festival is rooted in the village, between the houses, is important here. The various scenes, serving places and meeting points are spread out. This means that people are in motion, while the mood changes depending on where you are. In sum, a pulsating interaction where the music, the food, the people, the houses, the streets, the fjord and the mountains form part of a unique whole.
In 2021, the Lapphella Kulturarena was inaugurated, and the following year the outdoor stage Bakken by Jernvaren was finished. These new arenas – designed by our local, successful architectural office Tanken Arkitektur – have been set up through persistent hard voluntary work.
Welcome to Hemnesjazz, and to many fine concerts at Jernvaren!
