Riddu Riđđu 2018 was a great success

The festival was visited by the Minister of Culture Trine Skei Grande, who spent the day visiting the festival area and gave the official opening speech from the main stage on Thursday evening. The speech of the Minister of Culture emphasized Riddu Riđđu's significance for freedom of expression and cultural diversity, and acknowledged Riddu Riđđu as an arena where traditions are continued and further developed. The 50th anniversary of the University of Tromsø´s 50th anniversary has been visible through Mari Boine's art and music, and the comissioned concert "Do we understand each other?" was played for two sold-out shows on Friday. "A strong and thought-provoking performance from one of Sápmis most important voices," says Karoline Trollvik, the festival director.

Traditions and identity was a continuous artistic theme of this year's festival and young indigenous artists of all genres have been unfolding on stage.

A collection of Nordland boats has been exhibited throughout the week, and has been a source of lots of new knowledge of boatbuilding traditions in a coastal Sami context. Duodji Dreamers has visualized how 10 young duojárat tell our stories from Sápmi through their practice and asked how duodji can have a prominent role in the future, how duodji can be developed and who is entitled to develop duodji.

The entire Sápmi has been visible and represented during this year's festival, and the audience has become better acquainted with the kildin and skolt sámi situation and traditions on the kola peninsula.

The young artist of the year, Ánná-Káisá Partapouli, has been slamming her fierce poetry. Not least, she was shining at the tribute of Aillohaš at Small Stage on Friday, along with Synnøve Persen, Niko Valkeapää and Niilas Holmberg.

Aindás, Riddu Sessions 2018 by Ánna-Katri Helander was praised, and her two performances went for sold out shows and standing applause.
"We have put indigenous hip hop in the spot this year, with amazing concerts by Baker Boy, DJ Shub, and not least the Circumpolar Hip Hop Collab concert, where rappers from the whole of the circumpolar area was the last act on the main stage with and ended it with a bang," said the festival director.

Club Lávvu in the Baldalavvu was continued after last year's success, and with long ques and full house it is clear that the audience appreciate the offer.

The visit to Riddu Riđđu 2018 exceeded last year with an increase of 6.3% in audience. "The weather has been great and there has been a good atmosphere and happy audience this year," says the festival manager.

A tired and happy festival director concludes by saying: "I am very pleased with my last festival as a festival director and thankful for all the incredibly people I have been fortunate to work with in these past years. I'm also excited to see how the festival will develop under Sandra Márjá West's artistic leadership. "

For more photos from this year's festival: https://www.flickr.com/photos/riddu/albums