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The WOW (Way Out West) music and film festival in Gothenburg, taking place this year from 13 to 15 August 2026, has for years expanded beyond the traditional festival format. Alongside concerts, film screenings and artistic programmes, WOW creates a space for conversations about the issues shaping contemporary society. One of these spaces is WOW Talks — a dedicated stage for inspiring discussions, the exchange of ideas, and encounters with people whose work influences how we understand the world around us.

The WOW Talks stage will address some of the most important questions of our time — including politics, sustainability, equality, and how we shape the future of food and fashion. The programme will feature Nooshi Dadgostar, Simona Mohamsson, Johan Rockström, Valter Nilsson, Tone Schunnesson, Karin Pettersson and many more.

WOW Talks returns this year as a dedicated stage for inspiring conversations around some of the most important topics in contemporary society. The programme will be hosted by comedian, journalist and television personality Messiah Hallberg.

Party leaders Nooshi Dadgostar (V) and Simona Mohamsson (L) will meet in a conversation hosted by Messiah Hallberg, exploring the connection between politics and music.

Journalists and authors Karin Pettersson and Tone Schunnesson will present a live edition of the podcast Café Bambino, discussing how the upcoming election will impact women.

Together with the City of Gothenburg, which as part of its role as a UN hub for sustainability promotes global initiatives in this field, three sessions will be presented: a conversation with climate scientist Johan Rockström, a discussion on the future of food, and a discussion on the future of fashion — featuring, among others, Gothenburg-based artist Valter Nilsson.

The WOW Talks programme is presented in collaboration with the platform Storytel, and the conversations will also be available to stream after the festival via the Storytel app.

WOW Talks will take place on the existing outdoor stage at Slottsskogsteatern, which will also become a new area for festival visitors. More names and programme details will be announced soon.

The Art Box portal editorial team has officially followed the Way Out West festival for the past three years, documenting its music, film and social programmes, as well as the various initiatives that make it one of the most distinctive contemporary festivals in Europe. WOW is much more than a music festival — it is a meeting place for art, social issues and new ideas.

Its uniqueness lies in its ambition to connect the cultural experience with the questions that shape our everyday lives: from climate change and sustainability, to equality and politics, as well as the ways in which we imagine the future of food, fashion and communities. Taking place in Gothenburg, a city that has long embraced principles of sustainability and social responsibility, the festival offers an inspiring example of how a music festival can become a space for dialogue, exploration and positive change.