Djangofestivalen 2027

Since 1980, Norway has celebrated the legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt with a festival dedicated to his music. The tradition continues at Cosmopolite in Oslo, with Djangofestivalen 2027 taking place from 21 to 23 January.

As always, your host is Jon Larsen — the festival’s founder and longstanding driving force alongside Cosmopolite Scene.

The festival celebrates string music, swing, string swing and gypsy jazz, featuring international guests and leading Norwegian musicians. Across three evenings, audiences will encounter artists who carry Django’s musical legacy forward — with respect for tradition and a curiosity for new forms of expression.

Thursday 21 January

Hot Club de Norvège + guest Ola Kvernberg (NO)

Line-up:
Ola Erlien – guitar
Gildas Le Pape – guitar
Finn Hauge – violin and harmonica
Svein Aarbostad – double bass
Guest: Ola Kvernberg – violin

Hot Club de Norvège is Norway’s most acclaimed string swing band. Since forming in 1979, they have delighted audiences with their infectious energy and virtuosic string playing. The band has a long tradition of inviting guest soloists to join them on stage — and this time, they welcome violinist Ola Kvernberg.

Founding member Svein Aarbostad continues to provide a solid foundation on bass, while French guitarist Gildas Le Pape — known for his work with metal band Satyricon — has brought fresh inspiration to the group since joining in 2018. Finn Hauge shines on both violin and harmonica, and young guitarist Ola Erlien has quickly become a name to watch on Norway’s swing scene.

Over the years, Hot Club de Norvège has collaborated with many of the leading names in the international Django community. They remain an audience favourite — renowned for their lively interplay and timeless swing.

Adrien Moignard Gipsy 4tet (FR)

Line-up:
Adrien Moignard – guitar
Benji Winterstein – rhythm guitar
Julien Cattiaux – rhythm guitar
Fabricio Nicolas-Garcia – double bass

Adrien Moignard is a leading figure on today’s gypsy jazz scene. His virtuosic guitar playing and contemporary approach have earned him a loyal following far beyond his native France.

For his new project, Adrien Moignard Gipsy 4tet, he is joined by Benji Winterstein and Julien Cattiaux on rhythm guitars and Fabricio Nicolas-Garcia on double bass. The quartet explores a repertoire rooted in the manouche tradition, enriched by original compositions and modern arrangements.

Moignard has performed on stages around the world, both with his own projects and alongside artists such as Didier Lockwood, Cyrille Aimée and Richard Galliano. Supported by two rhythm guitars, his melodic imagination and expressive solo playing have plenty of room to flourish — in an ensemble defined by drive, precision and musical freedom.

Friday 22 January

Gustav Skaaret & Renaud Crols Quintet (NO/BE/FR)

Line-up:
Gustav Skaaret – guitar
Jørgen Vikjord – guitar
Renaud Crols – violin
Benji Winterstein – rhythm guitar
Esteban Felix – double bass

Following their success at Djangofestivalen in 2026, Gustav Skaaret and Renaud Crols return — this time as a quintet.

With violin, lead guitar, two rhythm guitars and double bass, they draw on the same instrumental line-up used by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli in the Quintette du Hot Club de France. The legendary ensemble helped define string swing in Paris during the 1930s and 1940s and remains an important source of inspiration for new generations of musicians.

Together with guitarists Jørgen Vikjord and Benji Winterstein and young French bassist Esteban Felix, Skaaret and Crols offer an energetic, fresh and youthful interpretation of the music of the Hot Club de France. Tradition, the joy of playing and lively interplay come together in this Norwegian-Belgian-French collaboration.

Rocky Gresset Trio + guest Ola Kvernberg (FR/NO)

Line-up:
Rocky Gresset – guitar
Mathieu Chatelain – rhythm guitar
William Brunard – double bass
Guest: Ola Kvernberg – violin

Rocky Gresset is one of today’s foremost gypsy jazz guitarists. A proud ambassador of the tradition, he has never confined himself to a single style. His musical openness and an approach that embraces both Django standards and bebop have made him a sought-after musician on the international jazz scene.

Alongside his regular collaborators Mathieu Chatelain on rhythm guitar and William Brunard on double bass, he presents a trio that bridges swing and bebop. Gresset’s many influences come together in an ensemble brimming with rhythmic vitality and melodic elegance.

For this concert, the trio is joined by Ola Kvernberg on violin. The stage is set for an exciting encounter between Gresset’s guitar playing and Kvernberg’s expressive bowing — with room for both virtuosic exchanges and spontaneous musical moments.

Saturday 23 January

Dario Napoli Quartet feat. Baiju Bhatt (IT/FR/CH)

Line-up:
Dario Napoli – guitar
Tonino De Sensi – bass
Benji Winterstein – rhythm guitar
Baiju Bhatt – violin

Through more than twenty years of international touring, Italian guitarist and composer Dario Napoli has developed a distinctive voice in contemporary gypsy jazz. His music is deeply rooted in the Django Reinhardt tradition while also drawing inspiration from well beyond the genre’s boundaries.

With his seventh studio album, Sicilian Blood, released in 2026, Napoli presents his most personal project to date. Original compositions meet reimagined classics and unexpected repertoire choices — driven by his fiery guitar playing, fluid phrasing and strong melodic instinct.

On stage, he is joined by Baiju Bhatt on violin, Benji Winterstein on rhythm guitar and Tonino De Sensi on bass. Together, they create an energetic and colourful interplay, with Bhatt’s blazing violin meeting Napoli’s guitar in a musical conversation full of passion, playfulness and a spirit of exploration.

Ola Kvernberg Gipsy Ensemble (NO/RO)

Line-up:
Ola Kvernberg – violin
Giani Lincan – cimbalom
Ola Erlien – guitar
Ole Morten Vågan – double bass

Ola Kvernberg has a special connection to Djangofestivalen. It was here that he made his national breakthrough in 2000 — an encounter that led to recordings and further collaborations with Hot Club de Norvège.

Since then, he has established himself as one of Norway’s most acclaimed jazz violinists and composers, with a musical range spanning string swing and folk music, contemporary jazz, rock and film scores. Through projects such as Liarbird and Steamdome, he has shown an enduring desire to explore new forms of expression — while maintaining his connection to the string swing tradition.

For Djangofestivalen 2027, he brings together Giani Lincan on cimbalom, Ola Erlien on guitar and Ole Morten Vågan on double bass. The instrumentation offers a rich acoustic palette, bringing violin and cimbalom together with guitar and double bass. The stage is set for a festival finale filled with virtuosic string playing, musical curiosity and lively interplay.

Tickets and Practical Information

Day ticket: NOK 550 / 500 + booking fee
Three-day festival pass: NOK 1,200 + booking fee

Doors open: 7:00 pm
Concerts start: 8:00 pm

Cosmopolite, Oslo · 21–23 January 2027