The 70-year-old was driven – blindfolded – into the concert arena, where a long line of artist colleagues were waiting to pay tribute to him with their performance of his songs.
HERE I AM: Bjørn Eidsvåg arrives at Oslo Spektrum, where 5,000 have gathered for a surprise concert for him on his 70th birthday. On the right stands Else Kåss Furuseth. Photo: Frederik Ringnes / NTB Show more
Once out of the car, the blindfold was removed from Eidsvåg’s eyes, and Else Kåss Furuseth counted to 3 before the whole hall sang “Hurrah for you”.
– Is Coldplay going to play here? Or John Mayer, I guess he’s still in town, said the surprised 70-year-old, who said:
– I mostly want to cry.
On a secret Facebook group with 7,500 members, his son Simen Idsøe Eidsvåg, who together with siblings Lise and Einar Idsøe Østevik Eidsvåg are behind the birthday surprise, writes that his father had no idea what awaited him on Sunday evening.
Kommer on NRK
SURPRISE: Åge Aleksandersen is among the artists taking part in a surprise concert in Oslo Spektrum for Bjørn Eidsvåg on his 70th birthday. Photo: Frederik Ringnes / NTB Show more
Åge Aleksandersen started the ball with “No way back”, which is the title of the surprise concert – as well as Eidsvåg’s autumn tour. Åge was backed by a bunch of strings – and his own acoustic guitar, while Bjørn Eidsvåg followed from the left corner of the edge of the stage, safely placed in an armchair – with a spotlight on him.
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According to his son Simen, Eidsvåg is said to have thought he “was going to do something with NRK”, and that it was about “a small recording”. And NRK is quite rightly involved in the secrecy and will film the whole thing – from the blindfold being removed from the eyes to 12 artist colleagues paying tribute to Eidsvåg on stage.
The concert recording will be broadcast on NRK1 Maundy Thursday.
70 YEARS – BUT ALL THE 100s: Bjørn Eidsvåg turned 70 on Sunday – with a surprise concert in Oslo Spektrum. Photo: NTB Show more
– This has been a week full of planning meetings for this tribute concert. It is quite strange to plan such a concert where the main artist should not know anything, wrote Simen Idsøe Eidsvåg in one of the posts on the secret Facebook group.
Only through this group, created four months in advance, could invitees find the link to purchase tickets for the surprise party.
According to the organizer, 5,000 tickets have been sold for the concert.
Strong artist list
These artists are on hand to pay tribute to Bjørn Eidsvåg this Sunday evening in Oslo Spektrum:
EMOTIONALLY: Guest of honor Karoline Krüger had no idea what was going to happen during Bjørn Eidsvåg’s performance on “Hver gang vi metes”. Video: Rød Löper/TV 2 Plat Show more
Emma Steinbakken (who turned her version of “Floden” into a land scourge), Maria Mena (who sang his “Til alle tider”), Ingebjørg Bratland (interpreted his “Evig hvæli”, released the song “Savner deg” together in January), Elvira Nikolaisen (Eidsvåg’s original “Floden” duet partner), Lisa Nilsson (duet partner on “Mysteriet deg”) and Åge Aleksandersen.
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