Caliban Sessions 2026

Caliban Sessions is the big annual super-party where the community around Black Debbath, Duplex Records and Caliban Studio Storsjøen puts together a fantastic evening filled with the best music and entertainment. This year’s party takes place on Saturday 5 December at John Dee!

This long-running tradition began back in 2002, and we can look back on many fantastic evenings. Artists confirmed so far:

BLACK DEBBATH

Black Debbath are in the studio working on album no. 11, but are taking a break to visit this year’s Caliban Sessions, as usual. Now in their twenty-seventh year and still with the original lineup (!!!!!), Black Debbath are better and more relevant than ever.

BARE EGIL BAND

The man. The myth. The legend! Worth the price of the whole ticket! See you there!

HÅNDGEMENG

Håndgemeng are a mighty hard rock band from the darkest corners of Oslo. With a scorching-fresh repertoire, they promise an evening of broad-legged heavy metal and a guaranteed good time. Riff after riff after riff, Håndgemeng will break through every genre boundary and take you from the deepest hell to the farthest reaches of the cosmos. This is a session you won’t soon forget!

MALIN PETTERSEN

In recent years, Malin Pettersen has gone from establishing herself on the Norwegian music scene to receiving international recognition from media outlets such as Billboard, Forbes and Rolling Stone. Anyone who has heard Malin Pettersen before knows that it’s her voice that draws you in—and her songwriting that keeps you there. She released the critically acclaimed album Wildflower in 2025, for which she won a Spellemann Award.

JORDSJUK

Necro music for necro times! Jordsjuk have made a big impression on the Norwegian metal scene in a short time. Naglet til livet, released in autumn 2025, has already been called one of the decade’s best debut albums in metal, and the record was even awarded a Spellemann Award in the “Hardrock & Metal” category. Made up of musicians with long experience in the Norwegian underground, Jordsjuk serve up a defiant blend of black metal, thrash, death metal, punk and rock. Riff-driven, straight to the point and, above all, infectiously catchy, with lyrics that paint brutal pictures of doom, desperation and destruction—all performed in their native language. The band have already played a double-digit number of shows, and it’s on stage that their ferocity really gets free rein. For those who have seen them before, expectations are high. For everyone else: get ready to be steamrolled!

HEIGH CHIEF

Over the past few years, Heigh Chief have become synonymous with well-played, catchy and solid rock and Americana. With a scorching-fresh album added to their catalogue, the band bring new energy to an already carefully crafted sound, powerful songs and incredible dynamics. A Heigh Chief concert is about as good as it gets: no fuss about mosh pits or singalongs, just great songs delivered honestly by a group of highly capable musicians.

JAQUELINE

This year’s reunion is: Jaqueline! A hard rock/stoner power trio that first emerged in Elverum in 1998. They released their debut album, Idiots, in 2005. Reaping Machines followed in 2006, and Cape Horn in 2009. The band received excellent reviews in Akersgata back when they were still writing them. For many years, Jaqueline toured Norway and Germany from end to end. The trio consists of Bjarne Ryen Berg (drums), Marius Drogsås Hagen (vocals, bass, baritone) and Morten Wærhaug (vocals, guitar). Marius and Bjarne have previously won a Spellemann Award with the pop group Team Me. Jaqueline are currently working on a new album! We’re aiming for a good mix of old and new at this party!

SUNNY BLEACH

SUNNY BLEACH is a child born through IVF and moulded from Porsgrunn’s finest porcelain. The sunset-punk quintet is here to create glimmers of light and humid warmth in an otherwise cold, industrial city. You know you have to be here when it goes down. It’s the talk of the town.

NÖ BULL

Nö Bull are a hard-hitting rock band from central Telemark, delivering straight-up rock’n’roll with clear traces of the Australian pub-rock tradition. In winter 2023/2024, they headed to Caliban Studios to record their debut album, Getting Out. The album was released in autumn 2024 and received excellent feedback. In early 2026, the band returned to the same studio to start recording its follow-up. But Nö Bull really come into their own on stage. With high energy, a love of playing and a strong sense of drive, their concerts are intense from the very first note, pulling both band and audience into the same rhythm. Not to be missed!

SHOWDOWN

Jørgen Moe Eikås is the legendary sound engineer who has delivered great sound at Caliban Sessions for years! He also handles sound year-round for Black Debbath, Thulsa Doom and Bare Egil Band, to name a few. This time, he’s making a comeback on stage with his old band! Showdown are a hardcore band from Kongsvinger, formed in 2003. The following year, the band released their debut album, New Day Rising, and established themselves as an energetic and uncompromising presence on the Norwegian hardcore scene. In the years that followed, Showdown toured extensively around Norway, and their music also took them beyond the country’s borders. They toured Europe and the UK several times, introducing Kongsvinger hardcore to international audiences. After several active years, the band called it quits in 2008. Now, after many years away, Showdown are back together. With the same lineup and renewed enthusiasm for playing, the aim is to breathe life into the songs again—and find out how Kongsvinger hardcore works this time around.

Tickets: NOK 350 + booking fee.

18+ age limit. Valid ID required. No guardian arrangement is available. Valid ID means a physical national ID card, passport, physical driver’s licence or bank card with a photo. Digital ID (digital driver’s licence or BankID) or a photo of an ID document is not accepted.

The event has standing-room only.

Doors open at 19.00. The event starts approximately 1 hour after doors open. Please arrive well before the event starts, as queues may form.

John Dee, Mariboes gate 5A, 0183 Oslo