Bergen Food Festival 2027: dates, venue and where to eat and stay

Bergen Food Festival, Bergen Matfestival in Norwegian, takes place every year in early September at Festplassen and Byparken in the city centre. In 2026 it ran on 3-5 September alongside the Norwegian Cider Festival. According to matfest.no, Bergen Food Festival 2027 takes place on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 September. Here are the practical details, and where to eat and stay.

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When is Bergen Food Festival 2027?

Bergen Food Festival is a fixture of autumn in Bergen. In 2026 it ran from Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 September, and the 2027 dates will be published on matfest.no. If the organisers follow the same pattern, the festival will fall in the first half of September. We will update this page as soon as the dates are confirmed.

As a guide, these were the 2026 opening hours:

• Thursday: Norwegian Cider Festival 16:00-20:00, with some food stalls

• Friday: Food festival 11:00-19:00, cider festival 13:00-21:00

• Saturday: Food festival 10:00-18:00, cider festival 11:00-20:00

Where is the food festival, and what happens there?

The festival takes place at Festplassen and in Byparken, by Lille Lungegårdsvann lake in the centre of Bergen. Festival restaurants across the city host their own events too. Entry to most festival areas is free.

In 2026 the festival included:

• More than 140 food producers with stalls, tastings and the chance to meet the people behind the produce

• The Norwegian Cider Festival, with its own cider area at Festplassen

• Nordic Craft Chocolate Festival, with craft chocolate makers from several European countries

• Ung Matfest in Byparken, a free programme for children and young people

• Competitions for students from catering and food schools

Street food, local produce and drinks from Western Norway, all within a few hundred metres. Come hungry and bring a shopping bag.

Getting to Festplassen

Festplassen is right in the city centre, and it is easiest to arrive without a car.

• By light rail: The Bybanen light rail runs from Bergen Airport Flesland and other districts to its terminus at Byparken, right by the festival area.

• By train or bus: From Bergen railway station and the bus station, Festplassen is a short walk.

• On foot: From the Fish Market, Bryggen and Ole Bulls plass, you reach the festival in a few minutes.

If you plan to take produce home, bring a shopping bag or a cool bag. And a rain jacket. Bergen in September is beautiful, but rarely dry all day.

Tips for the festival day

• Come hungry, but not starving. Share tastings with your group so you can try more stalls.

• Check the programme first. Competitions, workshops and tastings run at set times, and some need a ticket.

• Try the cider. The cider area at Festplassen is a great introduction to Norwegian cider.

• Book dinner before you go. When the stalls close, everyone wants to eat at once.

• Stay for Saturday. On Saturday the food festival opens in the morning, giving you the whole day.

De Bergenske at the food festival

In 2026 we were part of the programme. Izakaya Skostredet moved its kitchen out to the Music Pavilion in Byparken on the Saturday evening, serving signature dishes, sushi and small plates paired with ciders from Kvestad Sideri. The chefs talked guests through each dish, with an introduction to Japanese food culture. Find out more about Izakaya Skostredet.

[SJEKK: om De Bergenske deltar i 2027, og med hvilke restauranter]

Where to eat when the stalls close

The festival gives you tastings. For dinner, you need a table. These places are a short walk from Festplassen and Byparken:

• Wesselstuen on Øvre Ole Bulls plass serves traditional Bergen food such as fish soup, pressed cod and raspeballer potato dumplings on Thursdays. A natural way to continue a day of West Norwegian food.

• Haven is at the same address. A covered, year-round outdoor restaurant with open sandwiches, small plates and drinks, turning into a night spot with a DJ later on.

• Matbaren at Zander K by Bergen station cooks with local and organic produce, with organic wine and beer from a local brewery. Very much in the spirit of the festival.

• Izakaya Skostredet on Domkirkegaten has Japanese small plates made for sharing, if you want to keep tasting.

Festival weekend is busy all over town, so book a table well ahead.

Where to stay for Bergen Food Festival

All our hotels are in the city centre, and none of them is far from Festplassen.

• Zander K Hotel and Grand Hotel Terminus are by Bergen station, a short walk from Festplassen and Byparken.

• Villa Terminus has 18 rooms in a listed villa with a garden, with breakfast at Grand Terminus.

• Bergen Børs Hotel and Skostredet Hotel are right in the centre, with Frescohallen, Izakaya and Skostredet Spa under their roofs.

• Heimen Hotel is the most affordable option, with family rooms and breakfast included.

The rest of autumn in Bergen

September is a good month to visit. The evenings are still light, seasonal produce is at its best, and the city has plenty going on. Keep an eye on Bergen Culture Night, another fixture of the autumn calendar. [SJEKK: dato for Kulturnatt 2027]

In town on a Saturday? Frescohallen at Bergen Børs Hotel has live jazz every Saturday from 15:00 to 17:00. And if you want a long breakfast before the festival, our favourites are in the guide to brunch in Bergen.

If your feet need a break after a long day between the stalls, Skostredet Spa has a snow room, sauna, steam bath and cold and warm plunge pools. A session lasts two hours.

Frequently asked questions

When is Bergen Food Festival 2027?

According to matfest.no, Bergen Food Festival 2027 takes place on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 September. In 2026 the festival ran from Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 September, together with the Norwegian Cider Festival.

Where is Bergen Food Festival held?

Bergen Food Festival is held at Festplassen and in Byparken by Lille Lungegårdsvann lake in Bergen city centre. The Norwegian Cider Festival has its own cider area at Festplassen, and Ung Matfest for children and young people takes place in Byparken. Festival restaurants across the city also host their own events during the festival.

Is Bergen Food Festival free?

Entry to most areas of Bergen Food Festival is free. You pay for the food and drink you buy at the stalls. Some events, such as dinners and tastings at the festival restaurants, need a separate ticket. The Norwegian Cider Festival area also has its own entry ticket, from NOK 450 in 2026 including tasting tokens. Check matfest.no to see which events are ticketed and what they cost.

What is the Norwegian Cider Festival?

The Norwegian Cider Festival runs alongside Bergen Food Festival, with its own cider area at Festplassen where you can taste cider from Norwegian producers. In 2026 the cider festival opened on Thursday afternoon, the day before the food festival itself. Bring ID, as alcohol is served. [SJEKK: aldersgrense for siderområdet]

Is Bergen Food Festival good for kids?

Yes, Bergen Food Festival works well for children. In 2026 Ung Matfest in Byparken was a free programme for kids and teenagers, with activities about local food and seasonal produce. Festplassen is open and easy to get around, including with a pram or buggy.

Taste your way through Western Norway at Festplassen, then let us take care of dinner. With six hotels and a range of restaurants in the city centre, your next meal is never far away.

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