Ylvis: What Are They Doing Now? Life After ‘The Fox’

Ylvis: What Are They Doing Now? Life After “The Fox”

In September 2013, two Norwegian comedy brothers uploaded a music video asking what the fox says. The answer — “Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!” — was viewed more than 1.2 billion times and turned Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker into the most famous Norwegians on the internet. More than a decade later, a curious thing happened: Ylvis returned to a festival stage in Kristiansand in 2026, performing at Ravnedalen Live — and suddenly the world was asking the same question again. What are they doing now?

The Fox and the Machine Behind It

Ylvis were not amateurs who got lucky. The brothers from Bergen had been professional variety artists since 2000, working in comedy concerts, stage shows and television long before the viral moment. Their talk show I kveld med Ylvis (Tonight with Ylvis) ran on TVNorge from 2011 to 2016 — and “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” was originally just a comedy segment written and filmed for that show.

The song’s absurd explosion changed everything. Within weeks it was a global novelty hit, charting internationally and earning the duo a Spellemannprisen (Hit of the Year) and a Gullruten TV Moment of the Year award. They released Ylvis: Volume I, a compilation of ten older singles, and were suddenly playing international television and award shows — including an appearance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, where they won International Favorite Artist.

The Deliberate Step Back

Here is what makes Ylvis unusual among viral stars: they never tried to become a music act. While the world wanted a second “Fox,” the brothers kept their identity as comedy writers and television makers. They finished their talk show’s run in 2016, and in 2018 they launched Stories from Norway, a series that took headline-grabbing Norwegian news stories and rebuilt them as short musical documentaries — satire, research and comedy songs in one package.

It was a very Ylvis move: instead of chasing the global pop machine, they doubled down on the strange, ambitious comedy that had made them in the first place. The music remained, but always as a servant of the joke — the way it had been when “The Fox” was just a three-minute segment on a late-night show.

2026: The Year Ylvis Reappeared

This year has been the most publicly visible one for the brothers in a long time — and it came in two acts.

First, the festival return. Ylvis performed at Ravnedalen Live, the open-air festival in Kristiansand, Norway, in 2026 — a live appearance that reminded Norwegian audiences the duo never actually went away. For international fans who froze them in 2013 amber, the photographs from that summer performance were a small shock: the comedy brothers, still on stage, still performing, more than a decade after the fox.

Then came the bigger surprise. Ylvis revealed that they had intended to compete in Melodi Grand Prix 2026 — Norway’s selection for the Eurovision Song Contest — with what they described as a new “supermegahit,” and that they had even prepared a full show concept. They withdrew before the announcement, and the reason was political: they had told broadcaster NRK early on that they did not want to perform on the same stage as Israel’s entry while the Gaza war continued, and when it became clear Israel would participate, they pulled out.

The statement, posted by the duo, was characteristically direct: they had been looking forward to making the show and representing Norway, but “given the current situation, this is not something we can stand behind.” It was the most serious public moment of their career — a comedy duo taking a principled stand at the cost of a comeback stage.

Why the Fox Endures

Part of what keeps the 2026 appearances newsworthy is the sheer scale of the original phenomenon. “The Fox” did not just go viral — it became one of the most-watched music videos in YouTube history, passing 1.1 billion views by 2024 and 1.2 billion by mid-2026. It won Hit of the Year at Norway’s Spellemannprisen, took TV Moment of the Year at the Gullruten awards, and even earned the duo an International Favorite Artist win at the Mnet Asian Music Awards. For a three-minute comedy segment from a Norwegian talk show, that is an absurd résumé — and it explains why every Ylvis appearance still registers as news more than a decade later.

The deeper reason, though, is that the brothers never cashed in the obvious way. There was no desperate second novelty single, no reality show, no slow fade into nostalgia tours. They kept writing, kept performing, and kept their comedy rooted in Norway — which is exactly why a 2026 festival set in Kristiansand and a principled Eurovision withdrawal felt like events rather than footnotes.

The Long Game of the Comedy Brothers

Seen from 2026, the Ylvis story is really about restraint. They had the biggest viral comedy song in history and refused to let it define them as musicians. They had a hit talk show and ended it on their own terms. They were offered a Eurovision stage and walked away from it over a principle.

So what are they doing now? The same thing they have always done: writing, performing and making comedy in Norway — occasionally surfacing on a festival stage like Ravnedalen Live, occasionally reminding the world they exist with a headline-grabbing decision. The fox may have made them famous, but the brothers were always the ones holding the pen.

Ylvis: Career Timeline

The “Ylvis what are they doing now” question makes more sense once you see the full arc — the fox was a detour, not the destination.

Key Facts & Numbers

• The Fox: passed 1.1 billion YouTube views by 2024 and 1.2 billion by mid-2026 — one of the most-watched music videos in the platform’s history
• Professionals since 2000: variety artists, comedy writers and TV makers long before the viral moment
• Talk show: I kveld med Ylvis ran five seasons on TVNorge (2011–2016)
• Awards: Spellemann Hit of the Year, Gullruten TV Moment of the Year, Mnet International Favorite Artist
• Never a music act: they deliberately refused to build a pop career on the back of the novelty hit

What’s Next for the Comedy Brothers

Nothing about Ylvis suggests a conventional comeback plan, and that is the point. They have no announced album or tour, and they have never shown interest in one — their public appearances remain what they have always been: festival stages like Ravnedalen Live, television projects, and the occasional headline-grabbing decision. The brothers keep writing and performing in Norway, which means the next Ylvis moment will likely arrive the same way the last ones did: unexpectedly, on their own terms, and probably funnier than anyone planned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Ylvis still together?

Yes. Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker performed together at Ravnedalen Live in 2026 and made their joint Melodi Grand Prix 2026 announcement and withdrawal as a duo.

What are Ylvis doing now?

The same thing they have always done: writing, performing and making comedy in Norway — festival appearances, television work and the ambitious satire they have pursued since ending their talk show in 2016.

Why did Ylvis withdraw from Melodi Grand Prix 2026?

They had prepared a new “supermegahit” and a full show concept, but told broadcaster NRK early on they did not want to perform on the same stage as Israel’s entry while the Gaza war continued. When it became clear Israel would participate, they pulled out.

How many views does “The Fox” have?

It passed 1.1 billion YouTube views by 2024 and an estimated 1.2 billion by mid-2026, making it one of the most-watched music videos in YouTube history.

Are Ylvis musicians or comedians?

Comedians and variety artists first. The music has always been a servant of the joke — “The Fox” was originally just a three-minute comedy segment on their talk show.

Will Ylvis make another song like “The Fox”?

There is no indication of one. They famously never chased a sequel to the novelty hit, choosing instead to keep their comedy rooted in Norway and on their own terms.

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