2024 is shaping up to be another unforgettable year for Oslo’s Øya Festival as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. With headliners PJ Harvey, Pulp, Queens of the Stone Age and Gabrielle already confirmed, Øya now reveals that its Thursday night headliner will be Janelle Monáe. The news is accompanied by a fresh wave of new additions to the line-up, mixing international names and breaking domestic talent.
Janelle Monáe’s headline status is the culmination of her long-standing relationship with Øya. Her set in 2008 was her first ever show in Europe and proved to be one of the highlights of the summer, before she returned for further memorable performances in 2011 and 2014. Ten years later, she now rises to headline Thursday night following last year’s release of her critically acclaimed ‘The Age of Pleasure’ album, which earned two Grammy nominations including Album of the Year.
Øya is further boosted by an array of international names. There’s BRIT Award winner Jorja Smith, who built upon early fan favourites such as ‘Blue Lights’ and ‘Be Honest’ by returning to the upper reaches of the charts last year with her second album ‘falling or flying’. It also includes the contemporary disco queen Jessie Ware, currently in the midst of a high following her Mercury-nominated set ‘That! Feels Good’ which fired into Album of the Year charts from NME, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Slowdive are enjoying a similar resurgence, the influential shoegaze favourites now winning a whole new audience via TikTok. Fronted by the phenomenal Josh Lane, Thee Sacred Souls deliver a contemporary spin on classic ‘60s-style soul, while the MOBO Award winner Seyi Vibez will bring his vibrant Afro-fusion to Tøyenparken.
This announcement also adds expansive post-hardcore from Belgian trio Brutus; the hotly-tipped English Teacher, fresh from releasing their critically acclaimed debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’; Sweden’s alt-pop star Sarah Klang; plus party provocateur LSDXOXO and pop experimentalist Angélica Garcia.
As ever, Øya is also proud to introduce an array of essential domestic talent, both old and new, led by the long-awaited return of Norwegian heroes Casiokids and fellow comeback countrymen Fjorden Baby! Elsewhere, Moyka plays mystical, melodic synth-pop that will appeal to fans of AURORA and Röyskopp; Tøyen Holding’s hip-hop heart is infused with jazzy flourishes; Louien’s indie-folk stands at the forefront of the Nordicana scene; and 9 grader nord are a dynamic Tamil folk-rock band and recent winners of a Norwegian Grammy.
The line-up also highlights bright-hued alt-rock from Hilma Nikolaisen, the black metal / post-rock collision course of Rosa Faenskap, and high-spirited synth-pop from Das Body. And from the jazz world, clarinettist Andreas Røysum’s Ensemble delves into the genre with equal measures of exuberance and eccentricity, while drummer Emil Karlsen excels at improv.
While many festivals are located far outside of a major city, you can reach Øya from the centre of Oslo in just 10 minutes: 98% of attendees arrive either by public transport or by walking or cycling to Tøyenparken. The location complements the festival’s sustainable ethos which have been acknowledged with wins at the European Festival Awards and A Greener Festival Awards. Examples of its environmentally responsible practices include running the event entirely free of fossil fuels, using renewable power for 98% of its requirements, and hand-sorting waste to ensure that 75% of it can be recycled.
TIckets for Øya 2024 are available HERE and are competitively priced relative to UK festivals of a similar scale. Week passes are priced at 4,169 NOK (approximately £306) while individual day tickets are 1,454 NOK (£107).
