Hay Festival Returns to Kristiansand

The latest news from Sørlandet / Agder in the past 48 hours: the Hay Festival Kunstsilo literary festival takes place in Kristiansand from 5 to 8 August, a data centre project is being considered in Flekkefjord, and residents of Kristiansand will avoid paying 13.4 million kroner. The region has also received an initiative from Statsforvalteren to adapt housing to an ageing population, while several other events are worth reporting.

Southern Norway / Agder news: the Hay festival in Kristiansand

The Hay Festival, one of the world’s leading literary and ideas festivals, has chosen Kunstsilo in Kristiansand as the venue for its 2027 edition. “This is very exciting, and we are incredibly proud,” said director Maria Mediaas Jørstad (NRK Sørlandet / Agder). The festival, which was looking for a venue in the Nordic countries, will take place from 5 to 8 August. The first 34 profiles were announced on Wednesday, including Anne Applebaum, Siri Hustvedt, Karl Ove Knausgård, Joachim Trier, Åsne Seierstad, and explorer and author Erling Kagge. “Many people want to come to Southern Norway, so it is easy to get people excited,” according to the source. The event will be called Hay Festival Kunstsilo.

Among the news in Sørlandet / Agder: a data center in Flekkefjord

Flekkefjord could host a new data center just outside the city center. The KrF leader believes this could provide a better balance between electricity prices and capacity. “This can give people a fairer balance between electricity prices and capacity,” he said (NRK Sørlandet / Agder). The project is still at the planning stage.

In the Sørlandet / Agder news: 13.4 million saved in Kristiansand

According to Fædrelandsvennen, residents of Kristiansand will not pay 13.4 million kroner. The newspaper published the information on 12 November at 22:00. The headline did not specify the details of this savings.

A checklist for adapting homes

90,000 people will receive a letter from Statsforvalteren this week with advice on adapting their homes to ageing. Kjell Hansen (75 years old) considers himself fully capable of thinking for himself. “Everyone has a responsibility,” according to the source (NRK Sørlandet / Agder). The initiative aims to help older people anticipate needs related to ageing.

Karl Ove Knausgård opens up about his latest novel

The writer Karl Ove Knausgård (57 years old) gave an interview to NRK Sørlandet / Agder in London, near The Spaniards Inn. He recounts having had some sort of breakdown just before his latest novel, « Underjordisk », was published. He became physically ill and stated: « I almost struggled to collect my son from school, I was so unwell. It was a total catastrophe. I had to give up, I could no longer read. »

📌 Local briefs

A man in his fifties died in a tree-felling accident in Grimstad, more precisely in Reddal. Emergency services were alerted on Thursday at 12:34 after a person was found outdoors. The man was probably working alone. The police carried out investigations at the scene and opened an investigation. “This appears to be a tragic accident, but the police wishes to continue the investigation since it is a death,” said operator Arve Johan Myklebust of the Agder police (NRK Sørlandet / Agder).

Kristiansand tops the statistics for vandalism in Norway, according to NRK Sørlandet / Agder. No further details were provided.

A car was seriously damaged after a collision with an elk, reports Fædrelandsvennen on 12 November at 21:00. The article is accompanied by a photo of the vehicle.

Sources: NRK Sørlandet / Agder, Fædrelandsvennen, The Local Norway — Period: 12 November 2026 and 13 November 2026