Festival program‍‍ ‍ | Artist Gallery ‍ | Info ‍ | News‍ ‍ | Sponsors

Image of a graphic illustration with yellow and orange circles against a dark blue and striped background, partially covered by a red circle with the text 'RINGE SLUTTEY'.

The Hamsunda Days 2026 are titled The Ring is Over!

The program offers literature seminars, a celebration at Hamsun's childhood home, concerts, author meetings and art from both Norway and abroad.

Hamsundagene UNG will be held on Friday, August 7, with a separate program for children and young people and activities for the whole family.

This year's Hamsundager is almost ready - with a packed arts and culture program that will give a little something for everyone and a lot for some! And of course there will be HamsundageneUNG - the festival where young people create a festival for young people. This will be held in parallel with Hamsundagene on the last day of the festival, Friday 7 August.

In keeping with tradition, there will also be an official festival opening on Tuesday, August 4th at the Childhood Home in Hamsund – with everything that the Hamsun heart embraces: a speech for the day, an exhibition and a concert. There will be a walk through Knud Pedersen's parents' living room, where little Knud grew up... and of course the traditional red wine.

The Literature Seminar is back! From lunch on August 4th to brunch (3:30 PM) on August 5th, we will present the latest in Hamsun research and more. We have invited some of the country's leading Hamsun experts to shed light on various themes within the author's work.

This year there will also be a rich music program on several stages. We have received professional help from Germany to curate a full program for this year's festival, with both national and international artists.

And the book, which is always at the center during Hamsundagene, will be well represented, in Sami, Norwegian, English and Kven.

Kickstart Hamsundagene with a concert film screening!

Monday, August 3
at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

We kick off the party with a screening of the concert film Ednama sjatto.
New Sami music from 2024 will be performed live to the old silent film, Markens grøde from 1921.

A group of musicians performing a concert on a stage with a large screen showing a black and white image of two people, a man and a woman, sitting at a small table outdoors.

click here for tickets and more information

The official opening of Hamsundays 2026 will take place on Knut Hamsun's birthday. We will start at his childhood home.

program for the day
Literature seminars, book talks and concerts throughout The Hamsun Centre We start with Breakfast Conversation on the 5th floor.

program for the day
More book talks, more concerts, art premieres, about the Casino in Sapmi, and other stories.

program for the day
This day is mostly for young people, but also a little for adults, check the program here.

program for the day

Hamsundagene was established in 1982 on Hamarøy, where Knut Hamsun grew up. The festival is held mainly every other year around Hamsun's birthday, August 4, and aims to celebrate and explore Hamsun's writing and life.

Over the years, the festival has evolved from a purely literary seminar to include a wide range of cultural events, such as theater performances, concerts, and art exhibitions. This has helped to attract a diverse audience and create a popular festival with great engagement both locally and nationally.

In recent years, Hamsundagene has engaged in current social issues, such as the inclusion of Lule Sami language and culture, as well as a focus on queer perspectives in literature. This has been part of the festival's goal to be relevant and inclusive.