The Sound of Courage – a festival organized by the nordic embassies in Berlin

September 27, 2026, Kesselhaus, Berlin, Germany

Click *HERE* to view the festival gallery

The Nordic countries are considered role models in many ways when it comes to gender equality—but is this also true when it comes to the music scene? How many female Nordic artists do you know who perform on major stages? How many are completely unknown here in Germany, even though they’re definitely more than just “listenable”?

And that’s exactly what I’ve been thinking about—because 60% of the female artists who took the stage at the Kesselhaus in Berlin that evening were completely unknown to me—and I think the majority of the audience felt the same way. The approximately 250 audience members, who were either seated or standing in the back to move to the music’s melodies, got to see and hear a very diverse yet thoroughly cohesive lineup.

The evening kicked off with LÚPÍNA from Iceland—a young artist who made her debut as recently as 2022 and took the stage with her keyboard and loop box. When you look at this petite young woman, you have a certain vocal image in your mind’s eye—but the moment she starts singing, you’re simply left speechless in the best possible way. With her charisma and her music, she managed to captivate the audience from the very first minute—something that’s definitely not a given. All I can say is: I hope to see her perform many more times in the years to come, and hopefully on ever-larger stages. Because talent like this is just waiting to be discovered!

Next up was YDEGIRL from Denmark—a woman who hasn’t been in the music industry for very long, but who brings a completely different kind of music to the table: calm, deliberate, and thought-provoking. Her set in Berlin was characterized by quiet sounds, and it almost seemed to me as if she didn’t quite feel at ease on that big stage that evening. It was also evident here and there that the audience couldn’t fully immerse themselves in the art of the music she was presenting; there was a lack of flow.

From Denmark, we headed further north to Finland with VILMA JÄÄ. Far more experienced than the first two artists, she and her keyboardist practically took over the stage. She exuded a wonderfully positive and open energy, paired with music that was often perfect for dancing—and the fact that everything was in Finnish didn’t dampen the audience’s enthusiasm at all. You can feel the music; you can sense what’s being conveyed—and once you’re given instructions to dance along, no one stays seated. It was truly great to see how Finnish folklore and electronic music successfully came together here, making the short performance fly by.

Then it was off to Finland’s neighbors—things took a Swedish turn with SARA PARKMAN. And it’s almost a miracle that she actually made it onto the stage that evening. Because: the airline had successfully failed to load her bandmate’s harmonium, and without it: no performance. The embassy staff had a hectic day, because the combination of the type of instrument and the fact that it was a Sunday made things incredibly difficult.

But it wasn’t impossible—hats off to them! And so there they were on stage, and it was a performance you won’t forget anytime soon. Sara’s voice just sweeps you away—gentle, thoughtful, and almost melancholic—and then again so full of power and intensity that your jaw drops. It had everything, and it was so incredibly human that she forgot it was just a short set—and I think she wasn’t the only one who would have liked it to last more than 30 minutes. The audience was visibly happy, and here and there, people immediately pulled out their cell phones to see where they could watch her perform longer.

The evening, filled with powerful women (sometimes accompanied by men who support them), was then brought to a close by LINDY-FAY HELLA with SONDRE VELAND from Norway. You may know both of them from their main project, Wardruna, where they are also the primary performers. Lindy-Fay also tours frequently with her solo project, and it was precisely these songs she performed that evening. Her voice, as captivating as ever, and the song selection were both excellent, and the lighting accentuated this almost perfectly.

Still, there are some types of music or artists that take a little longer to fully immerse you and make you feel everything exactly as you’re supposed to. And that was exactly the case here—you’d barely arrived in this other world when suddenly it was already time for the last song. Even though I can understand the need for fairness regarding set length, a longer set would definitely have been needed here to showcase the full range of the singer’s talent.

All in all, it was an evening that was over far too quickly—it was so varied and the atmosphere so pleasant that time just flew by, and to be honest, I was very surprised when I stepped outside and realized: it’s not that early anymore—it’s already dark!

I hope this wasn’t the last concert or festival organized by Botschaften—because I haven’t experienced such a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere in a long time, and I’m already looking forward to some kind of repeat event!

Want to know more about the artists? Then click here:

LÚPÍNA – Instagram

YDEGIRL – Instagram

VILMA JÄÄ – Website

SARA PARKMAN – Website

LINDY-FAY HELLA & SONDRE VELAND – Instagram