The Viking Museum: New initiatives underway -

05 November 2025

Over the years, the annual Viking festival has created many, great experiences for both visitors and participating Vikings. Thousands of visitors, hundreds of Vikings, a lot of media teams and not least, Lofotr Viking Museum itself? Everyone has enjoyed the festival greatly.

The festival has been held at the same time each year, under different themes, such as “games and entertainment”, “food and drink in the Viking Age”, “cruises and trade”. The topics have served as a starting point for disseminating knowledge about the life and work of the Vikings.

Theatre, concerts, storytelling. Workshops in beadmaking, sewing and needle binding. Play and compete with pillow fights, Viking fashion shows and food competitions. Opening ceremonies with greetings and ring dancing on the rampart. Children exploring high and low, adults learning traditional crafts, locals meeting each other, visiting guests getting to know Lofoten’s cultural heritage. Surely there have been many good times during the festivals!

Satisfied guests at the museum. Photo: Kjell Ove Storvik

Fantastic partners

Among the most valuable results is the relationship with Lofoten Vikinglag. They have been and are a great partner and important resource for Lofotr Viking Museum. We wish to thank them in particular for a long and good collaboration.

Other local contributors have also made the festival possible and very special . Thanks to everyone! Also visiting, participating Vikings, in the form of Viking teams, artists, entertainers, jugglers, craftsmen, storytellers, warriors and everyday heroes should be thanked. Nor should the volunteers be forgotten – without all of you there would not be a festival.

Glimpses from the museum. Storytelling in the forest, some of the animals on the farm and one of the popular activities. Photo: Kjell Ove Storvik.

The journey continues – heading for new highlights

In 2026, there will be no Viking festival. In 2026, the museum will concentrate its efforts on several other, exciting initiatives:

A new exhibition will open in 2026. More information will come later.
The services around the Viking Ship Harbour will be improved. We have a special eye on the Viking ship voyages and how this offer should be developed.
The general dissemination offer at the museum will be strengthened.

A review of the museum’s offerings and the opening of a new exhibition will require considerable resources. In parallel with this, Lofotr Viking Museum will also evaluate and assess how the Viking festival will be continued in the future. We are entering a busy and exciting year!

Vikings on the move. Photo: Kjell Ove Storvik.

Quality as a driving force

At the base of our work is, among other things, a strong desire to present new dissemination offers of high quality. Renewal and further development of the Viking Festival is one of these measures.

“We want to take care of all the good it has created, while at the same time we want to consider how we can best further develop our offers.”

This is stated by Department Director Tore Bugge Pedersen. The goal is for the festival to return in a new form – perhaps as early as 2027.

Tore hopes that the many, skilled professionals and volunteers will want to continue the collaboration when the museum eventually takes new steps. “It is of great importance to the museum that we have a large contact surface and good relationships with fantastic craftsmen, artists, re-enactors and others who have been solid contributors to the festival,” says Tore.

The Viking ship Vargfotr is sailing. Thanks to all Vikings – both those who are “residents” of Lofotr, Viking teams and Vikings from near and far, volunteers and other staff, the Viking Festival has for a number of years provided good experiences to many. Photo: Kjell Ove Storvik.

We are well underway

The development of a new exhibition is well underway. Not least, we will maintain and develop the best of what we already have.

Lofotr Viking Museum is a year-round museum with many offers for various visitors. The guests come from home and abroad, in addition to all locals who visit the museum and take advantage of our offers. Daily operations, expected growth and further development of today’s services must also be taken care of in the best possible way. New initiatives are underway. We look forward to a demanding, rewarding, exciting and eventful 2026!