ABSTRACT
Riddu Riddu is a yearly indigenous music and art festival in Gaivuotna in the county of Troms in Northern Norway. The major emphasis will be on the mental and historical significance of Riddu Riddu. The major issue is to what extent and how the festival has contributed to radical reconstructions of Gaivuotna, related to the situation around 1990. A brief overview of festivals as a community phenomenon is given, followed by a theoretical framework for an entrepreneurial analysis of the innovative character of the festival. The coastal Sami situation is then outlined from a historical perspective, before the development of the festival is described, which is organized in sections related to time periods. Creating a festival like Riddu Riddu can be understood and analysed as a form of collective entrepreneurship. Riddu Riddu is also an example of political innovation. However, it might be argued that it is more an example of a political band-wagon effect.
