Ultima is Scandinavia's largest contemporary music festival, and since 1991 it has been a key arena for contemporary music and related art forms. The festival became a designated “knutepunkt” (cultural hub) in 2006 and is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs and Oslo City Council. Ultima was founded in 1990 by Helge Skansen, Geir Johnson, Knut Høyland, Jostein Simble and John Persen, and is a foundation with 17 members, all of them professional cultural institutions or organisations.[1]
The festival takes place during September and is staged at venues all around Oslo. Throughout its twenty-year history, all kinds of locations have served as Ultima concert venues. The events are staged both in large, established venues such as the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Oslo Concert Hall and the University of Oslo's Great Hall as well as in small clubs, shop premises, industrial premises, museums, schools and outdoors.[2]
The Ultima Festival aims to promote artistic distinctiveness, trends and innovation and to make music of a high artistic standard accessible by everyone.
