Locations
The Hospitality Symposium will be held for the first time in June 2026 at Røst and in Bodo.
Røst
Røst is located at the far end of Lofoten, about ten kilometers from the mainland. The archipelago has about 550 inhabitants and is home to both one of Europe's largest seabird colonies and one of the world's richest fish reserves.
The main island of Røstlandet is very low and flat, which gives it a characteristic, open landscape with lots of sky. The special light and unique atmosphere have long attracted artists from all over the world.
Due to its location in the sea gap, the temperature remains above freezing all year round, and the area is considered the northernmost in the world without winter according to meteorological definitions. This provides ideal conditions for the production of stockfish during the Lofoten fishery. The tradition goes back several hundred years, and was already mentioned in 1432 by Pietro Querini, who, after a shipwreck, discovered the quality of the stockfish from Røst The main part is still exported to Italy.
Røst thus combining a vibrant fishing and agricultural environment with an open and internationally oriented culture.
Source: About Røst - Røst municipality
Bodo
Bodø is a coastal municipality in Nordland, beautifully situated between the Saltfjorden, Skjerstadfjorden and a large archipelago out to sea. The municipality offers a varied landscape – from wide beaches and marshlands to alpine mountains such as Børvasstindan and the municipality's highest peak, Lurfjelltinden (1284 m). To the west in the sea lies Landegode and several smaller islands that give Bodø its characteristic coastal character.
The climate is typically coastal, with mild winters, frequent westerly winds and an average temperature of 4.7 °C. Bodø experiences midnight sun from late May to mid-July and has a number of protected areas, including parts of the Sjunkhatten and Saltfjellet–Svartisen national parks.
With over 50,000 inhabitants, Bodø is Nordland's largest city and an important regional center for education, health, culture and public administration. The city has experienced strong growth after World War II and today functions as the county capital and a central transportation hub with an airport, railway, port and routes to Lofoten and Helgeland.
The business sector is characterized by trade, services and education, with Nord University, Nordlandssykehuset and a number of state institutions as important workplaces. Tourism is strong, and experiences such as Saltstraumen, Kjerringøy, sea eagle safaris, museums and the Stormen cultural arena attract visitors year-round. Bodø was the European Capital of Culture in 2024, which has strengthened the city's position as a cultural city in the north.
Stormen bibliotek
literature and experiences in the heart of Bodø
Dangerously open they left the city
towards the southwest,
- whatever weather burst from the cloud
hit here as best!
This is how the "Bodø Song" opens with lyrics by Bernt Lie. The city, the weather and the sea. The people and life. Past, present and future. Our city between sea and mountains, and with Stormen bibliotek as a safe harbor in both storm and calm.
The city's most visited cultural building
Since its opening in the Stormenkvartalet, the library has become one of the city's most popular cultural buildings with a record 450,000 visitors in 2019. This is a solid increase from the 120,000 who found their way to the library's premises in Bodø City Hall and associated branches in 2013.
Kindergartens, school classes, families with children, young people, adult education students, students, pensioners and others spend weekdays and Saturdays at the library. Hours with their eyes fixed on the sea or the city, in the newspaper nook or with their noses in a study book.
The children's section in particular, and the seating and sofa groups, are popular with the city's population and visitors. When others take vacations and close down, the library experiences an increase in visitors on their way to or from Bodø, in addition to Bodø residents who spend their vacations at the library's fairy tale world. For many little ones, the highlight of the summer is being able to collect reading prizes from Sommerles , or build with 800 kg of LEGO at Kreativt verksted. Stormen bibliotek holds an infinite amount of space.
Nordnorsk kunstmuseum
Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum works to arouse interest in, and strengthen awareness and knowledge of, visual arts and crafts in the region. Through a varied exhibition program that includes both historical and contemporary expressions, we offer relevant and knowledge-based art communication to a broad audience.
In February 2025, the museum opened a new branch in Bodø, centrally located in the city core. This establishment marks a significant strengthening of our presence in Northern Norway and complements our existing venues in Tromsø and Longyearbyen.
We want to be an open and inclusive art museum for everyone – a vibrant meeting place where art from the past and present creates engagement, reflection and inspiration.
In April 2026, the museum in Bodø will open an exhibition of works by the Dutch artist, filmmaker, sexological body worker, somatic intimacy coordinator and educator, Melanie Bonajo. The exhibition's main work is the video installation When the body says Yes, which was shown in the Dutch pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2022. The work, which was created during a gathering of gender-queer people from several parts of the world, explores touch, consent, bodily autonomy and intimacy. The exhibition also invites the public to reflect on these themes, including by sitting in a playful and soft scenography created by the artist in collaboration with Théo Demans.