New Nordic collaboration to strengthen artist mobility launches at SPOT Festival 2026

A new Nordic initiative, Nordic Festival Talent Exchange, launches today at SPOT Festival 2026, marking the beginning of a strategic collaboration between leading Nordic showcase festivals and national music offices.

The project brings together SPOT Festival (Denmark), Iceland Airwaves (Iceland), and by:Larm (Norway) in a joint effort to support artist mobility, strengthen curatorial collaboration, and create more sustainable pathways for Nordic music internationally.

Nordic Festival Talent Exchange introduces a coordinated model for artist exchange across borders. Through close collaboration between festivals and national music offices, a curated shortlist of emerging artists is developed and shared, enabling each festival to present selected Nordic artists as part of their official programmes.

The initiative responds to increasing challenges within the international showcase landscape, including financial pressure on festivals and the growing prevalence of pay-to-play models. By re-establishing curation as a shared responsibility, the project aims to ensure artistic quality while supporting a more sustainable and transparent framework for showcasing.

“Nordic Festival Talent Exchange represents an important step towards a more connected and resilient Nordic music ecosystem. By aligning our efforts across borders, we aim to strengthen both artistic development and international opportunities for Nordic artists,” say the project partners.

The one-year pilot project includes coordinated showcases at by:Larm (September 2026), Iceland Airwaves (November 2026), and SPOT Festival (May 2027), alongside industry meetups, panels, and knowledge-sharing activities.

The long-term ambition is to expand the collaboration to include additional Nordic—and potentially Baltic—partners, establishing a strong regional platform for artist development and international exchange.

The project is supported by the Nordic Culture Fund.

About Nordic Festival Talent Exchange

Nordic Festival Talent Exchange is a collaborative initiative between Nordic showcase festivals and music export offices, focused on strengthening artist circulation and building sustainable structures for Nordic music internationally.