Preview: The Sound of Courage – Music and Equality in the Nordic Countries (Berlin)
What would a music industry look like if gender equality were not merely an aspiration, but a reality?
The Nordic countries are often regarded as global role models for gender equality. But how equal is the music industry really? Why do women and gender minority musicians still earn less, appear less frequently on major festival stages, and remain underrepresented in influential positions within the industry?
The exhibition »The Sound of Courage« takes these questions as its starting point, telling the stories of artists who have had the courage to expose inequality and push for change. Inspired by the impact of the #MeToo movement and recent debates on sexism in the music industry, the exhibition highlights the voices that transformed silence into public conversation.
Through photography, video and audio material, as well as artist and project portraits, the exhibition demonstrates how music can become a powerful instrument for social change. It brings together projects and artists from all five Nordic countries and their autonomous regions – Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland – including Ane Brun, AURORA, AySay, Björk, Fever Ray, Girl in Red, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Laufey, Mari Boine, Sofia Jannok, Tarja Turunen and Zara Larsson.
The exhibition is a joint production of the Nordic Embassies in Berlin, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
But this is not all – there will also be an indoor festival:
Save the date: 27th of September 2026
Find the location: Kesselhaus, Berlin, Germany
Buy the ticket: https://www.kesselhaus-shop.net/event/the-sound-of-courage-das-festival-49k2ag
This evening brings together some of the most exciting voices in the Nordic music scene. Hailing from Norway, Lindy-Fay Hella & Sondre Veland create captivating soundscapes through voice and percussive improvisation, moving fluidly between folk, ritual and the sounds of nature. Joining them is Sara Parkman (SE), one of the most distinctive voices in Scandinavian folk, whose powerful performances bring together tradition, feminism and contemporary performance.
Vilma Jää (FI) adds her own unique blend of traditional and contemporary forms, while Denmark’s Ydegirl brings modern R&B and pop into a distinctly Nordic-Baroque sound world. And last, but certainly not least, Lúpína from Iceland draws on a diverse range of influences – from electronic music and traditional choral music to pop and film scores – creating a sound that is entirely her own.
Bringing together Nordic folk, experimental sounds and bold artistic perspectives, the evening expands on the themes of the exhibition through music – open, powerful and full of surprises. A festival for music lovers, culture enthusiasts and anyone curious to discover extraordinary voices from the North.
Original header graphic by Kristina Brusa (had to be cropped)
