Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon sent a video greeting to the opening of Bergen Festival

Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon sent a video greeting to the opening of the Bergen International Festival which opened in Bergen yesterday. In the video greeting, "Even though we are far from each other, the art experience can still bring us together," said the Crown Prince.

The Bergen International Festival presents art in all its forms: music, theatre, dance, opera and visual arts. This year's festival will be held virtually, and the Festival will provide 60 new concerts and reviews of events from the last two years via the Internet.

In the video, "It's impressive that the organizers managed to provide a virtual festival when our everyday lives changed - and created one of the world's first and largest digital cultural festivals," said Crown Prince Haakon. "I miss being in Bergen! Coming to Bergen in the spring to be able to attend the international festival games is always a great experience," said Queen Sonja.

The original Bergen 2020 Festival program was canceled in April, when the ban on cultural events was announced to take place until June 15 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In May, a new program was proposed, with around 60 different program entries. A number of new concerts and events will be broadcasted digitally from Bergen's cultural arenas, with no audience present.

Queen Sonja and Crown Prince Haakon sent a video greeting - VIDEO

The Bergen International Festival (Festspillene i Bergen) was established in 1953 and is the largest of its kind in the Nordic countries. It is the longest standing and the foremost music and theatre festival in Norway. The festival is under the Patronage of King Harald V.