Nordland County Council and the Hamsun Center invite you to a grand opening after a long construction period. The Hamsun Center has been wrapped in tarpaulin and the exhibitions have been inaccessible to the public since November 2025, while the rehabilitation has been ongoing. Now a new facade and sealed windows and walls will make the unique building weatherproof. 

– We call this new era the Hamsun Center 2.0. The upgrade and transformation make room for new stories and narratives. Completely in the spirit of Hamsun, says director Monica Celius. 

Nordland County Council owns the Hamsun Center and has financed the entire rehabilitation. Fauske Bygg AS is a contractor. On June 12, the doors will open with the County Councilor for Society, Culture and Environment, Arne Ivar Mikalsen (L) and the County Councilor for Development and Property, Sisilja Viksund (R). 

– We have been looking forward to this day. There have been constructional defects in the building since its opening in 2010, but now the contractor has done a very good job and the building is almost like new. Then it can finally come into its own and open the doors to this enormous cultural treasure for everyone who wants to get a broader impression of Knut Hamsun, says Viksund County Councillor. 

The opening will include both a "cord cutting" and the start of the Hamsun Center's summer season 2026. There will be speeches, artistic features, new exhibitions and literary and architectural coincidences. As always, Café Sult offers something extra good. 

This will be a big and important day for both the Hamsun Center and Nordland County Council. The event is free and open to everyone.

Photo: Karoline OA Pettersen

PROGRAM FOR THE DAY 

13.00: Opening in the Adventure Hall. Welcome by Monica Celius, director of the Hamsun Center. 

13.00: Speech by County Councilor Arne Ivar Mikalsen and County Councilor Silija Viksund, NFK 

13.10: Speech by Britt Kristoffersen Løksa, mayor Hamarøy 

1.15pm: Speech by Ole Jakob Furset, director Nordlandsmuseet 

13.20: Short break  

1:30 PM: Conversation between musician Stian Grønbech and literary scholar Sigurd Stranda 

1:45 PM: Free access to the tower and refreshments in Café Sult. New exhibitions on the 4th and 5th floors 

2:15 PM: We meet on the 5th floor. Reading from "Svermere" by presenter Maria Ellingsen Austbø  

14.30: Back in the Adventure Hall. Closing and musical interpretation of “The Wild Choir” by Elias Jung aka Stian Grønbech 

15.10 – 16.00: Free access to the tower and open café Sult 

Saturday 13 June: Open 10:00 – 18:00. Half price admission and free coffee with your ticket. Premiere of the entire summer program, with lectures and tours 

Sunday June 14: Open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM