What is Midgardsblot?
Midgardsblot is a four-day metal and culture festival held at the Midgard Viking Centre in Borre, near the coastal town of Horten in Vestfold county, Norway. Founded in 2015, it takes place among Scandinavia's largest collection of Viking Age burial mounds (the Borre Mounds), dating from approximately 600-900 AD.
Midgardsblot combines extreme metal, Norse rituals, a reconstructed Viking hall used as a concert venue, a Viking village with historical reenactors, and sailings on a full-scale reconstruction of the Oseberg ship. NRK reported that around 14,000 visitors were expected over the four days in 2026, and the organizers say guests have come from more than 45 countries.
The 2026 edition runs Wednesday August 12 through Saturday August 15. Previous headliners include Amon Amarth, Emperor, Wardruna, Heilung, Mayhem, Enslaved, My Dying Bride, Rotting Christ and Ihsahn. The festival books a broad mix of viking metal, black metal, folk metal, death metal and experimental Norse music.
Wednesday August 12 to Saturday August 15, 2026. Four full days of music, rituals and Viking activities.
Midgard Viking Centre, Borreparken. Address: Birkelyveien 9, 3184 Borre. Se på Google Maps. About 90 minutes south of Oslo by car or train.
Viking metal, black metal, folk metal, death metal and Norse folk music. Past headliners: Amon Amarth, Emperor, Wardruna, Heilung, Mayhem, Enslaved.
Blot ceremony, Viking village and market (Folkvangr), Viking ship sailing (Saga Oseberg), talks and guided tours.
Visit midgardsblot.no for the latest lineup announcements. The festival also posts updates on Instagram and Facebook. The website has English language support.
Tickets and prices
All tickets are sold through Ticketmaster Norway. The 2027 blind bird festival pass costs NOK 3,266 including fees, a camping ticket NOK 466 and a tent ticket NOK 666.
Access to the concerts on all four days. Some activities, such as the Saga Oseberg sailing, need a separate ticket. The 2027 blind bird pass costs NOK 3,266 including fees.
Access to the festival for a single day. Day passes for 2027 are not on sale yet. All tickets are sold via Ticketmaster.no.
Required for access to Camp Utgard (the beach campsite). Purchased in addition to your festival pass or day pass. Includes access to showers and facilities. Minimum age 18.
Children under 12 enter free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Youth aged 12-17 need their own ticket.
Where to buy
All tickets are sold through Ticketmaster.no, according to midgardsblot.no. Avoid unofficial resale platforms where prices may be significantly inflated. Norwegian law prohibits reselling tickets above face value, and the festival points to TicketSwap for resale.
Norway uses Norwegian kroner (NOK). The festival payment system accepts cards including BankAxept, Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Diners, as well as Google Pay and Apple Pay. Vendors in the Folkvangr Viking market may use their own payment solutions.
How to get to Midgardsblot
The festival site at Borre is located approximately 100 km south of Oslo. Borre is not directly on the main rail line, but getting there by public transport is straightforward. International visitors typically fly into Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL) and take the train south.
Oslo's main international airport has direct flights from most European cities and several intercontinental routes. From the airport, the regional train R11 towards Skien runs directly to Skoppum station in about 1 hour 26 minutes, with no change in Oslo.
The Vestfold Line (Vestfoldbanen) runs from Oslo Central Station to Skoppum, with hourly departures. Journey time: approximately 1 hour. Book tickets at vy.no. Skoppum is the closest station to the festival.
From Skoppum station, take bus 40 and change to bus 02 at Langgrunn for Kirkebakken Borre, about 16 minutes. The bus stop is about an eight-minute walk from the Midgard Viking Centre. Check vkt.no for timetables.
The Basto Fosen ferry crosses from Moss to Horten in 30 minutes with frequent departures throughout the day. From Horten, it is a short drive to Borre. Useful if arriving from Sweden or eastern Norway.
By car
Take the E18 motorway southbound from Oslo, exit at junction 34 (Undrumsdalskrysset). Follow Rv19 towards Horten, then turn off at the Kirkebakken roundabout. Festival parking next to the Midgard Viking Centre costs NOK 299 for one day, NOK 1,266 for Wednesday to Sunday and NOK 1,666 for Monday to Sunday, paid on arrival. GPS address: Birkelyveien 9, 3184 Borre.
Pick up your wristband at the Midgard Viking Centre upon arrival. Follow the signage from the main road. The festival site is spread across Borreparken, between the burial mounds, the beach and the Viking Centre.
Camping and accommodation
Camp Utgard sits on the beach in Borreparken, right by the Oslofjord. Waking up to a morning swim in the fjord is part of the Midgardsblot experience. If camping is not for you, hotels in nearby Horten are the main alternative.
The official festival camp on the beach. In 2026 the camp opened on Monday at 15:00 and closed on Sunday at 14:00. Facilities include toilets, showers and charging stations. You need a camping ticket in addition to your festival pass. Minimum age: 18. Bring your own tent and sleeping gear.
Thon Hotel Horten and First Hotel Horten are both located in nearby Horten town. Other options include Dal Gjestegard and Unike Grand Hotel in Aasgaardstrand.
Waterproof tent (tested beforehand), warm sleeping bag, sleeping mat, headlamp, flip-flops for the shower, mosquito repellent and a waterproof bag for valuables. Open fires, barbecues and gas burners are not allowed at the camp, but there are communal grills for cooking.
Horten ferry quay is about 4 km away. Aasgaardstrand (the seaside town associated with Edvard Munch) is about 6 km south, and Tonsberg (Norway's oldest town) about 20 km south. Bus 02 runs directly from Tonsberg bus station to Kirkebakken Borre.
In 2026 the camp opened on Monday, two days before the concerts started. Tents must be secured for wind, and the maximum tent size is 4x4 metres.
More than a music festival
At Midgardsblot you can take part in a Norse blot ritual, sail a Viking ship, watch combat shows and see concerts in a reconstructed Viking hall. These cultural elements are what draw visitors from around the globe, many of whom come specifically for the historical experience.
The festival opens with a blot led by Folket Bortafor Nordavinden. The ritual builds on elements of a Viking Age blot, using wooden figures representing the old gods and sacrificial animal blood. The organizers describe the ceremony as non-religious. Participation is entirely voluntary.
A Viking village with historical reenactors, combat shows and merchants selling handcrafted Viking souvenirs, clothing and jewelry. Open to guests from 14:00 to 22:00 daily. Many guests dress in historical or fantasy-inspired costumes. Located near the Gildehallen (Viking hall).
Sailings on the Saga Oseberg, a full-scale reconstruction of the Oseberg ship. Trips last about two hours, participants get an introduction to rowing, and tickets cost NOK 999 on Ticketmaster.
In 2026 the festival hosted the talk Amplifying History with Christopher Juul at Børsen in Horten, and guided tours of Vestfold’s burial mounds and historic sites.
The Folkvangr Viking market
Vendors in the Viking market at Folkvangr are individual sellers and may use their own payment solutions.
The festival stages
In 2026 Midgardsblot used three concert stages, Helheim, Valhalla and Gildehallen, plus Helheim Lounge for storytelling and DJs. The intimate scale of the festival means you can move between stages easily and catch most of the acts you want to see.
The stage for the opening blot. In 2026 Nargaroth, Gehenna and Arthur Brown played here, among others.
The main stage. In 2026 Taake, Venom, Turbonegro and Saxon played here, among others.
A reconstructed full-size Viking hall used as an indoor concert venue. Limited capacity creates a club-like atmosphere. Perfect for folk and acoustic performances. Arrive early to secure a spot.
A smaller stage with storytelling and DJs in 2026.
What you need to know before you go
Midgardsblot is an outdoor festival in a nature area with varied terrain. The combination of forest, grassland, gravel paths and beach means you should come prepared for changing ground conditions and weather.
Horten in mid-August typically sees daytime temperatures of 16-22°C (61-72°F) and evening temperatures of 10-15°C (50-59°F). Rain is always possible. Bring layers, a rain jacket and sturdy shoes with good grip.
The festival payment system accepts BankAxept, Visa, Mastercard, Diners, Amex, JCB, UnionPay and DiggiPay cards, as well as Google Pay and Apple Pay. The festival suggests bringing cash and/or payment cards.
Most Norwegians speak excellent English. Festival staff, vendors and fellow attendees will be happy to help in English. Stage announcements may be in Norwegian, but the international community at Midgardsblot is large and welcoming.
Many guests dress in Viking-era clothing, fantasy-inspired outfits or historical costumes. This is part of the Midgardsblot atmosphere. Folkvangr (the Viking village) also sells clothing and accessories.
The festival lists earplugs for hearing protection among the things to bring, and asks parents to bring hearing protection for children, as it is not sold on site.
The historical setting
The festival takes place among the Borre Mounds (Borrehaugene), Scandinavia's largest collection of Viking Age burial mounds. Seven of the large mounds survive, along with two large round cairns and a 45-metre long cairn, dating from approximately 600-900 AD. This was a Viking Age power centre, and the characteristic Borre Style in Viking art takes its name from this site.
Borreparken is a nationally protected cultural heritage area along the Oslofjord. Please stay on marked paths and do not climb on the mounds, as they are protected archaeological sites.
A museum at the burial mounds with exhibitions on ship burials, power, religion and daily life in the Viking Age. Open during the festival. This is where you pick up your festival wristband.
Vestfold is one of Norway's richest regions for Viking history. The Gokstad ship (Sandefjord) and Oseberg ship (Tonsberg) were both found in this area. Midgardsblot builds on this heritage and brings it to life through music and culture.
Frequently asked questions about Midgardsblot
- Midgardsblot 2026 takes place August 12-15 at the Midgard Viking Centre in Borre, near Horten in Vestfold county, Norway. The festival is set among Scandinavia's largest collection of Viking Age burial mounds, right by the Oslofjord shoreline. Address: Birkelyveien 9, 3184 Borre.
- The 2027 blind bird festival pass costs NOK 3,266 including fees. A camping ticket costs NOK 466 and a tent ticket NOK 666. All tickets are sold through Ticketmaster.no.
- Children under 12 enter free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Youth aged 12-17 need their own ticket, and those under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The minimum age for the camping area is 18.
- Yes. In Horten: Thon Hotel Horten and First Hotel Horten. Nearby: Dal Gjestegard and Unike Grand Hotel Aasgaardstrand.
- Take the Vestfold Line train from Oslo Central Station to Skoppum station (approximately 1 hour, hourly departures). From Skoppum, take bus 40 and change to bus 02 at Langgrunn for Kirkebakken Borre, about 16 minutes. Book train tickets at vy.no.
- Take the regional train R11 towards Skien directly from Oslo Airport to Skoppum station, about 1 hour 26 minutes with no change. From Skoppum, take a local bus to Borre.
- Yes. Festival parking next to the Midgard Viking Centre costs NOK 299 for one day, NOK 1,266 for Wednesday to Sunday and NOK 1,666 for Monday to Sunday, paid on arrival. Accessible parking spaces are available. Note that parking is limited, so arriving early or using public transport is recommended.
- Yes. The Basto Fosen ferry runs between Moss and Horten in 30 minutes with frequent departures. From Horten, it is a short drive to Borre. This is a practical option if you are coming from Sweden or eastern Norway.
- The blot ceremony opens the festival and is led by Folket Bortafor Nordavinden. The ritual builds on elements of a Viking Age blot, using wooden figures representing the old gods and sacrificial animal blood. The organizers describe the ceremony as non-religious. Participation is entirely voluntary.
- Folkvangr is the festival's Viking village, with historical reenactors, combat shows and merchants selling handcrafted Viking souvenirs, clothing and jewelry. Located near the Gildehallen (Viking hall). Many guests dress in historical or fantasy-inspired costumes.
- Yes. In 2026 the Saga Oseberg, a full-scale reconstruction of the Oseberg ship, sailed from Tuesday to Saturday during the festival week. Trips last about two hours, participants get an introduction to rowing, and tickets cost NOK 999 on Ticketmaster, with 32 seats per departure.
- The Borre Mounds (Borrehaugene) are Scandinavia's largest collection of Viking Age burial mounds, dating from approximately 600-900 AD. Seven of the large mounds survive, along with two large round cairns and a 45-metre long cairn. The festival takes place among these protected ancient monuments.