Insomnia Festival

The Insomnia Festival is an annual electronic music festival which takes place during autumn in Tromsø, Norway. The first festival was held in 2002. Alongside the Numusic festival in Stavanger and Ekkofestival in Bergen, it is the largest and most important festival for electronic music in Norway.

The name

The name is taken from the sleeping disorder insomnia. The polar night and the midnight sun makes Tromsø a city were some people struggle to sleep normally, made famous in the Norwegian movie Insomnia by Tromsø director Erik Skjoldbjærg. The movie later got an American re-make, also named Insomnia, starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams.

Being a festival targeting clubbers, the name suggests that instead of sleeping you can go clubbing.

Profile

The festival had a Norwegian profile in the early years. Many of the famous Norwegian acts have therefore visited the festival more than once. Having grown in popularity year after year, far more international acts have been booked to the festival lately. The booking of Public Enemy in 2006 was somehow a turning point for the festival and their ambition.

During the last years the festival has extended to contain also seminars, workshops and exhibitions. All under the umbrella name Techno Culture.

History

Ugress, Biosphere, Kim Hiorthøy, Ralph Myerz and the Jack Herren Band, Flunk and Sternklang performed at...
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