🇳🇴 Young people across Northern Norway can build their own app in hours—no coding required

Kirkenes, Norway – August 18, 2026 – The Good Vibes hackathon series has opened for registration. This autumn, young people across Northern Norway can build their own digital products using artificial intelligence—in Tromsø, Mo i Rana, and Kirkenes. Winners from each local round advance to a grand final held alongside the Arctic AI Summit in Kirkenes. Registration is open at www.arcticaisummit.com/hackathons.

Good Vibes is a series of vibecoding hackathons. Vibecoding is a way of working where you describe what you want to build in plain language and let AI tools write the code itself. The barrier to entry is low: an idea, a laptop, and a few hours can be enough to have a working product. Participants work in teams, with mentors and a professional jury on site.

The events are free and aimed primarily at young people aged 18-35, with exceptions considered case by case. Places are limited, and registration is at www.arcticaisummit.com/hackathons. Application deadlines are 25 August at 12:00 (noon) for Tromsø, and 9 September end of the day for Mo i Rana and Kirkenes (Norwegian time).

Good Vibes takes place in all three of Northern Norway’s counties: Troms (Tromsø, 4 – 6 September), Nordland (Mo i Rana, 30 September – 2 October), and Finnmark (Kirkenes, 19 – 21 October). The winners of the three local rounds meet for a grand final in Kirkenes, during the joint evening event of the Arctic AI Summit (20 – 22 October) and the Arctic Circular Economy Summit (ACES).

The partners behind Good Vibes

True North 2026—the project behind Tromsø’s year as European Youth Capital, the first Arctic city to hold the title—is the main partner of Good Vibes. The series is part of Createch North: AI Leap, an Interreg Aurora project supporting the adoption of artificial intelligence among creative-industry MSMEs in the northern areas. Good Vibes is organised by Sør-Varanger Utvikling in cooperation with Tvibit, Tromsø’s youth culture house, and Nord University in Mo i Rana.

The main software partner is Bilt.me, a leading platform for vibecoding mobile apps. On Bilt.me you describe your app in plain language, preview it on your own phone, and can publish it to the App Store or Google Play—without writing code. All Good Vibes participants receive free credits and expert mentoring from Bilt.me, which is backed by Superhero Capital.

“You don’t need a technical background or a finished business plan to take part. If you have an idea, you can show up, build something real in a matter of hours—and, at best, stand on stage at the Arctic AI Summit. It’s an opportunity young people in the North haven’t had before,” said Ondrej Spala, event director and project manager, Sør-Varanger Utvikling.

Good Vibes – Key Facts

What: A vibe-coding hackathon where you build digital products with artificial intelligence, no coding required.

Where and when: Tromsø: 4 – 6 September (Tvibit),  Mo i Rana: 30 September – 2 October (Nord University), Kirkenes: 19 – 21 October (Sør-Varanger Utvikling)

Final: Kirkenes, alongside the Arctic AI Summit, 20 – 22 October

Who: Primarily ages 18 – 35. Exceptions considered case by case,

Cost: Free. Mentors and jury on site.

Tools: All participants receive free credits and guidance from software partner Bilt.me.

Registration: www.arcticaisummit.com/hackathons

Deadlines: Tromsø: 25 August, 12:00. Mo i Rana & Kirkenes: 9 September end of the day (Norwegian time) |

About True North 2026

Tromsø is European Youth Capital in 2026, the first city in the Arctic to hold the title. Through the True North 2026 project, the City of Tromsø works with partners across Northern Norway so that young people aged 15 – 35 want to live, work, and create in the region.

About Createch North: AI Leap

Createch North: AI Leap is an Interreg Aurora project supporting the adoption of artificial intelligence among creative-industry micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the northern areas. The project is led by Lapland University of Applied Sciences from Finland; in Norway, it is led by Tvibit.

About Sør-Varanger Utvikling and ICE Kirkenes

Sør-Varanger Utvikling (SVU) is the development company owned by the Municipality of Sør-Varanger and one of the leading actors in business and community development in East Finnmark. Under its ICE Kirkenes brand, the company works to strengthen and diversify the local economy, promote entrepreneurship and innovation, and make Sør-Varanger an even more attractive place to live, work, and start a business. As a border municipality, much of this work naturally takes place in cooperation with partners across the Nordics and the North Atlantic.

Media contact

Ondrej Spala
Event Director and Project Manager, Sør-Varanger Utvikling · ICE Kirkenes
Email: ondrej@svu.as
Phone: +47 9 222 1749

Registration: www.arcticaisummit.com/hackathons

Arctic AI Summit: Main day 20 October. www.arcticaisummit.com

ACES 2026: Main day 21 October · www.aces2026.com

Bus transportation Rovaniemi – Kirkenes – Rovaniemi available 19 – 22 October (reservation required).

For more information, visit Arctic AI Summit.

Originally published on August 18, 2026 by Arctic AI Summit.