Skájdde returns to Storforsen in summer 2026 with a brand new large-scale outdoor performance, created especially for the landscape, the light, and the people who gather there.
At Skájdde 2026, this idea unfolds through dance, live music, joik, poetry, circus, scenography, and costume – woven together in the powerful surroundings of Storforsen Nature Reserve. Nature is not a backdrop here, but an active partner. The river, the forest, the ground beneath your feet all become part of the experience.
As in previous years, Skájdde is more than a single performance. The festival brings back familiar elements that many return for. Intimate encounters around the fire, art in the forest, storytelling for children, movement trails, and moments where audiences of all ages are invited to slow down, listen, and be present.
This year’s performance is an artistic experience filled with dance, humor, poetry, and warmth. The performance is about growing together and about how we need one another in this world, but also that we therefore must take care of one another. It begins with Sami creation stories about our earth, our animals, and humanity, where music and poetry create a powerful atmosphere within the nature reserve.
I joined the process of the new performance “Sjaddo” a couple of months ago, when we planted the seeds for texts and themes that have now grown into something approaching a finished performance. Compared to previous years’ productions, we have brought more playful elements into Sjaddo and dared to work more with humor as a contrast to the major existential questions that the performance also addresses. Through the eyes of the Creator, we follow the Sami creation story — eyes that look upon the world with curiosity, joy of discovery, playfulness, and love. Beyond sharing Sami stories about the world we live in, Sjaddo also feels like a bright performance for dark times, reminding us that what we do on a small scale matters on a larger scale, and that there is meaning and value in our lives here. A warm and meaningful performance for both adults and children. As a spoken word poet living in Vidsel, it is rare to have the opportunity to bike to work. I grew up in the area around Storforsen, and it has been a very important place to me throughout my life. To be in this environment and create cross-disciplinary performing arts that highlight meaningful, local, and contemporary themes together with so many talented professional dancers, musicians, and other artists is an experience that has helped me grow both as an artist and as a person. It is almost difficult to put into words — and words are, after all, the very foundation of my profession. – Josefin Şîlan Karlsson