The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Nordic music in 2018.
Events
January
- 12
- Norwegian singer Sigrid is named winner of the BBC's "Sound of 2018" award.
- The 22nd Folklandia Cruise starts in Helsinki, Finland, running until 13 January.
- 13 â Composer Paavo Heininen, considered by many to be Finland's most influential musician, celebrates his 80th birthday with a concert at the Järvenpää Hall, Helsinki.
- 19 â The 37th annual Djangofestival starts in Oslo, Norway, to run until 20 January.
- 28 â Jazz guitarist Gustav Lundgren and his trio perform a tribute to Django Reinhardt at Stockholm Concert Hall, featuring Aurélien Trigo and Antoine Boyer.
- 30 â Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen is awarded the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2019.
February
March
- 3 â At Söngvakeppnin 2018, Ari ÃÂlafsson is selected to represent Iceland in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Heim". After winning the context, ÃÂlafsson is criticised on social media for crying on hearing the result.
- 7 â Fifteen-year-old cellist Birgitta Elisa Oftestad wins the Virtuos 2018 competition and is named Norway's representative at the Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 contest.
- 9 â Finnish band Nightwish begins a nine-month world tour titled ', accompanying a new 2CD compilation called Decades.
- 10 â The final of Melodifestivalen 2018 takes place in Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden.
- 12 â The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, under Hannu Lintu, begins a week-long series of concerts in Germany.
- 25
- Swedish House Mafia unexpectedly reunite for a performance at the 20th Anniversary of Ultra Music Festival in Miami, United States.
- Greenlandic singer Nive Nielsen stars as "Lady Silence" in a new US horror series, The Terror, her first international TV role.
April
- 27 â ABBA announce that they have recorded some new songs, the first since 1983.
May
- 8 â In semi-final 1 of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, Iceland's entry is eliminated, but Finland's Saara Aalto finishes 10th and makes it to the final.
- 10 â In semi-final 2 of the Eurovision Song Contest, Norway's entry finishes in first place, Sweden 2nd and Denmark 5th; all three countries make it to the final.
- 12 â In the Eurovision final, held in Lisbon, Sweden does best of the Scandinavian countries, finishing in 7th place.
- 23 - The Bergen International Festival opens in Bergen, Norway, running until 6 June. Guest performers include Meow Meow, Selene Muñoz and Helsinki Songs.
June
- 6 â The 26th Sweden Rock Festival opens in Norje, running until 9 June. The Quill are forced to withdraw the day before the festival begins, because lead singer Magnus Ekwall is recovering from emergency surgery.
July
September
- 5 â The Copenhagen World Music Festival opens, running until 9 September.
- 6 â The Lahti Sibelius Festival opens, running until 9 September.
November
December
- 6 â Icelandic Music Day is celebrated.
Albums released
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Film and television scores
Films
Television
Eurovision Song Contest
Deaths
- 1 January - , Danish singer, 76
- 18 January â Javiera Muñoz, Swedish singer, 40
- 29 January â Asmund Bjørken, Norwegian jazz musician, 84
- 4 February â Leif Rygg, Norwegian folk musician, 77
- 5 February â Ove Stokstad, Norwegian artist and jazz musician, 78
- 9 February â Jóhann Jóhannsson, Icelandic film composer, 48
- 3 March â Kenneth Gärdestad, pop songwriter, 69
- 5 March â Kjerstin Dellert, Swedish opera singer, 92
- 9 March â Ole H. Bremnes, Norwegian folk singer and poet, 87
- 25 March â Jerry Williams, Swedish singer, 75
- 31 March â Frode Viken, guitarist and songwriter, D.D.E., 63
- 3 April â Lill-Babs, Swedish singer ("En tuff brud i lyxförpackning"), 80
- 20 April â Avicii (Tim Bergling), Swedish musician, DJ and record producer, 28
- 11 May âÂÂMikhail Alperin, Ukrainian-born jazz pianist, member of the Moscow Art Trio, professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music, 61
- 26 June â Bo Nilsson, Swedish composer, 81
- 5 July â , opera singer, 81
- 9 July â , Swedish musician, 78
- 16 August â Benny Andersen, Danish writer and pianist, 88
- 21 August â Stefán Karl Stefánsson, Icelandic actor and singer (b. 1975).
- 9 September â Frank Andersson, Swedish entertainer and wrestler, 62 (complications during heart surgery)
- 23 September â Berth Idoff, Swedish musician (Berth Idoffs), 77
- 30 September â Kim Larsen, Danish rock musician (Gasolin'), 72 (prostate cancer)
- 29 November â Erik Lindmark, vocalist and guitarist of Deeds of Flesh, 46 (sclerosis)
References