Månegarm Open Air 2022
Report & photos by Sophie Roy
DAY 1 – August 26, 2022
After its creation in 2019, Månegarm Open Air finally offered us its 2nd edition. This was scheduled for 2020, but like many events, the festival had to be postponed because of this famous virus that you all know.
Like the first edition, it took place at the Pythagoras Industrimuseum in Norrtälje, a city which is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year.
Norrtälje rocks !
The festival had to face some changes, especially in terms of the line-up. King of Asgard and Viþer initially planned will finally not be part of it.
The Friday evening VIP session was sold out. Two bands performed on stage :
Hindarfjäll comes from Sweden and it’s a great discovery. We find no less than ten artists who make up the band, including Ted of Grimner. The long-awaited “þat mælti mín móðir” will be played without Peter Franzén, but let’s not be too greedy, and if you were still hungry, you could quench your thirst with a good Månegarm beer from the Viking I Mönsterås microbrewery.
For me it was a great first time to see Hinfarjfäll live.
In the second part, it was obviously Månegarm who presented us with a long acoustic set. The show had lots of surprises with the participation of Ellinor Videfors and Ted of Grimner. Erik Grawsiö also introduced us to his mother, Anton Ande who played the young Ingjald in the video for “Ulvhjärtat”, his daughter Tuva, who played in the video for “En snara av guld” as well as his youngest daughter Lea, who we heard the voice on this same song and who did us the honor of joining Månegarm on stage to perform “Blot”.
Finally, before the band performs its last song, a couple of French fans shared with us their marriage proposal on stage, which concluded this beautiful first evening full of emotions.
DAY 2 – August 27, 2022
The second day welcomed more people, there were still a few tickets left. All seven bands performed on the large outdoor stage. A signing session was organized with Einherjer, Månegarm and Grand Magus and if that was not enough for you as a souvenir, you could also leave with a tattoo by an artist from Sharp Studio from Norrtälje or acquire a superb horn from Troll Martellet Corp. To relieve your stomach, Happy Shitty Day offered hamburgers, hot dogs and other rice bowls.
For a moment of sweetness, the violinist from Månegarm, Martin Björklund and his friend Jonas Lindberg performed a few songs on the little “Folk stage”.
The afternoon started with the trio of Stoner Death Doom, Kråkslott, who directly put us in the mood with a 30-minute show and which must have satisfied the followers of witchcraft.
They were succeeded by Istapp, the Melodic Black Metal band that threw a wave of icy north wind over Norrtälje this late summer. Better be prepared for battle because with Istapp, winter is coming !
The rain then came over the Månegarm Open Air but that was not enough to discourage the warriors from all over the world to let off steam with Grimner, who needs no introduction, and who had already participated in the first edition of the festival.
The sun has returned to welcome the Norwegians from Einherjer who had already accompanied Månegarm on a tour in 2019. The band will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year and still have a good batch of legends to share with us.
At the start of the evening, Grand Magus took over for a one-hour show for a truce in folk sound and a return to pure heavy metal made in Sweden. They delighted young and old alike.
It’s then up to the Finnish neighbors of Moonsorrow to conquer the stage and immerse us in the pagan atmosphere with mainly songs from their latest album, “Jumalten Aika”.
Night has fallen, the weather is still in our favor and the crowd is getting denser.
Månegarm is obviously the last band to play on stage. A few new tracks from their latest album, “Ynglingaättens Öde”, have already been heard this year, notably at Karmøygeddon and Dark Troll Fest. The setlist offers a good mix between the last album and the older ones with the great classics that still work like “I evig tid”, “Nattsjäl, drömsjäl”, “Vedergällningens tid”, “Odin owns ye all” and the timeless and powerful anthem “Hemfärd”. 1h15 of show for a superb finale.
We thank all the Månegarm Open Air Crew 2022 as well as all the bands for this highly anticipated and very successful second edition.
See you next year !