Gothenburg city festival unveils full programme – adds Jireel, Ricky Rich, Icona Pop, Felicia, Omar Rudberg, Petra Marklund and Newkid
The Gothenburg city festival has now released the full programme for this year’s citywide celebration. An already packed line-up is being expanded with Jireel, Ricky Rich, Göteborg Gospel with Sarah Dawn Finer, the Göteborg Opera, and the RIX FM Festival acts Icona Pop, Felicia, Omar Rudberg, Newkid and Petra Marklund, among others. Gothenburg’s own festival will take place from 27–30 August this year.
Hip-hop heavyweights Jireel and Ricky Rich will perform at Götaplatsen, which returns this year as the festival’s main stage. The same stage will also host the K-pop group Ifeye as well as the RIX FM Festival, which brings a strong line-up including Icona Pop, Felicia, Omar Rudberg, Petra Marklund, Newkid, Jakob Karlberg, Liamoo, Saga Ludvigsson and Jacqline. The Göteborg Opera will also take over Götaplatsen with performances of favourites from the musical Wicked and other works.
At Kungstorget, Göteborg Gospel joins the programme and will perform on the festival’s final day together with Sarah Dawn Finer and Gothenburg’s own Deniece Ignacio (formerly Baby Mala).
One of this year’s new additions is a dedicated space for dance in Bältespännarparken. Newly announced acts there include the Syria/Lebanon/Germany-based DJ duo ADIRA, British club DJ Arthi, and dance band Blender from Vadstena – all bringing different styles and rhythms.
The festival is free and open to everyone. The full programme is now available at goteborgskalaset.se.
CONFIRMED ARTISTS
Jireel
Earlier this spring, Jireel played his biggest headline show to date at a sold-out Avicii Arena in Stockholm. A seasoned young artist, he released his first single a decade ago and has since achieved one success after another. He has won both a Grammis and a P3 Gold award and has delivered hits such as “Cataleya”, “Alla mina”, “Winner”, “MANO”, “KAN JAG FRÅGA DIG?” and “Armani”, to name just a few. While primarily associated with hip-hop, he also explores dance music, afrobeats and a wide range of evolving sounds.
Ricky Rich
With his distinctive sound – often influenced by Middle Eastern tones – a strong sense for hits, and a growing international presence, Ricky Rich remains an artist to watch year after year. His breakthrough came with the single “Habibi”, which became something of a phenomenon and has amassed hundreds of millions of streams across various versions and remixes.
RIX FM Festival
The festival also welcomes the RIX FM Festival tour, featuring live performances by Felicia, Icona Pop, Newkid, Petra Marklund, Omar Rudberg, Jakob Karlberg, Liamoo, Saga Ludvigsson and Jacqline. Last year, the tour attracted more than 250,000 visitors across Sweden, making it the country’s largest festival tour. In summer 2026, it visits twelve Swedish cities, with Gothenburg as the final stop, travelling from Luleå in the north to Malmö in the south.
Göteborg Gospel with Sarah Dawn Finer
A vibrant, high-energy and powerful concert featuring Göteborg Gospel alongside Sarah Dawn Finer. This will be only their second performance together, following a record-breaking audience at Haga Concert Hall. Sarah is one of Sweden’s most beloved and respected artists, known for her deeply emotive voice and her Melodifestivalen performances with songs such as “Moving On” and “I Remember Love”. Göteborg Gospel consists of 300 singers and aims to spread joy and a sense of hope.
The Göteborg Opera
Selections from the musical Wicked and music from the opera repertoire will be performed by singers and the orchestra of the Göteborg Opera. Expect grand vocals and music drawn from upcoming productions such as Verdi’s La Traviata and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.
Performers include opera singers Sofie Asplund, Adam Frandsen, Ida Falk Winland, Katarina Giotas, Tobias Westman, Orhan Yildiz and Hannes Öberg, as well as musical artists Feline Andersson, Anna Salonen and Max Jansson, together with the Götebor Opera Orchestra.
Ifeye
The K-pop group takes the stage with powerful choreography, an energetic show and music shaped entirely by the Korean pop scene. Ifeye is a South Korean group that debuted last spring with the EP Erlu Blue. The name Ifeye represents a perspective that transforms imagination into reality and is also an acronym for “Imagine & Find, Energetic Young Eyes”.
Arthi
A British DJ whose high-energy mix of global club sounds – including soca, UK garage, kuduro and funky house – has taken her to major festivals such as Glastonbury and All Points East, as well as prominent club residencies worldwide. Arthi, who also has a background as a dancer for artists such as Beyoncé, Dave and Charli XCX, was named British DJ of the Year by DJ Mag in 2024.
ADIRA
Hassandra from Lebanon and Syrian-German Zuher Jazmati form the DJ duo and club concept ADIRA, established in 2023 to highlight the diversity of Arab queer culture and music, while also celebrating icons such as Nawal Al Zoghbi, Haifa Wehbe and Assala.
Deniece Ignacio
After years of creating music under the name Baby Mala, the artist now enters a new phase in her career under her own name, Deniece Ignacio. The change marks the beginning of a new creative chapter with a clearer personal identity, a refreshed musical direction, and a stronger connection to her own storytelling. At the Gothenburg city festival, audiences will experience both songs from the Baby Mala era and new, unreleased material.
Blender
The dance band from Vadstena offers a modern, dance-friendly repertoire centred on energy and musical joy. Their sound moves between styles, always focusing on rhythm, interplay and audience connection. They perform for both beginners and seasoned dancers alike. Their stage presence is warm and vibrant, with the aim of creating an inclusive and lively experience.