Tommy Körberg concerts summer 2026: the tour, the tickets and the man behind the voice

You recognise the voice, even if the name doesn't always come to mind. When the Beast sings in Swedish in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", it's him you hear: Tommy Körberg played the role and also sang the Swedish title song. Summer 2026 sees new Tommy Körberg concerts appearing on Swedish stages, and what makes them a little unlikely is that the artist himself once lay with his heart stopped on an operating table. During a hospital stay his heart stopped, the doctors removed it and took it apart, replaced a valve and started it again. He keeps singing anyway.

For anyone who has never seen him live, this is a good opportunity to understand what all the talk is about. For the already converted there is a fresh angle: "It always beeps when I go through airport security - I have a pacemaker, two heart valves and a metal knee," he has told Upsala Nya Tidning. Below we go through where and when he is performing in summer 2026, who he actually is, and what the old limestone quarry Dalhalla has to do with it.

Tommy Körberg concerts summer 2026

Brief summary: in our calendar there are currently two summer dates to book: Norrvikens trädgårdar in Båstad on 10 July and Dalhalla in Rättvik on 18 July.

These are two completely different settings for the same voice. On 10 July he takes the stage at Norrvikens trädgårdar in Båstad in the constellation "Tommy Körberg med sextet", that is, with a small ensemble behind him in the Scanian garden surroundings. Eight days later, on 18 July, he takes on Dalhalla in Rättvik, the old limestone quarry in Dalarna. One evening is chamber-music intimate, the other takes place in one of the country's largest open-air arenas.

If you want to see whether more shows appear during the season, the easiest way to keep track is via our ongoing events calendar and the collection page for concerts. Tickets for each evening are sold through the promoter's official channel, and you can click through directly from the event page on our site.

The voice you recognise without knowing it

Brief summary: internationally, Körberg is above all "The Russian" in the musical Chess, but for Swedish children he is the Beast, and for a slightly older audience the fox in "The Fox and the Hound".

Let's start with that other voice, the one generations have heard without knowing whose it was. Körberg voiced the Beast in the Swedish dubbing of "Beauty and the Beast" and also sang the Swedish version of the title song on the soundtrack. Ten years earlier he had already lent his voice to another Disney character: he was the Swedish voice of the adult fox Tod in "The Fox and the Hound". The same throat that fills an arena has also whispered lines in animated film.

The role that has given him the greatest international reputation is Anatoly, "The Russian", in Benny Andersson's, Björn Ulvaeus's and Tim Rice's musical Chess. English-speaking audiences know him best from that: he played the role on the concept album in 1984 and on stage at the world premiere in the West End in London in 1986, and has returned to it several times since. A small curiosity that says something about how he works: it is said that he never "warms up" before a performance, but simply clears his throat and walks out on stage.

From Norsjö to the West End

Brief summary: a career spanning six decades, from pop success in the 60s and two Eurovision assignments to jazz rock, film and the great musical roles.

Bert Gustav Tommy Körberg was born on 4 July 1948 in Norsjö in Västerbotten. The breakthrough came early. Between 1965 and 1968 he sang in the pop group Tom & Mick & Maniacs, who in August 1967 released the single "Somebody's Taken Maria Away", a song that went on to top the Tio i Topp chart for six weeks in a row. After the group disbanded came the solo debut "Nature Boy", and in 1969 he received a Grammis in the category of best newcomer.

Then came Eurovision, not once but twice. In 1969 he finished ninth with "Judy, min vän" and in 1988 he came twelfth with "Stad i ljus". Between the two assignments he did something unexpected and left pop behind. During the 1970s he joined the more experimental groups Solar Plexus and Made in Sweden and sang jazz rock. It is a musical training that shows in how freely he moves between genres to this day.

Film audiences may remember him best as Skalle-Per. He had a supporting role in the Swedish fantasy film "Ronja Rövardotter" from 1984, based on Astrid Lindgren's book. And the list of musicals is long: he has played leading roles in Swedish productions of, among others, "The Sound of Music" and "Les Misérables", in which he played Jean Valjean. Recognition has followed. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for the Chess premiere in 1986, and for the Swedish Chess production in 2002 he won a Guldmask for best male lead in a musical. A special honour came in 1995: he was invited as one of seventeen Jean Valjean interpreters from around the world to sing the finale at the Les Misérables 10th anniversary concert, where each one sang "Do You Hear the People Sing?" in their own language.

The man who refuses to slow down

Brief summary: after an acute heart operation in 2020 involving a ventilator, a new valve and a pacemaker, Körberg is back on stage, and he says himself that the word "winding down" does not exist in his vocabulary.

What impresses most is perhaps not the list of achievements but the staying power. In the summer of 2020 he was forced to undergo a complicated heart operation and was kept on a ventilator for four critical days. It began with an infection in the heart, the doctors fitted a pacemaker and he had to spend almost the entire autumn in hospital. He speaks openly about it, often with dark humour, and equally openly about having changed his life afterwards. He goes to constant check-ups, does rehab and keeps active at the gym as much as he can.

Coming back was not straightforward technically. He had to work on his voice after the operation, had problems with a vocal cord but "sang it away" under medical supervision. The road back has not been smooth either: during the anniversary tour he was forced to cancel concerts due to severe back pain, and he also suffers from polymyalgia rheumatica. Yet the answer is the same every time the question of retirement comes up. Slowing down is not in his plans, he says - it is simply a matter of staying healthy and keeping his vocal instrument in shape.

That he is still in demand is best seen in his work schedule rather than in any grand adjectives. He is a frequent guest with Benny Anderssons Orkester, where he sings mostly dance music and Andersson's own songs. In 2008 he appeared in the musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Cirkus in Stockholm, and in 2009 he played Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady opposite Helen Sjöholm as Eliza Doolittle. In recent years he has toured with his show Grand Finale around the country, from Malmö to Luleå.

Dalhalla: a stage blasted from a limestone quarry

Brief summary: Dalhalla outside Rättvik is an old limestone quarry, approximately 60 metres deep, that has been transformed into an open-air arena with acoustics of European class. This is where Körberg comes on 18 July.

If you have never been there, the place itself is half the ticket. Dalhalla is an open-air theatre in a former limestone quarry, approximately 60 metres deep, 400 metres long and 175 metres wide, which was in operation until 1990. The venue opened in 1995 and today holds around 4,000 seats, with acoustics that are often compared to the best open-air stages in Europe. The name is a blend of Dalarna and the Norse mythological Valhalla.

The reason the acoustics turned out so well is not just a matter of dimensions. The rough rock walls prevent echoes and give the sound a soft quality. The effect is so pronounced that the reverberation and resonance have made it possible to perform entire operas without electronic amplification. Historically the venue carried weight from the very start: on 23 July 1994 the first proper premiere concert was held, and opera legend Birgit Nilsson, honorary chairwoman of the Friends of Dalhalla, fired the starting shot. Today 20 to 30 events are held here every summer, from June to the beginning of September, with a mix of opera, choral works, jazz and popular concerts. A cool Körberg evening fits right in.

What to expect on stage

Brief summary: two evenings with the same singer but different formats - a scaled-down sextet in Båstad and the large limestone quarry arena at Dalhalla.

The repertoire moves as freely as his career has. An evening with Körberg can range from pop and schlager to ballads, jazz and the great musical numbers, and that breadth is the whole point. In Båstad the billing is "Tommy Körberg med sextet", which promises a more intimate and acoustic setting in the garden surroundings. At Dalhalla you sit instead sunken into the quarry with the high rock walls all around - a format where nature and acoustics are part of the evening.

Whatever you choose, you get a singer who does not hide behind the machinery. Rumour has it that he has never taken a single singing lesson in his entire life, and he is known for speaking his mind about other artists and has a tense relationship with the press. That means there is often talk between songs, frequently with an edge.

A small practical tip if you are going to Dalhalla: fit the visit into a longer cultural weekend and arrive in good time, because the walk down into the quarry is an experience in itself. If you are keen on more live experiences around the same time, you will find inspiration in our overview of concerts.

Frequently asked questions about Tommy Körberg concerts

When and where is Tommy Körberg performing in summer 2026?

Our calendar has two dates listed: 10 July at Norrvikens trädgårdar in Båstad, where he performs with a sextet, and 18 July at Dalhalla in Rättvik. Keep an eye on the calendar during the season, as more shows may be added.

Where do I buy tickets?

Tickets are sold through the promoter's official channels, and you can click through directly from the respective event page on our site. It is worth booking early, as his evenings tend to sell out quickly.

What is Tommy Körberg best known for?

Internationally he is above all Anatoly, "The Russian", in the musical Chess, a role he created back in the 1980s. In Sweden many people recognise him from Eurovision, from roles such as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and as Skalle-Per in "Ronja Rövardotter". Younger audiences have also heard him as the Beast in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast".

Has he actually won Melodifestivalen?

He has represented Sweden in Eurovision twice, in 1969 with "Judy, min vän" and in 1988 with "Stad i ljus". He finished ninth and twelfth respectively in the international finals.

What makes Dalhalla such a special concert venue?

Dalhalla is an old limestone quarry outside Rättvik, approximately 60 metres deep, that has been converted into an open-air stage with around 4,000 seats. The rough rock walls dampen the echo to such a degree that operas have been performed there entirely without amplification, which is unusual for an open-air arena.

Sources