Dark Season Blues
Dark Season Blues is an annual blues music festival in late October, at 78 degrees north in Longyearbyen (Svalbard) in Norway, and marks the beginning of the dark season when daylight and the sun is about to leave Svalbard for four winter months. The festival lasts four days, and features local, Norwegian and international musicians performing in most of Longyearbyen's venues. The festival is based on voluntary work in order to carry out the event. The economic goal is to break even, and any surplus is transferred to next year's festival. The first Dark Season Blues festival was arranged in 2003, and has run without interruption until the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 festivals. It started out as a small intimate festival, and presented 15 bands spread on 17 events in 2010. = Dark Season Blues 2011 Bryan Lee (US) Mike Zito (US) JW-Jones (CA) Tina Lie (NO) Mike Andersen Band (DK) Micke & Lefty feat. Chef (FI) T-Bear & The Dukes of Rhythm (SE) Eric ‘Slim’ Zahl & the South West Swinger (NO) The Douglas Group (NO) Blåmyra (NO) Bright Side Five (NO) = Dark Season Blues 2010 The Reba Russel Band Victor Wainwright Cadillac Kings Grainne Duffy Knut Reiersrud Rita Engedalen & Margit Bakken with guests Tuva Syvertsen & Susanne Hansen Dave Fields Noora Noor Ledfoot / Tim Scott McConnell Linda Gail Lewis Bill Sims Jr Westby Band Deadwood Longyearbyen Storband Blaamyra = Dark Season Blues 2009 Bobby Jones Jackie Payne & Steve Edmondson band Billy Gibson feat Dave Fields JT. Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters Kirk Fletcher band Hemisfair Tinal Lie Groovy Company Joakim Tinderholt Express Blaamyra = Dark Season Blues 2008 Super Chikan Billy Gibson Sherman Robertson Greasy Gravy Bedrock Bluesband Monika Nordli m/band Rita Engedalen & Backbone Little Jenny & The Blue Beans Dr. Bekken Blackbirds Billy T Band Howlin’ Huskies Blaamyra Bluegrass = Dark Season Blues 2007 The Mannish Boys Dr.Bekken Spoonful of Blues Orbo & the longshots Trond Ytterbø Band Little Jenny & The Blue Beans Billy T Band Little Victor Steinar Albrigtsen & Monika Nordli Howlin’Huskies = Dark Season Blues 2006 Sherman Robertson Sky High Vidar Busk Kåre Virud Band Buzz Brothers Rita Engedalen & Margit Bakken J.T. Lauritsen Band The buzzers Varpen = Dark Season Blues 2005 Paal Flaata Frode Alnæs Peer Gynt Band Reidar Larsen & The Storytellers Rita Engedalen & Backbone Mitch Kasmar Rick Holmstrom Arsen Shomakhov Peter Price Spoonful of Blues RC Finnigan & The Blue Flames Billy T Band = Dark Season Blues 2004 Amund Maarud Kid Andersen RC Finnigan Erik Bergene Noise Pollution Fingerprint Good Time Charlie Dark Season All Star band = Dark Season Blues 2003 Knut Reiersrud JB and the Delta Jukes Allen’s Pit List of blues festivals Homepage Dark Season Blues Facebook page