02.09.2026

Acoustic Virtuosos

This is a selection of concerts that bring you perhaps closer than anywhere else to the voice, the sound of the instrument and the craftsmanship behind it.

Palestinian singer and flautist Nai Barghouti brings an allstar lineup of jazz musicians to Kulturkirken Jakob, while the grand Cosmopolite venue in Torshov welcomes a rising star: a pioneering force in the renewal of flamenco guitar. Also, make sure to check out this year’s opening concert with Marcel Khalife.

Nai Barghouti m/ Ruven Ruppik, Tord Gustavsen & Steinar Raknes

This year at Oslo World, we are proud to present a spontaneous meeting between four remarkable musicians, spearheaded by the young Palestinian singer, composer and flutist Nai Barghouti.

Born in Jerusalem, Barghouti played her first concerts in Ramallah and Cairo at the age of 14, and has studied both classical music and jazz. In her studies, she explored the nexus between Arabic Tarab music and jazz improvisation, developing a distinct vocal technique, a wordless and highly ornamented style she has dubbed NaiStrumentation.

Her virtuosity evokes legendary Arab singers such as Asmahan, Umm Kulthoum and Fairouz, and she has gone on to perform packed concerts in cities all over the world. She has a remarkably varied output, incorporating ballads, folk music, electronic landscapes and improvisation. And when she briefly met the Norwegian musicians Tord Gustavsen and Steinar Raknes a couple of years ago, it soon became obvious there was room to explore more.

At Oslo World this year, we are proud to present this intriguing project, capable of great beauty and unexpected moments of musical magic.

Yerai Cortés

Seeing Yerai Cortés on stage with nothing but his guitar, surrounded by six women who sing and clap, is a captivating, stirring experience. The list of ingredients is quite simple, even sparse: six strings, six voices. But what happens then, is harder to get a grip on.

Although his professional career has only just begun, Yerai Cortés is already on his way to becoming a huge, household name. In addition to bringing something irresistibly new and even cool to the scene, his music exudes a maturity unusual for someone so young.

His rise to fame started with the impact of his first album, "La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés" (The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés), and was spurred on by the success of the film of the same name directed by Antón Álvarez (C. Tangana), which won Goya Awards for Best Documentary and Best Song in 2025, he earned a Latin Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

The release of “POPULAR,” his second album, reaffirms the potential of a guitarist who, beyond his undeniable technical skills, is also a remarkably creative instrumentalist. On the newest album, the universe of bulerías, seguiriyas, and malagueñas included in “La guitarra flamenca de Yerai Cortés” is expanded with different variations, with diverse geographical origins, that form part of a dazzling, surreal flamenco kaleidoscope.

Read more and buy tickets HERE!

Festival Guide: Patient Ecstasy

Some concerts invite you to dive deep — music that traces long arcs and sprawling soundscapes you can zoom in on, or simply zone out to. Patience music comes in many shades, from ancient traditions to brand-new experiments. This year, for example, we present Mazaher, who perform transcendental, hypnotic music rooted in ancient Egyptian funeral rituals. Gamelan Shockbreaker, meanwhile, brings together a virtuosic gamelan orchestra and some of Norway’s most accomplished jazz musicians. Also keep an eye out for the artists we recommend in Friday Picks, Explosive Bands and Noisy Neighbours.

Festival guide: Hot dancefloors

Autumn may bring miserable weather and low temperatures, but at Oslo World, we’re going to dance. All week long, there will be a range of club events at Jaeger and other venues – check out the club programme here for a dedicated overview. We can also guarantee movement when the legends of Hovedøen Social Club take over Cosmopolite, at the Kacper, Le Motel & Magugu night at Trekanten, and not least when the wildly youthful cumbia orchestra Frente Cumbiero make Nasjonal Jazzscene shake to its foundations. And the dancing doesn’t stop there, of course – check out Explosive Bands, for example, for more hot tips.

Festival Guide: New Sounds from the Andes!

In recent years, there has been a surge of new artists creating pop, club music and experimental sounds rooted in the Andean region. At Nasjonal Jazzscene, you can experience A.CHAL’s eclectic diaspora pop and Peruvian trap queen Renata Flores, who blends contemporary genres with the Quechua language on Saturday. Also keep an eye out for the duo Los Thuthanaka, who played one of the best concerts we’ve seen all year at Roskilde in summer 2026.

Festival guide: The Legends

Oslo World is a festival where you can hear the very latest, while also experiencing the currents of history and craftsmanship refined over many decades. The great Lebanese oud player and singer Marcel Khalife will open our festival, while the Italian Renaissance man and free spirit Jovanotti will play the closing concert. At Cosmopolite, you can experience an intimate encounter with the much-loved cult artist Beverly Glenn-Copeland.

Festival Guide: Norway Rides the Wave

By now, we’ve probably been talking about the new (young) Norwegian folk music wave for so long that it can be considered part of the new normal. And thank goodness for that! Two artists demonstrate the breadth of this scene. Inger Hannisdal draws on both Arab and Norwegian traditions in a band that shows how what’s happening on this scene is also driven by a spirit of musical adventure. The trio Ævestaden are a sensation both live and on record, and are coming to interpret a folk music classic from 2001 – and 1934.