Seven More Names Announced

With the addition of seven names to the 2026 programme, Tønder Festival maintains its gold standard: great tales, powerful musical energy and cohesion between past and present listening experiences.

Americana and folk across the generations
The US americana scene supplies us with a number of musicians who offer depth of song narrative while energetically challenging genre definitions on stage.

Susto Stringband, with Justin Osborne in front, grew out of a creative commune in North and South Carolina, where meeting local musicians fostered a rare collaboration. Song, banjo, guitar and double bass frame the band's play, true to the Appalachian folk warmth and shared immediacy in musical story-telling.

Emily Scott Robinson's career took off in 2016, since when she has toured extensively in USA and internationally. Her concerts are known for their concentrated energy and close contact with her audiences. In a voice that spans almost three octaves, she brings to life tales of love, loss and hope, often inspired by her deep roots in North Carolina and often centred on strong women.

From Los Angeles we have Sunny War, who worked as a street musician, grew up travelling throughout USA, and combines punk, blues and folk in a powerful, no-nonsense stage presence. Her live performance, both solo and in a duo, is intense, shamelessly honest and grabs her audiences from the word go.

The Felice Brothers began playing in the Catskill Mountains in New York state, then toured ceaselessly, from spontaneous concerts on subway stations in New York and in local communities, to major international stages. The band tells stories of American daily life and landscape and draw the audience in with their undiluted humour and lively vocal harmonies.

Canadian Folk from the Eastern Seaboard
Rum Ragged are a band with deep roots in Canadian folk music from Newfoundland. Aaron Collis and Mark Manning combine instrumental reels, songs and story-telling with an energy and virtuosity that belies their ages. Playing bouzouki, violin, bodhrán, banjo, guitar and accordion, they deliver a captivating, authentic experience.

Danish Music to Touch the Heart

When Poul Krebs turns 70 in 2026, he'll be marking it by sharing his music over no fewer than 70 concerts in Denmark, among them, of course, one at Tønder Festival. Krebs’ latest album Fuldtidsforhåbninger’(Incurable Optimist) assembles generations of Danish musicians, and on stage he's backed by his tight-knit, dyed-in-the-wool band raring to give listeners magic moments.

After an almost ten-year break, Danish rock band Ulige Numre (Odd Numbers) are back with new music and their well-known hits such as København (Copenhagen) and Grand Prix. This band has made Danish music history as the voice of a generation, playing big-scale rock shows and festival concerts with poetic perception and raw energy.

THE MUSICIANS:

 

Poul Krebs (DK)
When Poul Krebs turns 70 in 2026, he'll be celebrating in the manner he knows best: by sharing his music on a national tour round Denmark. 70 concerts in all, from huge concert venues to tiny village halls - and, naturally, a stop at Tønder Festival. This coming year will mark not only Krebs' birthday, but also celebrates his life's work as one of the best-known voices in Danish music.

Community is the theme of his latest album Fuldtidsforhåbninger (Incurable Optimist)(2025), wherein Poul Krebs gathers musicians across the generations: Hanne Boel, Tina Dickow, Lucky Lo, Helgi Jónsson, Jonas Dissing, Simone Tang, Palle Hjorth, Annika Aakjær, Jacob Dinesen and Kajsa Vala.

On stage, he is backed by his regular team: Troels Skjærbæk, Palle Hjorth, Peter Dombernowsky, Casper Simonsen, Lars Skjærbæk and Andreas Käehne – the band he calls "the strongest line-up imaginable."

When Poul Krebs takes the stage, it's all about much more than the music. It's about sharing the moments when songs express community, and life's tales find a warm voice.

At Tønder Festival you will see a Danish songwriter at the top of his form, and a rare meeting of intimacy, experience and community.

www.poulkrebs.dk

Rum Ragged (CAN)
From the rugged, beautiful island of Newfoundland on Canada's eastern seaboard come Rum Ragged, a band who unite the tales of the past with the energy of today.
The band was formed by Aaron Collis and Mark Manning, two musicians with deep roots in the local folk music tradition. With respect for the roots and courage to renew them, Rum Ragged have rapidly made their mark among the strongest voices in the new wave of Canadian folk music.

Playing bouzouki, violin, bodhrán, banjo, guitar and accordion, Rum Ragged make lively and powerful music. Their concerts mix songs, energetic instrumental reels played with virtuoso technique, and narrative humour. You will hear how Rum Ragged play with both heart and hand, with a confidence that belies their ages.

Since the outset in 2016, the band has toured a lot and released four well-received albums,  cementing their position as leading lights in East coast Canadian music. And in 2021 they were nominated for a JUNO Award, Canada's most prestigious music prize.
Rum Ragged are no ordinary folk band: they are the real McCoy, bringing Newfoundland's living music heritage into a new era. You can relish the prospect of meeting true folk essence when Rum Ragged visit Tønder Festival 2026 as their only Danish appearance.
www.rumragged.com

Ulige Numre (DK)
After a decade's intermission, Ulige Numre (Odd Numbers) are back. The Copenhagen punk stars who set a generation's city life to music, reform in 2026 for a series of major rock shows – and a trip to Tønder Festival.
Ulige Numre took Denmark by storm when they appeared in the early 2010s with their blend of lyrical poetry, well-defined melodies and uncut energy. They made Danish music history with their debut single København (Copenhagen), which went on to become a modern classic and a soundtrack for youthful longing for freedom.
Fronted by then 20 year-old Carl Emil Petersen, the band soon won Radio Denmark's P3 Talent prize and the Steppeulven award for the song of the year 2013. Their second album Grand Prix (2015) confirmed their position as one of the country's sharpest rock names. The album went gold and won the Danish Music Award for Rock Album of the Year, a testimony to Ulige Numre's knack for writing popular lyrics.
Now they are back with new music and new energy, and you have treats in store: both old and new songs and a fresh sound from a band whose hearts beat with the city's pulse, giving life in Denmark a lyrical twist.

Susto Stringband (USA)
The American songwriter Justin Osborne has used the name Susto since 2013, when he founded a commune of musicians and artists in Charleston, South Carolina. Alternative rock and americana have aided Justin Osborne to a position as a lyrical, unmistakable voice on the music scene. In 2022, chance took him to an open mic do in Asheville, North Carolina: Susto Stringband was born when he met singer Clint Roberts, banjo player Helena Rose and bassist Joey Brown; the musical chemistry was there for all to hear. The result was the  album Susto Stringband: Volume1 (2025), recorded by the legendary producer Mitch Easter and steeped in honest Appalachian folk sound and warmth. Susto Stringband brings Justin Osborne back to his musical roots in gospel, bluegrass and folk, added to a contemporary eye for some of life's big themes: love, loss, faith and reconciliation. All that lies in a bath of strings, harmonies and a search for balance between nature, people and music.
You will warm to hear this credible American narrative, when Susto Stringband visit Tønder Festival, their only Danish show in 2026.
www.sustoisreal.com

Emily Scott Robinson (USA)

Since her debut, the album Magnolia Queen in 2016, the American singer-songwriter Emily Scott Robinson has toured all over USA and elsewhere. Her voice, ranging over nearly three octaves, impresses audiences, making each concert an experience to be remembered.  Her subsequent albums, Traveling Mercies (2019) and American Siren (2021) were praised by Rolling Stone, Stereogum and NPR, and her songs are known to touch listeners deeply. This is no less true for her coming album Appalachia, recorded in a historic church in upstate New York, Josh Kaufman producing, for release in January 2026. The album tells tales of love, loss, hope and community. Topics cover widely, from a North Carolina natural catastrophe to personal loss and existential reflection, often centred on strong women.
Emily Scott Robinson's music has deep roots in North Carolina, where they sang folk songs round the campfire, and her experiences as a social worker in Colorado. Back then she became a social worker because she wanted to do something for others. That's how she sees her music career, too. As she puts it, she weaves a prayer into each album, hoping that the songs will find their way to those who need them. Emily Scott Robinson will perform at Tønder Festival with her band, and it will be her only Danish appearance in 2026.
www.emilyscottrobinson.com

Sunny War (USA)

Sunny War, from Los Angeles, is a musician who challenges genres, confronting the raw energy of punk  with the depth of folk and the soul of blues. Born with the bourgeois name of Sydney Lyndella Ward in Nashville, Tennessee, she led a nomadic existence growing up, from Detroit to Denver and over to Los Angeles. As a teenager she started playing guitar and developed a unique finger style technique inspired by banjo picking, which gave her  music a sound all of its own.

Starting out as a street musician on Venice Beach, she soon attracted attention with her intense performance and unusual guitar style. After a period of personal problems and drug abuse, she found her way back to music. Her breakthrough was the album Anarchist Gospel in 2023. Its potent cocktail of gospel, country, punk and avantgarde endeared the album to listeners and critics alike. And in 2025 Sunny War followed up with Armageddon in a Summer Dress, reflecting loss, social issues and personal experiences, hard driven and deep. Singled out by her relentless approach, Sunny War is a rare artist who has drawn the attention of established musicians like Willie Nelson and Mitski, leading to collaborations.

Sunny War will appear at Tønder Festival in a duo, her only Danish appearance in 2026.
www.sunnywar.com

The Felice Brothers (USA)

Since 2006, Ian and James Felice, with friends and family, have been rejigging the traditional americana heritage to something more savage, vivacious and unpredictable. The American folk and roots rock band The Felice Brothers was born in the Catskill Mountains, New York, and their music took shape literally on the streets. Or rather under them: they first played on the subway stations at 42nd Street and Union Square in New York. From there it grew through tours and album releases, borne by strong vocal harmonies, tales of daily life in USA, and an unquenchable love of playing live.
Their back catalogue contains songs like Frankie’s Gun!, Radio Song and Jazz on the Autobahn, numbers that balance between poetry and raw rock. Their latest album, Valley of Abandoned Songs (2024) has 13 songs of longing and self-reflection. These are songs omitted from their previous albums, but all with the band's signature mix of americana, folk and rock.
Live, The Felice Brothers are one of the most significant names in modern americana: direct, energetic and authentic both in their stories and their music. At Tønder Festival you will see The Felice Brothers as their true selves: story-tellers, musicians and living witnesses to  American countryside and culture. Their only Danish show in 2026.

www.thefelicebrothers.com

Tønder Festival 2026 – so far:

Aaron Lee Tasjan (USA), 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)

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

www.tf.dk

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Tickets: www.tf.dk