Straand Festival
Get out your dancing shoes and join the annual dance festival in Vrådal!
The Straw Festival – 1 to 3 November
We look forward to once again welcoming you to the Straand Festival. This year it’s the first weekend in November, so all you have to do is get out your dancing shoes and book in!
Get to know this year's artists
The Straand Festival is the annual music and dance festival held at the historic Straand Hotel in beautiful Vrådal. It is Tone, Svein and Øyvind in Tone’s Orchestra who are behind the festival. Sound and lighting are provided by the experienced guys at Klyve Lydstudio, who is also a guitarist in Tones Orkester.
The festival is held the first weekend in November, and here you can experience varied Norwegian dance music from several stages, throughout the weekend.
There are also good traditions for “bush games” in all the hotel’s common areas. If you love dance and music, this is an event you should attend.
There are opportunities to sign up for dance performances, contact Tone Norheim Klausen (toneklau@online.no or 900 85 844).
Watch the video from the last time Det Nedsaberede Compagnie was at the Straand Festival:
This year’s line-up:
- Ruckus
- The Nesable Compagnie
- Sverre Risdal Orchestra
- Evjerampen
- Tones Orchestra
- Oldtimers
- Tore & Bergmann
We will update this page with the program as this becomes clear.
Accommodations
Program
The following artists are ready to entertain during the Straand Festival 2024
Ruckus
Rabalders is a duo that plays everything from Country rock to dance bands with High Party Factor. These are two guys with a long career in the music scene. Harald Undheim, among others. Norwegian champion in two-row. and Øyvind Eikre known from, among others. The dance band West Norway!
We are looking forward to a new visit from Rabalders 🙂
The Stabbed Compagnie
The Downsaber Compagnie is the same as a good atmosphere. 7 well-known guys who deliver the goods wholeheartedly every time. The song material is performed with energy and joy that quickly rubs off and gets the audience involved. The repertoire ranges from traditional bluegrass to Waterboys, Bruce Springsteen, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Band, Bob Dylan, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and some own material performed in bluegrass format.
We look forward to this group once again joining the Straand Festival. The Downsaber Company creates a good atmosphere, and you are invited!
Sverre Risdal's Orchestra
Sverre Risdal’s Orchestra, consists of: Øyvind Seljåsen, accordion with electric bass. Arnt Kåre Asbjørnsen, accordion. Sverre Risdal, guitar and vocals.
The “orchestra” is the result of friends, who often participated in old dances and leikfest evenings. Øyvind plays on performance courses, and various folk dance events. Øyvind and Arnt Kåre, are also active in a small choir. I, Sverre Risdal, was one of the founders of the dance band Frolands -Swingen, which saw the light of day in 1978. We released 6th cassettes with music and song. Øyvind Seljåsen was also here for 5 and a half years. During this time, we received several silver plates + Froland municipality’s first cultural award. In recent times, I, S. Risdal, have had my own one man band. There have been 23 trips to the USA, both as S. Risdal’s orchestra, but often alone. For many years, we participated in the Gautefall meeting. For the past 8 years, we have had the pleasure of being part of the Straand Festival. We look forward to coming to Straand, from 3-5-November 2023.
Evjerampen
Evjerampen is a group from Evje who play country and dance music. Arnstein Hafver guitar and vocals, Borge Tørå bass and vocals and Finn Bakkevold accordion.
Tones Orchestra
Tones Orkester was founded in 1996, and has several record releases behind it. They mainly play old-fashioned dance, but occasionally it sneaks in with some songs of untraditional caliber. The goal of Tone’s Orchestra is that it should always swing, and that the rhythms can be so catchy that the most stiff-legged get carried away!
Bjørn Tore & Svein (aka Knoll & Tott)
Knoll & Tott is coming, are you coming?
Bjørn Tore & Svein met at a country camp in Åmli a number of years ago and found the tone. Bjørn Tore from Arendal and Svein from Porsgrunn (now Valebø). Bjørn Tore is a well-known figure in the Agder counties and has played in different settings and alone for many years. Svein played in the Accordion Club for a number of years before he found a two-way place and eventually helped start Tones Orkester, with four record releases. They play country and dance music with a lot of humor along the way. Bjørn Tore has recorded for many years and Svein was included on this year’s record (KNOLL & TOTT)
Oldtimer
Tore & Bergmann, has its origins in Drangedal in Telemark. The band mainly consists of 2 happy male legs in their prime, but you often find several who willingly step in and share the stage with them.
The group serves everything from Norwegian hits, to swing and rock, dance bands and country. They are also not inferior to a polka, waltz or tango, etc. Their trademark is that it should be good and entertaining dance music, which captivates both old and young dance enthusiasts.
