The Darkness

The British glam rockers The Darkness have been given "Permission To Land" at Notodden! It is now clear that the successful band from England will headline the traditional rock Friday at this year's Notodden Blues Festival. "The Darkness are kings of entertainment, musicality and catchy rock songs. There will be glitter, mood, powerful guitar riffs and a band that gives it all from the first note," says the artistic director of Notodden Blues Festival.
"Our Rock Friday is a big step up from 2011 and previous fantastic concerts with bands like Deep Purple, ZZ Top, Uriah Heep, Black Country Communion and Europe. With The Darkness, the audience gets a band that is in great shape and loves to entertain. You can expect a sparkling live show topped off with sing-alongs and hits like "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", "Get Your Hands off My Woman", "Growing on Me" and "Love Is Only a Feeling". There will be a high atmosphere and pure rock magic here. Exactly what a Rock Friday at Notodden deserves. I have seen The Darkness in concert several times and am really looking forward to this," says artistic director of Notodden Blues Festival Jostein Forsberg. The Darkness conquered the world in the early 2000s with the smash hit "Permission to Land", which sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK - and became a "quadruple platinum" success. In addition, the single “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” reached platinum in the US with over 647,000 units sold. The Darkness won three BRIT Awards (including Best British Group, Best Rock Act and Best Album), two Kerrang! Awards and an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriters of the Year. Since then, they have toured the world, playing major festivals such as Reading & Leeds. In October 2025, they played to a packed Rockefeller in Oslo, and in 2024, there was a packed and crazy atmosphere in front of the Scream Stage during their concert at Tons of Rock.
The Darkness broke through with their debut album Permission to Land in 2003, and the single “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” went platinum in the US with over 647,000 units sold. The Darkness won three BRIT Awards (including Best British Group, Best Rock Act and Best Album), two Kerrang! Awards and an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriters of the Year. Since then, they have toured the world, played major festivals such as Reading & Leeds, and their reputation as one of the most energetic and entertaining rock bands you can experience live remains solid to this day. The Darkness reaches a wide audience in a mix of hard rockers, tough metalheads, bluespeople and partying youth. This creates a lot of joy and fun. The Darkness in Hovigs Hangar will be a fantastic party!