When the darkness of winter is at its deepest, lights are kindled in the old iron-ore mine of Tuna-Hästberg.
Wearing a helmet, sturdy shoes, gloves and warm clothing, you humbly knock three times on the rock wall before beginning your descent into the mountain. After an atmospheric walk through the mine’s tunnels, 80 metres below ground and in the pale glow of flickering flames, you arrive at the underground stage.
Here, two legendary female figures meet – Saint Lucia, the bearer of light, and our own Gruvfrun, the Lady of the Mine and guardian of the mountain. Both watch over those who venture into the darkness: one with light, hope and song, the other with fire, strength and stern justice.
In Ljus i Berget (Light in the Mountain) 2026, their worlds come together in an evocative celebration of Saint Lucia, deep in the heart
of the mountain.
This year, the voices of chamber choir A Scapella will fill the mine’s vast underground chambers. With no instruments – only the human voice – the music emerges from the darkness and travels through the mountain, carried by its extraordinary acoustics. The voices draw close, disappear into the tunnels and return as echoes from deep within the rock – like a living flame in the darkness.
Aurora’s fire dancers pay tribute to Saint Lucia, the saint of light, and to the brutal fate she is said to have suffered according to legend. Through fire, movement and glowing embers, they awaken the mountain and evoke both the danger and the warmth found deep within the mine.
Song, fire and darkness intertwine with the mine’s raw surroundings, its stories and its magical acoustics to create a Saint Lucia experience far removed from the traditional stage.
Welcome 80 metres underground to Ljus i Berget 2026 – a celebration of hope, community, justice and the power of light in the heart of winter darkness.