When we set out to create the grand Festival Concert at Stangholmen, there was one voice we knew had to be part of it. A voice that has filled the Oslo Opera House and moved thousands in the capital. A voice that carries Sápmi and contemporary pop in the same breath.

Kajsa Balto is one of the most important artists in the new wave of Sami music. She won the Sami Music Awards in 2025, and her album Rájás is nominated for the Edvard Prize. In December 2024, she made Norwegian music history as the first Sami artist to perform a Christmas concert at the Opera House together with KORK.

Yoik runs in her blood. Her father is from Karasjok, and yoik was a natural part of daily life as Kajsa grew up in Oslo. Now she passes the tradition on to her own daughter.

Her music blends the ancient with the modern. The free form of yoik meets tight, poppy arrangements. The result hits you in the gut, whether you hear her with her band or in front of a full orchestra.