The Nordic Light Experience.
Nordic Light International Festival of Photography is more than a festival. It is a meeting place for people, images, and stories that stay with you.
For twenty years, Nordic Light has brought some of the world’s most remarkable photographers and visual voices to Kristiansund on Norway’s Atlantic edge. Here, iconic names, new perspectives, and a curious audience come together through talks, exhibitions, masterclasses, conversations, and experiences that reach far beyond what one might expect from a traditional festival.
This anniversary edition, Memento Vivere – remember that you live – sets the tone for a festival that is about more than photography alone. It is about presence. About light. About people. About art that makes us pause, see more clearly, and feel more deeply.
What makes Nordic Light truly special is the rare closeness between audience and artists. Here, there is only a short distance between international speakers, powerful exhibitions, spontaneous encounters, morning swims by the sea, long conversations in the festival café, and unforgettable moments in the auditorium. The festival holds both the intimate and the grand — both professional depth and pure joy of life.
At the heart of it all is Kristiansund: the beautiful coastal town where sea, history, weather, people, and a distinct Nordic light create the setting for the experience. There is something about the atmosphere here. Something open, raw, and warm at the same time. Nordic Light is not a festival you simply visit — it is a festival you step into.
For photographers, art lovers, cultural travellers, students, industry professionals, and anyone seeking powerful experiences, Nordic Light is one of the most distinctive festivals in the Nordic region.
This is a place to see, to learn, to connect, and to live.
Festival Highlights.
Ten days. One festival. Countless reasons to come.
From morning swims and the festival café to powerful talks, exclusive masterclasses, exhibition openings, cinema experiences, dinners, music, and late evenings in great company — Nordic Light 2026 is designed as a complete experience, not just a series of programme entries.
Here is some of what awaits:
International names and powerful encounters
Experience talks, conversations, and personal meetings with leading photographers and visual voices from Norway and abroad, including George Holz, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Torkil Færø, René Konings, Øistein Jacobsen, and more.
Masterclasses and professional immersion
Learn from some of the best in the field through exclusive workshops and masterclasses. This is your chance to get close to process, craft, experience, and artistic vision — with high professional quality and limited places.
Exhibitions throughout the festival
Nordic Light presents a rich exhibition programme featuring both established names and new perspectives. Wander through powerful visual worlds and experience photography as art, documentation, presence, and storytelling.
A festival with energy from morning to night
The day might begin with a morning swim, continue with talks, exhibitions, and café life — and end with cinema, wine, conversations, celebrations, or major evening events. The festival lives throughout the day, and the atmosphere is an essential part of the experience.
Unique special experiences
Opening celebrations, exhibition openings, wine & dine events, photo walks, portfolio reviews, Leica and Canon experiences, tactile print sessions, and selected special events give the festival breadth and character.
Kristiansund as the setting
Nordic Light is also about place. The beautiful coastal town, the light, the sea, the people, and the sense of closeness create an atmosphere you will not find anywhere else. Here, art and landscape meet in a way that makes the entire visit an experience.
Memento Vivere
This year’s theme reminds us of something essential: to live. To see. To be present. It gives the festival an emotional and human resonance that elevates the entire programme.