Get out your dancing shoes and join the annual dance festival in Vrådal!
We look forward to once again welcoming you to the Straand Festival. This year, it’s the weekend in the transition from October to November that applies, so then it’s just a matter of getting out your dancing shoes and booking in!
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)
This year’s line-up:
Subject to change
The following artists are ready to entertain during the Straand Festival 2025
Kiwis is a trio from Telemark that plays varied country and dance music, mainly cover songs.
Hauge & Hagen comes to the Straand Festival 2025
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.
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 6 tapes of 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.
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!
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)
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.
Herøya Oldermannslag is a group that plays well-known Norwegian and Scandinavian classics.
Trogfjellduren is coming to the Straand Festival 2025, are you coming?
The Sokkelesten two-row group will come to the Straand Festival 2025 and play traditional old-dance music.
