We are proud to present

We are proud to present the last two artists for Dark Season Blues 2025! Blues rock legend Walter Trout and the dynamic duo Thorbjørn Risager & Emil Balsgaard join this year’s lineup. With passion, raw energy and true blues magic, they promise unforgettable concerts under the Arctic night sky in Svalbard!

Bluesrock legenden Walter Trout kommer til Svalbard og festivalen dark Season Blues.
Walter Trout (US)

Walter Trout (US)

Blues rock legend Walter Trout takes over Svalbard during Dark Season Blues in October 2025. With a career spanning five decades, Trout has been a central figure in the blues world, known for his raw guitar skills and soulful songwriting. He started out as a sideman for blues icons like John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton before breaking through as a solo artist in 1989.

Trout’s latest album Broken (2024) reflects on a world divided, but with an enduring belief in hope and unity. With his powerful voice and passionate guitar playing, he delivers concerts full of energy and emotion. His performance at Dark Season Blues will be a unique chance to experience one of the great masters of the blues in the magical light of the polar night.

Duoen Thorbjørn Risager & Emil balsgaard tar turen til verdens nordligste bluesfestival i oktober.
Thorbjorn Risager & Emil Baalsgaard (DK)

Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard (DK)

Danish duo Thorbjørn Risager and Emil Balsgaard bring their unique blend of blues, boogie and funky rhythms to Dark Season Blues 2025. Together they’ve been playing for over 30 years, from their beginnings in the New Orleans-inspired Rad Gumbo to the success of Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, one of Europe’s most recognized blues bands.

As a duo, Risager and Balsgaard deliver an intimate and energetic concert experience, where Risager’s powerful vocals and guitar meet Balsgaard’s driving piano playing. Their latest joint album, Taking The Good With The Bad, offers an explosive mix of delta grooves, Caribbean rhythms and raw blues – an experience guaranteed to captivate audiences in Longyearbyen.

Read more about Walter Trout, Thorbjørn Risager and all this year’s artists at Dark Season Blues here –>../artists