Photo credit: Kenneth Spadberg/Foap/Visitnorway.com
“Stop and smell the roses”—a saying many of us are very familiar with, and quite literally, an absolute must when you’re in Molde.
As mentioned in the June issue of Viking, this charming maritime city on Norway’s Romsdal Peninsula is dubbed as the “Town of Roses,” as lush roses fill private and public gardens, line streets in front of shops and are handed out as welcoming bouquets to tourists as ships arrive into the harbor.
But there’s another must one should enjoy during the flourishing summer months: Moldejazz.
Moldejazz, which also goes by Molde International Jazz Festival, was founded in 1961 and is the second-oldest jazz festival in Europe. The festival is held during the 29th week of the year, making this year’s dates July 15-20. And to put this festival’s astounding scope into perspective, approximately 120 concerts are held, 22,000 tickets are sold, 500 artists perform, 600 people volunteer, and 60,000 people visit Molde for the six-day festival, according to the Moldejazz’s website.
Performers at the 2019 festival range from up-and-comers to notable names, including two-time Grammy winner singer Gregory Porter, long-standing Norwegian string jazz quartet Hot Club de Norvège, and rising star Siril Malmedal Hauge, who won the “Young Talent Award” at 2018’s Moldejazz.