Janelle Monáe Confirmed As Headliner For Øya Festival
Norway’s Øya Festival has revealed that its Thursday night headliner will be Janelle Monáe. The news is accompanied by a fresh wave of new additions to the line-up, mixing international names and breaking domestic talent.
Janelle Monáe’s headline status is the culmination of her long-standing relationship with Øya. Her set in 2008 was her first ever show in Europe and proved to be one of the highlights of the summer, before she returned for further memorable performances in 2011 and 2014. Ten years later, she now rises to headline Thursday night following last year’s release of her critically acclaimed The Age of Pleasure album, which earned two Grammy nominations including Album of the Year.
This year celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Øya Festival is further boosted by an array of international names. There’s BRIT Award winner Jorja Smith, who built upon early fan favourites such as Blue Lights and Be Honest by returning to the upper reaches of the charts last year with her second album ‘falling or flying’.
It also includes the contemporary disco queen Jessie Ware, currently in the midst of a high following her Mercury-nominated set That! Feels Good which fired into Album of the Year charts from NME, Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Slowdive are enjoying a similar resurgence, the influential shoegaze favourites now winning a whole new audience via TikTok. Fronted by the phenomenal Josh Lane, Thee Sacred Souls deliver a contemporary spin on classic ‘60s-style soul, while the MOBO Award winner Seyi Vibez will bring his vibrant Afro-fusion to Tøyenparken.
While many festivals are located far outside of a major city, you can reach Øya from the centre of Oslo in just 10 minutes: 98% of attendees arrive either by public transport or by walking or cycling to Tøyenparken. The location complements the festival’s sustainable ethos which have been acknowledged with wins at the European Festival Awards and A Greener Festival Awards. Examples of its environmentally responsible practices include running the event entirely free of fossil fuels, using renewable power for 98% of its requirements, and hand-sorting waste to ensure that 75% of it can be recycled. Visit the event’s official website for further information.