Dark Season Blues
Dark Season Blues takes place Oct 23 - 26, 2026 in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. The dress code is Casual and warm - winter jacket, boots and a headlamp for moving between venues; relaxed indoor dress for the gigs. Typical cost ranges from 450 to 1300 EUR per person.
A blues festival that deliberately marks the moment the sun leaves Svalbard for the winter, held as the last light drains out of the sky in late October. Bands play in pubs, the culture house and mining-era halls to an audience of a couple of thousand residents plus a small, devoted travelling contingent. Its cult status comes entirely from where and when it happens.
- When
- Oct 23 - 26, 2026
- Where
- Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
- Dress code
- Casual and warm - winter jacket, boots and a headlamp for moving between venues; relaxed indoor dress for the gigs.
- Cost
- Typical cost ranges from 450 to 1300 EUR per person.
- Weather
- -5 to -12C, daylight collapsing into twilight and then permanent dark, first proper snow
- When to book
- The autumn programme lands in September and passes go quickly. Book flights and a bed first, since Longyearbyen has very limited capacity.
- Getting there
- LYR (Longyearbyen Svalbard), about 10 min to town
- Where to stay
- Funken Lodge (the refined option with the best bar in town), Basecamp Hotel (small, warm, driftwood-and-sealskin boutique), Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen (largest, most central)
- Official site
- https://en.visitsvalbard.com/whats-on
How to attend
Festival passes and single-gig tickets are sold through the Svalbard Blues Club and Visit Svalbard once the programme is out in September, typically EUR 30 - 60 a show or EUR 100 - 150 for a pass, and several venues are free. It is open to anyone. Fly via Oslo or Tromso and book lodging as soon as dates are confirmed. Add a boat trip or a glacier hike while there is still some daylight left.
Insider tip
The free pub sessions at Karlsberger and Svalbar are where the visiting musicians end up after the ticketed shows - that is the real festival.
Get inside Dark Season Blues
Booking matters here: the autumn programme lands in September and passes go quickly. Book flights and a bed first, since Longyearbyen has very limited capacity. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.
Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.