YAMA WOLASMAL IS THE STREET CITY PROFILE OF THE YEAR
In a year where the theme for the Olsok Days is a SOURCE, it is a great pleasure for the Arven Museums and the Stiklestad National Cultural Center to announce that Yama Wolasmal is the Stiklestad Profile 2026!
The theme for the 2026 Olsok Days is SOURCE. An important reason for this is the National Jubilee 2030, where the theme of the anniversary relay in 2026 is KINSHIP AND SOCIETY. SOURCE is our interpretation of it. In addition, the theme is inspired by a time when we are inundated with information, where facts and knowledge are relativized and where source criticism and knowledge dissemination are more important than ever. During the 2026 Olsok Days, we will therefore approach SOURCE in the past, present and future and in everything from major societal issues to close and personal questions.
This year's stiklestad profile Yama Wolasmal has been one of the country's leading journalists for a number of years, with prominent roles in both TV2 and NRK. As NRK's Middle East correspondent, he has reported on conflicts and political upheavals in the Middle East. His frontline coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas, including his confrontational interviews with leading representatives from both sides in the program "Yama utforder", has earned him wide recognition both in Norway and internationally. At the same time, he has been central to NRK's coverage of the war in Ukraine. Wolasmal has been named the name of the year by several Norwegian newspapers and magazines. In 2025, he received both the Sønsteby Prize and the Erik Bye Prize for his fearless journalistic work.
"In a time when the world is characterized by conflicts and polarization while we are flooded with information from various media, knowledge-seeking, critical journalism is enormously important. We are therefore very proud that Yama Wolasmal has accepted to be the Stiklestad Profile 2026," says director of Museene Arven, Heidi Anett Øvergård Beistad. "Wolasmal's knowledge-based, critical analyses, combined with dialogue and local presence, contribute to invaluable knowledge dissemination. He provides understanding for complex situations without simplifying, creates dialogue that both builds bridges and makes the human and individual aspects of massive conflicts responsible and visible. To tie it to the festival's theme: Wolasmal brings us close to the sources, while at the same time showing the value of source criticism."
Wolasmal himself says the following about his role as Stiklestad Profile: "I am incredibly proud to be chosen as Stiklestad Profile and am looking forward to finally being able to visit the historical and cultural meeting place this summer."
The public can meet Wolasmal in Borggården in Stiklestad on July 25th at 4:00 PM. This year's Olympic Games will take place July 24th - 29th.
Buy tickets HERE.