PROGRAM – Saturday, 31.10.2026
@Løvetann studios
13:00 – 14:00
Juan Hang Sound Journey: handpan, acoustic sound, electronicsand deep listening
Not quite a concert, not quite a workshop. Chilean musician Juan Hang invites you on an immersive sound journey combining the hypnotic tones of the handpan with gentle electronics and atmospheric textures. Sit or lie down, close your eyes and let the music surround you. An hour to slow down, listen deeply and experience sound in a different way. Open to all ages, no musical experience needed.
@Backbeat
12:00 – 13:30
DJ Darek Mazzone (KEXP)
Straight from Seattle’s legendary KEXP radio station, DJ Darek Mazzone brings a global mix of sounds, rhythms and musical discoveries. Expect an eclectic journey across continents, genres and cultures.
13:30 – 15:00
DJ Fitz
DJ Fitz takes you on a musical journey across borders, blending unexpected sounds, infectious grooves and rhythms from around the world. Come curious, leave dancing!
@Ukranian Association (Storgata 99)
12:00 – 17:00
Workshop: Make the perfect varenyky
Discover the art of making varenyky, traditional Ukrainian dumplings! Get your hands into the dough, learn the secrets of this beloved dish and experience a little taste of Ukrainian culture.
12:00 – 17:00
Workshop: Name-embroidery keychain
Get creative and make your own personalized keychain inspired by Ukrainian embroidery traditions. Learn simple stitching techniques and take home a colourful handmade souvenir.
@Tromsø Library
12:00 – 14:00
Rabalder/Riedja activities for children (0-12)
Our friends from Rabalder/Riedja bring their playful festival spirit to Tromsø World! A fun and creative space for children and families to explore, create and enjoy together.
@Storgata Camping
12:00 – 12:45
SYDISDANS WORKSHOP with DJ Konradsen + guests
As a part of Tromsø World Free, we are excited to invite everyone to a workshop in Sydis, with none other than Eilert Åhren as instructor. Sydis-dance is a traditional South Sami dance based on foxtrot that is practiced across the border between Norway and Sweden. This course is part of a whole day of dancing and activities during Tromsø World Free, and if you wish to put your Sydis-dance skills to the test after the workshop, there will be a Sydis-club at the end of the festival day on Saturday. The course is free and open for everyone, (age limit 0-120 years) and no prior knowledge is required, so bring your great-grandmother, nephew and come dance with us!
13:00 – 13:45
LINEDANCE with Eva Svaneblom
Eva Svaneblom (she/her) is a Tornedalian dance artist from north Sweden, now based in Tromsø, Norway.
“My work is about the body – how it is shaped by the places and people around it. I like to take stereotypes and turn them on their head, mixing my Tornedalian background with my queer identity.
A theme that runs through everything I make is community – I am interested in how art can bring people together and help them get insight into experiences different from their own.”
Eva’s work takes many different forms and for Tromsø World Free she invites you to line dance together with her! In line dance, everyone stands in rows and does the same steps at the same time, all facing the same way – no partner needed. We learn a short routine with a few simple steps and moves and then just enjoy the powerful feeling of dancing together, repeating the same routine – everyone moving in step to the music.
14:00 – 14:45
CEILIDH – SCOTTISH DANCE SESSION with Jamie Michal Bivard
I’m Jamie, originally from Scotland, where Ceilidh dancing is at the heart of weddings, community gatherings, and all kinds of celebrations. I’ve spent years teaching dance to groups of all ages, and I love creating spaces where people can move, laugh, and connect through dance.
I’m excited to guide you through a Ceilidh workshop full of music, movement, and shared fun. Ceilidh dances are social, easy to pick up, and perfect for everyone – no experience needed. We’ll dive into partner dances, group formations, and big joyful patterns that get the whole room smiling. Expect teamwork, lively energy, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere from start to finish.
@Amtmandens, Bakkrommet
13:00 – 13:40
CONCERT: FREDSDEPARMANTET
Fredsdepartementet (The Ministry of Peace) was created in response to the lack of stronger voices and institutions advocating for peace and non-violent approaches in times of war and unrest. At a time when weapons increasingly seem to be the preferred tools for resolving conflicts, we need clearer voices and more space to make the case for peace. Ideally, Norway would have its own Ministry of Peace. Until then, the temporary Fredsdepartementet contributes to the debate through music. Fredsdepartementet brings together music and poetry exploring non-violence, disarmament, bridge-building and peaceful paths out of crisis and war.
@Rådstua Teaterhus, Provisoriet
11:00-13:30
Screening: SHORT FILMS in collaboration with the Visual Anthropology department at UiT.
14.00-14.20
Movie: RENATUS by Marsil Andjelov Al-Mahamid
In July 2020, I had a serious accident on Hamperokken, a high and steep mountain near Tromsø. I slipped and fell at an altitude of 1,100 metres, tumbling 80 metres down a snow-covered and icy mountainside. Fortunately, I was with a friend who immediately called for help. I was unconscious when the emergency services arrived and was airlifted to the hospital by helicopter. After several weeks in a medically induced coma, I woke up at the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN), with no idea where I was or what had happened. I was suffering from memory loss. I was unable to speak, move, or think clearly, and many of my body’s basic functions were impaired. I could barely say a few words in Serbian, my native language. Fortunately, over time, my brain and body were able to heal. Creating art inspired by my accident is a powerful way for me to communicate resilience and hope to others. Through my art, I can show that it is possible to recover, rebuild yourself, and find a way forward, despite the challenges and setbacks that life may bring.
14:20-14:50
Q&A with Marsil Andjelov Al-Mahamid
@Small Projects
15:00 – 16:00
ARTLAB with Lin, Pei-Han & Son Hakkyung / in collab w/ Davvi Centre for Performing Arts
This performance laboratory, initiated by two Asian women working in Tromsø, examines the embodied effects of microaggressions within a Nordic context. It focuses on the physical and psychological tension produced by “Nordic kindness,” obligated service, and reductive stereotypes imposed on Asian female bodies. Through performance and digital screens as internal mediators, the project reveals the hidden conflict between outward compliance and inner resistance.
Lin, Pei-Han is a multidisciplinary artist. Her art demonstrates the potential of art as a tool for political protest, revealing the shared colonial experiences and cultural erasure faced by marginalized communities, while sparking discussions on contemporary cultural identity and external influences. Lin holds a B Arch in Architecture Design from Shin Chien University in Taipei, Taiwan, and MFAs from the Art Academies in Trondheim and Tromsø, Norway. Her works exhibited across Norway and internationally.
Son Hakkyung is a visual and performance – based artist based in Tromsø, Norway. She holds Master’s degrees in Fine Art and Indigenous Studies from UiT – The Arctic University of Norway. Her practice explores the body as a site of memory, focusing on silence, identity, political pressure, and lived experience as an Asian woman in Northern Europe. She works with performance, minimal gestures,and research-based artistic methods.
