The Fartein Valen-festival takes place in Haugesund and Sveio communities. The region is situated between Bergen and Stavanger on the west-coast of Norway. International visitors may easily get here from several destinations.The airport in Haugesund has several domestic and international arrivals. By bus it takes appr. 2,5 hours to Bergen in the north and Stavanger in the south.

The festival's main objective is to spread knowledge and keep the interest for Fartein Valens (1887-1952) life and music alive. The festival is an great opportunity to experience Valens music, with many of the concerts being staged in the local area where he lived and found inspiration. 

In spite of beeing very modest as a person, he was not modest as an artist. Valen, the composer, is still  a relevant force to us here and now in our modern lives. In this sense, he is uncompromising. The festival aims to promote these aspects of his personality.

The music of Fartein Valen is an important part of the festival's programme, although that being said there are many concerts featuring other types of musical repertoire. This is to commemorate Valen's in-depth knowledge of other composers and reflect that his work as composer is built as much on being a bearer of tradition as it is in crossing boundaries. In 2014 the festival emphasized the influences of Beethoven.