Bounded by Blood: Midgardsblot 2026

Editor’s note: As you’ll shortly see, there is a mention of blood.

When I told my daughter that I was going to be away for a few days in August to attend Midgardsblot, she was at first a little bit disappointed. After all, she had had so much fun last year when the whole family went that she probably would have had a blast again now. Unfortunately, scheduling this trip proved more difficult that last time, so in the end, I decided to just make a short solo trip and witness the first two days of the fest before heading right back home. Later, however, she rallied a bit and accepted that I go, on one condition:

«Dad? When you go to the viking festival, you have to put blood on your face. You must promise. And take a picture.»

I told her I would try my best, but reminiscing about the long lines of attendees (self-styled «bloters») waiting, for some of them, over an hour to participate in the festival’s opening ritual, I knew it would be hard.

Nevertheless, when the day to depart came, I was quite confident things would go well enough. While last year’s trip proved to be quite logistically challenging, with us staying quite far from the festival grounds, I had now booked two nights at a camping ground less than a mile north of the festival, Rørestrand Camping. Although I briefly considered pitching up my tent at festival’s official camping grounds, a little bit closer to the festival albeit to the south of it, that would not have made economic sense for a single person for just two nights. If you are a bigger group staying the whole festival, or even a whole week (the camping is open Monday through Sunday), however, this might be the most practical option.

This year, I also wanted to try the western route to Borre, where Midgardsblot is held. In previous years, I would come to Oslo, then take the train to Moss, on the east side of the Oslo fjord before taking the ferry, and then the bus to the festival. This time I instead tried the train to Skoppum, just a few miles west of Borre. That line, which offers regular departures from Oslo also connects neatly with the local bus system so that it is in many ways a much more straightforward, pleasant, and even a little bit cheaper alternative to the Moss route.

After getting off by Rørestrand, which is located just five minutes away from the main bus line, I quickly pitched my tent before heading to the festival via the local bike path. 20 minutes later and I was there already, although the opening blot’s drumming soundtrack could be heard much earlier than that. After getting my press pass, which this year also included an all-access photo-pit accreditation, I meandered to the small field outside the longhouse where the blot was taking place. Looking at the schedule it seemed that the ceremony had been going on for about two hours and was about to end.

After witnessing the last few revelers getting smudged and bloodying themselves in front of the the godpoles, the ritual was finally brought to an end by Benny, one of the member of Folket Bortafor Nordavinden, Midgardblot’s house band and organizer of the blot ritual. Blowing a sheep horn, he brought his drumming comrades to a standstill before shouting : «Let’s have fun everybody!»

Onlookers started leaving the grounds, and for the first time I could get closer to the ritual site. The god poles were soaked with blood. The already dark wood they were carved out of appeared almost purple, and shiny like the lacquer of a brand new car. In front of the statues lay ceramic bowls still half filled with blood, and reddened branches and leaves the bloters used to smear the statues.

Not many people were left. Some of the musicians are still hanging around, chatting with each other, and a lone late-comer or two could be seen, applying a bit of blood on themselves in a hurry. I thought then, «why not ? It will amuse the child.» So I crouched down, dipped my index and middle finger into the bowl, and daubed a little blood on my forehead. I won’t be looking like the cool kids all lathered in coats and coats of the stuff all over their bodies, but at least I can say I did it.

Now with that out of the way, I set out to see what’s new for Midgardsblot in 2026 and whether its impressive lineup will make for a truly great celebration this time around as well.

Meeting up with, just like last year, Viggo and Pål-Cato, I decide to join them on a tour of the premises. As it happens, while the three main stages are all where they are supposed to be and the area around the longhouse remains fairly similar to the previous years, the main stage and the market areas have been largely remodeled. In previous years, the main stage area was pretty bare, save for a single beer tent to the back, and virtually all commercial booths were located up the field, in the vicinity of the viking reenactors’ camp.

In 2026, this formula got turned on its head: the only booths left standing within the viking camp are those of craftsmen and people selling clothes, jewelry, ornaments, musical instruments, and the like. Almost everything else got moved within the main stage area, even the much-lauded cigar-lounge! As a result, the reenactor’s camp felt a lot larger, livelier, and more thematically coherent than the previous years. Strangely though, a security checkpoint had been erected between it and the main festival area. Maybe due to fear that rowdy vikings could too easily smuggle liquor, contraband and edged weapons to the main stage?

Regardless of the logic behind it all, this rearrangement works well. Now, most food trucks, merch booths, bars, as well as the cigar lounge and its barber-shop annex and cocktail bar, all lay within a few hundred yards to the main stage. Gone is the conundrum facing the hungry music lover: a tasty hot dog or actually being able to listen to your favorite band? I for one, am very positive to this new setup. However, having already eaten my fill at a Filipino food stand just outside the festival grounds, I was by that time only hungry for one thing: music. With just two days at my disposal, I would have to be quick on my feet to see all the bands on my list.

Did I succeed? No. As always at Midgardsblot, you get carried away here and there, get up a bit too late, wander a bit too deep in the woods, wait too long in line for a meal, or, more commonly, keep bumping into friends, old and new, and suddenly forget all about that cool new act you were thinking of checking out. Besides my old colleagues Viggo and Pål-Cato, with whom I watched most of the bands this year, I was able to have a chat or two with a fair few acquaintances from the academic world. Once again, if only to be able to meet up with kindred spirits, Midgardsblot is worth the price of admission.

I was also lucky to hang out with a few other, otherwise unknown attendees, both within the festival grounds and outside. On the second evening for instance, as it happens sometimes, I was strongly exhorted to join a group of severely inebriated Norwegians who had just pitched their tent just a few feet away from mine. With a revolting disregard for Norwegian law, they even brought up homemade berry wine, which, fearing for my safety and with no way to call the constabulary for help, I was forced to consume. It tasted alright.

With all that in mind, I was quite content with the bands I was able to see this year: eight, or four per day, which I will proceed to present briefly.

Nemuer

 

A quartet hailing from Czechia, Nemuer was the first band I saw this year. Making use of mostly acoustic instruments such as the tegelharpa, percussion, strings, and flutes, the band created a thick ambient sound, where slow-paced droning brought the audience to silent contemplation. Vocal harmonies, mixed with guttural throat-singing sections and the occasional use of tremolo-picked electric guitars completed the sonic profile of a band whose total package of music, atmosphere, and aesthetics seemed almost tailor-made for Midgardsblot.

Taake

 

Probably the band I was the most excited to see live this year, Taake, hailing from western Norway’s metropolis, Bergen, did not disappoint. Active for over three decades, Taake’s mastermind, frontman and multi-instrumentalist Hœst has not only produced some of the best Norwegian black metal records ever made, but also remains very much active in the scene, releasing albums and touring like few bands of that area still do. Preceded on stage by four touring musicians and a niðstöng featuring the effigy of a bloodied decapitated horse head, Hœst completely dominated the stage during their short but explosive set. A true heavy metal frontman, he channeled the energy of his high-octane songs into a display of absolute bravado that quickly inspired the festival’s first moshpits. Surprisingly enough, the melodic side of the band’s tunes remained very much intact in this metallic inferno of a performance where absolutely crushing blasts inter-spaced with groovier, rocking choruses created a dynamic whirlwind. That gig has so much energy to it that it could easily have been twice as long and closed the whole festival, if not the day. By far the best performance of the festival as far as I am concerned.

Songleikr

 

Tipped off by Viggo and Pål-Cato’s, who insisted that Heilung’s side project Songleikr had been their favorite act of the 2024 festival, I decided to check them out this year. Thankfully playing on the main stage this time, they were difficult to miss, and attracted a massive crowd even before playing their first song. Fronted by Heilung’s Maria Franz, Songleikr performed a wholly acoustic set driven by its trio of female singers who did not shy way from witty onstage banter and commentary that the audience welcomed with open arms. As for their music, Songleikr sounded about like what I expected them to: a folk-inspired outfit taking inspiration from female-fronted Nordic neofolk and medieval-ish bands of yesteryear. Although they indeed sounded very good, and the dynamic vocal harmonies clearly captured the minds of the festival-goers, it might all have been a little too soft, safe, and expected for my taste. Still, the bandmates’ showmanship and chemistry made for an agreeable live show which might bode well for the project’s future.

Sólstafir

 

These Icelandic post-rockers have long been a favorite band of mine, and even if their latest album felt somewhat unfocused, seeing them live was still very much on my bucket-list. The band stepped on stage just after the sun had set, a most fitting time for the band’s largely introspective and sorrowful music to blossom into the newborn night. Unfortunately, Sólstafir’s performance did not reach the heights I had expected it would. First of all, the mixing was absolutely atrocious. Drums and bass were way too high and completely crushed the subtle guitar harmonies so characteristic of the band, and while the more prog-influenced drumming was actually kinda nice to hear (almost) on its own, the bass’s droning slabs of sound were not even distinct enough to enjoy them. In addition, the band, a quartet, relied way too much on sampled vocals, keyboards, choirs, and other instruments for my taste. While I know it is often an issue with live bands that make use of rich orchestrations for their studio albums, this trick only underscored the paucity of recognizable instrumentation which did not get much better as the show went on. Sure, they did play Djákinn, and Fjara from their legendary double album Svartir Sandar, but even then the only thing that could be heard clearly were the vocals and one guitar track, at least when the rhythm section wasn’t being too obnoxious. I also found the decision to close the performance with “Her Fall From Grace 666,” a rather tepid English-language ballad, was a bit tonally deaf. All in all, a bit of a deception I am saddened to say.

Wolves in the Throne Room

 

A titan within the atmospheric subgenre of Black Metal and one of the originator and most respected members of the so-called Cascadian black metal scene of the Pacific Northwest, Wolves in the Throne Room (WITTR in short) have been practically unavoidable for anyone getting into black metal in the past two decades. Although their show in the late afternoon sun might not have been the ideal setup for a band hailing from the cloudy humid forests of Washington State, the quartet still managed to distill the essence of their music and aesthetics in their Midgardsblot show. Kicking off their show with ethereal samples, almost calling passers-by to the stage, WITTR quickly descended upon the stage and started blasting away. All the while very atmospheric and very heavy, the band’s music was unfortunately somewhat cheapened by the same mixing issues that plagued Sólstafir the previous day. If a bit of guitar could be heard in the mix, it was the rhythm section and the vocals that took the lion’s share of the sound that day. Thankfully, the Weaver brothers, in charge respectively of lead vocals and the drums, performed exceedingly well. Nathan’s despairing howls echoed far and wide in the parched Norwegian countryside while Aaron’s frenetic drumming actually managed to create a feeling of primal, very physical trance. A great show all things considered, one that made me want to experience the band live again in better conditions.

Bærzerk

 

After securing myself a cold waffle by the long-hall, I decided to attempt to have a look at who was playing in the cramped Iron-Age dance floor. Fully prepared to wait in line for a while before being given the privilege to get my nose through the door, I was positively surprised when my photo-pit access pass got me in at once. To be fairly honest, I had no idea who was playing then, but when I was met with the harsh thrashing of Bærzerk I knew I had gotten lucky to enter. A local band made of dedicated teenagers, Bærzerk play an unrelenting black metal that hails some of the most primitive and vicious founders of the genre. No emo arpeggios or mid-tempo BS in other words. Superb, deafening drumming, sharp guitars and outrageous shrieks is what I was met with, and it was absolutely invigorating. A nice surprise for sure, that absolutely would have been worth queuing for a little while to witness.

Between Two Worlds

 

Abbath Doom Occulta, as he is commonly know in the Metal scene, is one of the most notable frontmen to have emerged from the 90s Norwegian black metal scene. After developing an outrageous über-metal persona and releasing some truly foundational records with his band Immortal, Abbath started branching out in the mid 2000s when the band was inactive. The resulting project, simply titled « I » then released an album that was broadly praised by the critic. A mixture of classic Heavy Metal and Black Metal atmosphere, the album, Between Two Worlds fit well with the then growing viking metal scene and it was to the disappointment of many that the project was quickly abandoned and Immortal restarted. Now in 2026, out of Immortal again, and despite his own solo project’s demanding schedule, Abbath decided to resurrect I and start touring, to test these songs for the first time live in over two decades. As a friend of mine living in Abbath’s hometown Bergen once told me: «seeing Abbath live is always a great time, regardless what he plays.» So this was with a certain sense of anticipation that I stood in front of Midgardsblot’s main stage on Thursday evening to see how much truth there was in these words.

The verdict: 100% true. Abbath, flanked by original members Ice Dale and Armagedda and newcomer Andreas F. Salbu, put on a great show. Obviously having a great time playing together, the band delivered its powerful, square, and epic tunes to a fully conquered audience. The more mid-tempo and straightforward nature of I’s music not only made for a good festival fare, but was also easier to mix, as there were no issues on that front during the band’s nearly one hour long show. There were, however, some problems on stage, as Abbath had to restart a song twice in short succession due in-ears monitors malfunctioning. I also noticed what seemed like some sort of teleprompter screen right by his mike-stand which I assume were to help him remember lyrics that he was unfamiliar with. Otherwise, the man put on a hell of a show and I certainly hope he and his bandmates will consider recording another album, because hearing more of this material will never get old.

Venom

The last band I saw live at Midgardsblot this year was the British legendary outfit Venom, or at least some version of it. As with some cult old metal bands, the old bandmates of Venom split apart only to establish competing bands. As there nowadays exist no less than three versions of Venom, I should mention that the once that headlined Thursday’s night at Midgardsblot featured original guitarist and drummer Mantas and Abaddon. Often credited with developing the sound and image of extreme metal in the early 80s, Venom is an old-school heavy metal band at heart and not really all that harsh. Nevertheless, they drew in quite the crowd, starting from their opening song, “Witching Hour,” one of their absolute heaviest. Bringing with them a slew of guest singers to enliven their old songs, Mantas/Abaddon’s Venom benefited from a great, ample sound that resonated deeply in the Norwegian countryside. However, as I listened to a couple more songs, I could not bring me to really get hyped by their performance. Take away the historical value of the band’s early albums, and what you are stuck with is mostly just a primitive Heavy Metal. Not really being my cup of tea, I ended up heading out before the end of the show, and for me, the festival.

All in all, if I had to summarize my experience at Midgardsblot this year, I would have hard time to find much negative to say. The lineup was exciting as all holy Hels, the setup and logistics worked better than in previous years, and even the weather was mostly very fine. I only wished I had stayed the whole four days. When planning my trip, I actually hoped to attend some of the academic talks at the local museum, maybe take a bus to neighboring Horten to see the partner tattoo festival, or even join some of the many other activities such as yoga, longship rowing, and whatnot. If anything, this year’s festival only served to prove once and for all how much there is to see, hear and experience at this little gem of a festival.

Maybe next year I will need to come back with my family again and this time we could all finally experience Midgardsblot fully. Who knows, maybe this time it’s my daughter who will want a smearing of blood or two at the blot? If her mother allows it, of course.

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