1000 balls in the air
- Liverpoolfestivalen
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
It can often feel like there are 1,000 balls in the air when planning a festival. But we've already managed to defeat many of them!
A puzzle
We have previously described creating a festival as a puzzle with many pieces, and where the pieces naturally have to fit together. It is also important that all the pieces are there so that the puzzle is complete. After we started with the idea and planning almost seven years ago, and we are organizing for the fifth time next year, you would think that it would go more smoothly.
And things are going a little smoother now. We have gained a lot of experience along the way and know for the most part what is most important to all of you who are going to the festival. It's not the weather, it's not which legends or musicians are coming, it's actually the community that is most important, hanging out with other supporters. We understood that already after the first year of the festival and through the festivals afterwards, we have tried to build on that and create an arena and a festival that first and foremost facilitates just that.
Are we on the right track?
The answer is yes. We are on the right track. We have worked hard to get a good line-up in place as early as possible. Four legends are in place and three of them are returning in what we call the "Best of" quota. We will be five years old in 2026 and then we need to celebrate a bit, and what better way than to celebrate with old friends? In addition to Sammy Lee, David Fairclough and Jan Mølby we have the "newcomer" Gary McAllister. He is nothing short of a coup, as we see it. Gary is one of those guys who are still singing about on The Kop, he has won The Treble with the club and he worked with Steven Gerrard at Rangers. He is also the guy who could score from over 40 metres, against Everton. That's how you become a legend!
When it comes to music, we have also chosen to use the "Best of" quota. Ragamuffins are returning of course. If we hadn't invited them, there would have been an uproar and a mailbox full of gossip. David John Jaggs and the boys have become our house band and are the obvious choice when the festival culminates on Saturday night.
Andy Hodgson is also back, the guy that almost no one knew when he debuted at Liverpool Festival 2023. A guy who has gradually developed into perhaps the biggest LFC musician after Jamie Webster abdicated. We know that he loves Norway and Liverpool Festival and that he is looking forward to coming back. The TikTok phenomenon and Norway's most popular LFC musician is also back. Aleksander "ALEK" Hornes makes the trip over the mountain from Bergen. In addition, it is finally ready to invite Det Betales back. They were at the very first festival and are finally ready to celebrate their fifth anniversary with us. Click here to see which artists are ready for the festival next summer.
We should also mention that next year we have put together a super band, THE LFC JAM BAND! New to the band is Harry Fazakerley. At the age of 16 he was hired as a regular musician before matches at the same pub where his great idol, Jamie Webster, began his musical journey. Harry, or Faza as he is also known, releases his own music, and his debut single Patience has been played several times at Anfield, which has made the stadium even more special for the young artist. Earlier this summer, a new single, Temptress, was also released, which is also worth checking out. In December, he played to a sold-out house at the O2 Academy in Liverpool, as the headline act.
Even for the youngest
When we started the festival, we had no idea that families with children would come, or that grandparents would bring their grandchildren. It made us think that we had to do a little extra for the youngest supporters. After all, they are the ones who will lead the supporter community forward. So in 2024, we discovered that we needed to focus more on the younger supporters and expanded the green area and filled it with activities. In 2025, we invited Kent Roger "Triksepappa" Solheim, among others, to hang out in what we called Liverkidsparken, and there is nothing else to say other than that it was a success. Triksepappa with almost 150,000 followers on TikTok will be back next summer and is ready to teach the kids some tricks and of course challenge the legends in 1v1 matches.
Side events
Since the start, we have been working on further developing the festival with new activities and events. We have tested the Skibladner cruise, a concert on top of Gjøvik, and we have many ideas that we have put on hold. The ones that have continued from previous years are of courseLivergirls ONLY and the Supporter Dinner . These are side events that have been largely sold out every year, and that we dare not put aside. Two years ago, we also launched the English Breakfast at Brygga. It will also be held in 2026. In fact, a video from this year's breakfast has gone viral and has over 3.5 million views online at the time of writing.
We are also working on some ideas for another activity that could be included in next year's festival. We can't say much about what it is right now, but if we make this idea a reality, you will of course be the first to know.
So maybe you should get some sleep?
As before, we have great hotel deals if you book through our website, and you can also stay at our festival camp and choose a shared room, cabin or maybe a small apartment. Or maybe you choose a campervan or caravan? As you can see, there are several options that can fit your budget. We recommend that you don't wait too long to book a place where you can relax between everything that's happening at the festival. We know from experience that the campervan parking is fully booked long before we open the festival.
In addition to the accommodation options we have previously used, we are also working on several alternatives that we hope to present in the near future. The idea is that the price of the accommodation should not be the reason why you do not honor us with a visit to Gjøvik next year.
The baking machine
Behind the festival is the operating company Aldri Alene AS, which is owned entirely by local supporters. All owners who work with the development, planning and implementation of Liverpool Festival do so on a non-profit basis. No one gets paid, and no one gets rich from the festival. It has been the opposite, after a couple of times we have actually had to breathe new life into the festival by digging a little too deep into our wallets. But we have come through it and today stand as a sustainable festival with a bright future.
We have also forged closer ties with the city of Liverpool over the last two years, not least Lee Rogan, who has become a key partner for us “over there”. He is a door opener and a key part of the booking team. Then of course we must also mention The RedMen TV, who we have started a partnership with, a partnership that you will see more of over the winter, and of course during the Liverpool Festival 2026.
We always have a solid group of volunteers with us, who happily work around the clock in the last week to get everything in place before the gates open. But no matter how many of us take responsibility, plan or run the festival, it is not enough. We are completely dependent on good partners who contribute financially and with various services. We have been lucky and have included actors such as Pepsi, Pizzabakeren, Liverpool FC Supporters Club Norway, Gjøvik municipality and others. The contributions from all our partners are what ultimately makes it possible for us to organize the Liverpool Festival.
What happens now?
As I write this, the Christmas spirit is starting to creep in. It really does mean that the final figures for the Liverpool Festival 2026 budget are now set in stone, and that the various departments in our little organisation know what to do when the last New Year's rocket lands in the snow. The booking department will land the final contracts as soon as possible, the venue manager will soon know how many toilets and metres of bar counter we need, the hotel and restaurant team will arrange travel plans and tickets for those who are flown in and picked up at Gardermoen, the sponsorship department will be knocking on doors, and everyone will have more than enough to do in the spring. Everything will be ready for the fifth festival in a row on July 30th, and we are looking forward to it.
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