Øya 2024 offers many unexpected highlights, including plenty of local gems

Plus RAYE, Yard Act, Blondshell, IDLES and more. Words + Photos: Aurora Henni Krogh.

Located a mere 20-minute walk from the city centre, you might expect Øya's festival grounds to have an urban edge. Yet, the luscious greenery feels far away from the stresses of city life - and isn't that part of a good festival experience, escapism? In addition to the beautiful setting, the festival is also rather fancy, with organic bakeries, mostly vegetarian foods and not one but two wine bars.

The lineup matches this level of attention to detail, aiming for a gender-balanced bill and with ambitions to champion local talent alongside the international headliners. While the festival does suffer a bit from having to book from the same pool as everyone else, it's also filled with smaller gems, largely thanks to the string of Norwegian acts they meticulously sprinkle between the six stages.

Norway is well-known for its interesting pop stars, and Moyka and Delara show why the Scandinavian country is such an export nation for pop with an edge. Others, like Astrid S, fall flatter with a somewhat predictable set. Headliner Gabrielle brings a show to remember, with all the energy needed to battle against IDLES for the crowd's attention in the festival's closing spot. Entering the stage wearing a massive heart-shaped balloon, she pushes for the unexpected and quirky.

Several rappers grace the lineup. Tøyen Holding - who coincidentally share their name with Tøyen Park, where Øya is held - make themselves at home. Delivering off-handed rap in the most matter-of-fact fashion, the duo sip wine out of massive glasses and have an actual chef on stage preparing oysters that are then served to the crowd during their set. Rap group Gjenfødt kultur (which translates to "Culture reborn", hello bold statement) meanwhile hand out roses to their dedicated front row fans.

Cezinando's set feels like an artistic rave, drawing over 7000 people away from Pulp to witness his truly outstanding performance. From artfully filmed confessionals to sweat-dripping bangers, the man himself proves he is an auteur in every way.

If there's one act who blows the crowd away in a major way, it's RAYE. The award-winning artist brings her A-game to an afternoon slot with a laidback atmosphere to complement her soundscape. Starting out with both low-lows on 'The Thrill is Gone' (spoiler: it was not, in fact, gone at all) and high-highs in a rocked-out version of TikTok-anthem 'Prada', her vocal presentations are peerless.

While the festival experience can provide a much-needed break from real life, art doesn't exist in a vacuum, and many artists recognise the current state of the world throughout the event. "We play music for peace," says Andreas Røysum of Andreas Røysum Ensemble as a giant Palestine flag is projected behind him. He's far from the only one. Janelle Monáe, Fay Wildhagen and Fochs Koshka also, in one way or another, mention the ongoing conflict in Palestine.

Largely, the most established acts fail to excite. The Kills, Jack White, Big Thief and Alvvays all deliver performances that feel routine, like artists going through the motions of yet another festival set rather than trying to convince the crowd they're having a good time.

Thankfully, some acts do give it their all: Yard Act, Blondshell and Wednesday all play Hagen, the tiniest stage at the festival. Another triumph is Arca with a set that, according to the artist herself, is improvised based on the crowd energy; thankfully, it's lit. As the artist and crowd became symbiotic, the experience inside the Sirkus tent feels almost otherworldly.

The same stage sets the scene for an entirely different type of catharsis as IDLES close the festival. With fierce honesty, the band even get the reserved crowd to let go for a moshpit. It's a great finale to a festival that offers many unexpected highlights.