Festival Guide: Waves from the Balkans
Two very different and outstanding bands from the Balkans are coming to the festival this year – legendary Dubioza Kolektiv are riding high after an unexpected World Cup hit, and are set to fill Sentrum Scene to the rafters with their trademark madness. Virtuoso duo Kalem bring together musical influences from across the region and have become a much-loved group over the past decade. You can experience why at Kulturkirken Jakob.
Dubioza Kolektiv
Sentrum Scene
28 October
The spectacular Dubioza Kolektiv are returning to Oslo World. Back in 2022, they delivered an ecstatic show to a fired-up, sweaty audience at a packed-out Cosmopolite. This autumn, it’s Sentrum Scene’s turn. But there’s no need to wait for the excitement, as Dubioza Kolektiv have already become part of the soundtrack to summer 2026. Their song “USA” – and its chorus, “I am from Bosnia, take me to America” – has truly become one of the defining songs of the World Cup, as well as of the Bosnian national team’s campaign in the tournament. A party anthem full of homesickness that has made Dubioza Kolektiv even bigger in Bosnia and Herzegovina, across the Balkans and beyond.
Dubioza Kolektiv are a band like no other. They have built their identity around challenging norms, embracing the absurd and refusing to fit neatly into expectations – whether those expectations come from society, culture or the music industry. Their music knows no boundaries: a multilingual blend of Balkan sounds and influences, ska, punk, reggae, electronic music and hip-hop. One moment irresistibly catchy, the next raw and unpredictable, it is always delivered with wit, irony and a mischievous refusal to ever take themselves too seriously.
Read more and buy tickets HERE!
You can also meet Dubioza Kolektiv at a free artist talk at Lillescenen, Chateau Neuf, on 27 October at 5:30 PM.
Kalem Duo
Kulturkirken Jakob
29 October
Kalem perform traditional and original music with an unmistakably personal twist rooted in their homeland. Music from across the Balkans – from north, south and east – comes together effortlessly in their sound. The longing of sevdah music and the inspiration of Persian maqam are combined with rhythms from the southern Balkans and love songs inspired by other parts of Europe. It is a complex blend that feels entirely natural, thanks to the sparse duo format and the deep personal and artistic connection between the two Serbian musicians, Stefan Ilić and Dušan Popović Lipovac.
The concert is presented in collaboration with Nejra Majdanac.
Read more and buy tickets HERE!
