Frequently Asked Questions
We hope that everyone who comes will participate in one way or another and create a good experience for the others at the festival.
There are daily joint breakfasts with group meetings where information is shared about what is to happen and tasks are organised. We hope as many people as possible will join these breakfasts. There is also a social meeting place throughout the day inside the festival house with information.
It is not like it is perhaps usually the case, that you work as a volunteer for a given number of hours to get a ticket to be in the audience for the rest of the time. Karlsøyfesivalen does not require you to work this or that many hours. There is no obligation to participate and you can contribute as little or as much as you want and can. More important than the number of hours, is that it is pleasurable and is experienced as meaningful.
At the same time, when you gather hundreds of people for art, culture and nature experiences for almost a week on an island in the sea gap far to the north, there are many tasks that need to be solved. The more people who find tasks that they think are fun to do, whether it's playing with the children, carpentry, cooking, rigging equipment, standing in a bar or washing dishes, collecting deposits, taking people on trips, entertaining, looking after or anything else, the easier it will be for everyone. And often it may not be the task itself that is most important, but that you do it together with others and get to know people.
The participating festival is precisely about us creating this together, Then it will be what it will be. And so far, it's mostly been magical!
The Karlsøy Festival is also a festival for children and young people.
The children we know are very much looking forward to the Karlsøy Festival. Many parents recognize that it is a popular demand from the children that they go to the Karlsøy Festival, year after year.
There is a separate children's program with separate meals for children, young people and their families. We plan exciting and creative activities. Parents can let their children participate in the activities on their own or participate with them. The children are to a large extent involved in deciding the content of the days. Parents are very welcome to suggest activities and help organize them, if the children wish.
It is important to remember that even if the children are happy to participate on their own, the children's activities are not intended as babysitting.
We encourage parents with children at the festival to be abstinent/moderate with alcohol and drugs. Even if, or especially if, you are at a festival, you as a parent have the main responsibility to ensure that the children have a good and safe experience. At the same time that we parents have primary responsibility for our own children, we also take responsibility for everyone's children together. All children are everyone's children <3 And no one should feel unsafe. This is especially important to be aware of when there is an event with a donation.
It is a shared responsibility that everyone should have a good experience and feel safe. We must therefore have enough sober adults who create a safe and good environment throughout the evening, and especially as long as there are children present. The more people who contribute to hosting and security in a pleasant and inclusive way, the safer the children and everyone else will experience the festival.
It costs nothing for children and young people up to the age of 18.
Yes, you can at any time. We can deregister the old group and re-register until Saturday 29 July. This is so that you can receive the same messages as the others in your group, and that the group losers have some overview.
After that, we probably won't have time to unsubscribe and resubscribe, but there is no problem changing groups. You can also go to and from different groups, if you have more things you would like to contribute.
We have no registration deadline. The participant pass costs NOK 600 for adults. Children and young people under 18 do not have to pay.
The festival is a joint venture. This means that we can have the same low price for everyone. The idea is also that it can eventually create less bureaucracy and work for all of us. We want to avoid different categories, rosters and so on. We want to transition to creating a culture and atmosphere where we do this together. We try to move more in line with our manifesto, where doing it together, hard work, joint effort and responsibility are at the forefront.
The internet is open to everyone in and around the festival house.
Basically, there is no cap on the number of participants. But if we see that a lot of participant passes are sold on Saturday, compared to ordinary participant passes, we may consider closing the sale.
It's free ferry to Karlsøya (pdf) from Hansnes ferry quay (openstreetmap). You can drive or cycle there from Tromsø (63 kilometres). Or you can take bus 430 (pdf) from Tromsø.
Extra buses and ferries have also been set up. All information about this can be found at the festival's transport page.
It is of course you as a parent who best assesses what is suitable for your child. The festival has no restrictions on this. The festival has its own host group with sober adults present, who, together with you parents, jointly ensure that it feels safe for the children.
We also organize a fun time with cinema, popcorn and the like inside the Festival House on Saturday evening, so that the children have a quiet place to relax.
There can also be loud music, so we recommend bringing hearing protection or other protection for the children's ears.
Yes, it is a small shop run by community residents that has simple basic goods. It is also here gallery Gàlsà is. During the festival, it may also be possible to buy a small meal here.
Opening times can be found here.
The participant pass includes a simple, shared breakfast and dinner every day from Tuesday to Saturday. There is a sale of small dishes between breakfast and dinner, and simple dishes in the festival pub every evening. There is a full festival kitchen with food sales on Friday and Saturday evenings.
You can also buy hot food, bread, cold cuts and basic goods at the shop on the island.
There are ferries back to Hansnes on Saturday, but no bus until Sunday. Ferry and bus routes are set up for commuters.
Here you will find updated Ferry and bus times.
There is a curfew on Karlsøya until 20 August. There are both wild sheep, wild birds and other wildlife in nature on the island. In addition, a festival can be a stressful experience for animals. There may therefore be restrictions on taking dogs and other animals into the festival area itself. We therefore recommend that you leave your pets at home. It will probably both ensure a better festival experience for you, while the animals will also feel better.
Inside the festival house, it will work, if there are not a lot of people at the same time. But you have to take care of it yourself!
It works, but there are limited places you can put them. Feel free to check with someone who is there in advance. We do not have any campsites or places set aside for this, or the opportunity to provide electricity.
There is free camping in the open field, and lots of beautiful places and camps. We have placed some outdoor toilets around. Also in Sandvika which is our beautiful beach two km from the festival area there is an outdoor toilet. Water can be fetched at the festival area and the festival house
There is a shower at the festival house, which can be used. BUT We unfortunately close the water at the festival house when cooking for sale starts, to save on hot water. This is mostly Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ask those who are in the group Hosts or someone who lives on the island, then you can definitely get tips on where to take a shower.
Each one decides for themselves how much they want to contribute, in collaboration with the rest of the group they are in. In other words, within each group we find out how much work there will be for everyone. The idea is that when many people participate and contribute, there will not be as much work for each individual. We will all get some time off and enjoy ourselves this year.