From Gaelic song to Norwegian country

Malin Lewis (SCO), The Crowe Boys (USA), Kim Carnie (SCO), Lea Kampmann (FO/DK) and Tobias Sten (NO) join the 2026 line-up at Tønder Festival. Four of the five will play their only Danish concert at the festival. Together, they span everything from self-built Scottish bagpipes and Gaelic song traditions to Faroese songwriting and Norwegian country.

Tønder Festival has already announced a strong 2026 programme, including Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois and Fantastic Negrito. Now, five more names are added, ranging from breakthrough newcomers to major award winners. The Crowe Boys appeared at the festival in 2025, earning a four-star review from GAFFA. Norway’s Tobias Sten won the 2025 Spellemann Prize for both Artist of the Year and Release of the Year, and was the country’s second most-streamed artist. Kim Carnie, described by BBC Radio 2 as “a standout instrument of her generation”, is among the leading voices on the Scottish scene. Malin Lewis builds their own bagpipes and challenges tradition with the debut album Halocline, while Lea Kampmann brings the distinct song culture of the Faroe Islands to the programme.

“The Crowe Boys are returning. Some artists arrive at the right name at the right moment. Others stay with audiences in ways you can’t plan for. Tobias Sten has done both in Norway. We’re delighted that his only Danish show this year will be at Tønder Festival.”
Maria Theessink, Artistic Director & Head of Press

Malin Lewis (SCO)

Malin Lewis is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist from Ardnamurchan and Skye, and one of the most original voices on today’s traditional scene. Playing self-built bagpipes and fiddle, Lewis began crafting instruments as a teenager, including a two-octave 3D-printed bagpipe unlike anything else in folk music. The debut album Halocline was released in May 2024 on Hudson Records. Lewis was a finalist in BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician 2022 and received a New Voices commission from Celtic Connections, leading to a sold-out premiere at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in 2023. The music “marries deep traditional roots with adventurous innovation” — a description that captures Halocline perfectly.

Malin Lewis Trio will play their only Danish concert at Tønder Festival in 2026.

The Crowe Boys (USA)

Brothers Ocie and Wes Crowe grew up in Louisiana, touring with their family’s gospel band, before settling in New Orleans, where they rediscovered their musical direction. They arrived at Tønder in 2025 as a little-known act and left with four stars from GAFFA and a lasting impression on audiences. In early 2024, a recording of Where Did I Go Wrong reached millions on TikTok, leading to a deal with Universal Music Group Nashville. Their debut album Made to Wander is finely crafted americana: acoustic guitar and mandolin, close vocal harmonies, and lyrics that favour honesty over embellishment.

The Crowe Boys will play their only Danish festival concert at Tønder Festival in 2026.

Kim Carnie (SCO)

Kim Carnie, from Oban on Scotland’s west coast, was named BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2017. She is widely known as lead singer of folk-rock band Mànran, which she joined in 2019, but her solo work has firmly established her artistic voice. Her debut album And So We Gather (2022) draws closely on the Gaelic song tradition, combining new arrangements of traditional material with original songs in Gaelic and English. A’ Chailleach (2025) is a concept album exploring female folklore and Gaelic witchcraft traditions, featuring Jerry Douglas and Seckou Keita. BBC Radio 2 calls her voice “a standout instrument of her generation”, while The Scotsman describes it as “velvet-voiced authority”.

Kim Carnie and band will play their only Danish concert at Tønder Festival in 2026.

Lea Kampmann (FO/DK)

Lea Kristinsdóttir Kampmann was born in Tórshavn and raised in Copenhagen, returning to the Faroe Islands at 18 — a shift that continues to shape her music. Her album Seinferð (2024), written and produced with Teitur, is sung entirely in Faroese. The title translates as “slow motion”, reflecting a reminder not to move at everyone else’s pace. The album was recorded during a snowstorm in Tórshavn and mixed by Philip Weinrobe, known for his work with Leonard Cohen and Alanis Morissette. Kampmann was named Artist of the Year at the Faroese Music Awards 2018.

Tobias Sten (NO)

Tobias Sten, 22, from Stord on Norway’s west coast, has risen rapidly from newcomer to one of the country’s most recognized artists. He won P3 Gull awards for Newcomer of the Year and Song of the Year in 2024, followed by two top honors at the 2025 Spellemann Prize: Artist of the Year and Release of the Year. His self-titled album went straight to number one on the Norwegian charts upon release in May 2025. Sten writes Norwegian-language country with clear influences from Zach Bryan and Jason Isbell. In 2025, he was Norway’s second most-streamed artist.

Tobias Sten and band will play their only Danish concert at Tønder Festival in 2026.

Line up

Emmylou Harris (USA), Aaron Lee Tasjan (USA), Skerryvore (SCO), Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys (UK), Joce Reyome (CAN), Erik Koskinen (USA), Ron Sexsmith (CAN), The Brothers Comatose (USA), James McMurtry (USA), Susan O´Neill (IRL), Ulige Numre (DK), Susto Stringband (USA), Sunny War (USA), Poul Krebs (DK), Emily Scott Robinson (USA), The Felice Brothers (USA), Rum Ragged (CAN), Daniel Lanois (CAN), Fantastic Negrito (USA), Jesper Lindell & The Brunnsvik Sounds (SE), Bye Bye Brenda (DK), Jake Blount (USA), AySay (DK), Heidi Talbot (IRL/SCO), Tako Lako (DK), Leon Majcen (USA), Selina Gin & The Iconics (DK), Ciarán Ryan Band (SCO/IRL), John R. Miller (USA), Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening (UK), Shakey Graves (USA), Jake Bugg (UK), Duncan Chisholm, Michael McGoldrick, Gerry O’Connor & Tony Byrne (SCO/IRL/UK), Lily Fitts (USA), OIiver Hazard (USA), Ken Pomeroy (USA), Folk Ensemble (DK), folkBALTICA Ensemble (DK/DE), Kris Kristofferson Tribute (DK/CAN), Ozzy (DK), Tobias Sten (NO), Malin Lewis (SCO), Kim Carnie (SCO), Lea Kampmann (FO/DK), The Crowe Boys (USA).

Tønder Festival 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th August 2026

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