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Local Norway
3 days ago
- Politics
- Local Norway
Trollstigen and pre-election buzz: What changes in Norway this summer?
Parliament goes into recess and election campaign enters final spurt The Norwegian parliament closes for the summer on June 20th and will not reopen until the start of October. That doesn't meant that politics closes down, however. This summer will be unusually busy as Norway's parties work up to August, when the campaign for the September 8th general election enters its final stages. The left-wing bloc led by the Labour Party is currently holding the lead it gained in February when former prime minister Jens Stoltenberg made a surprise return to national politics, taking the post of finance minister. In the weeks leading up the closure, the parliament has been rushing through the last bills on the agenda . READ ALSO: Six new laws that need to be passed in Norway before the summer Summer holidays The school term in Norway ends on Friday, June 20th, and then kids won't return until a new school year begins on Monday, August 18th. Employees in Norway have the right to three consecutive weeks of holiday during the period from June 1st to September 30th, with most choosing the last three weeks of July, which is known as the fellesferie , or "collective holiday". Most will use this period to disappear to cabins outside the big cities, meaning you might find the big cities like Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger strangely quiet. During the fellesferie, smaller shops and restaurants often close down in major cities and towns, although the big chains normally stay open. Summer music festivals Norway goes all out on its summer festivals. The summer kicks off with OverOslo and Tons of Rock , both held in Oslo in June. Then in July, the festival season reaches its busiest period, with the Stavernfestivalen , Palmesus , Slottsfjell , Molde International Jazz Festival , and Buktafestivalen . It all then gets rounded off with Øyafestivalen , the biggest festival of them all, held from August 6th to August 9th. READ ALSO: Eight music festivals you shouldn't miss in Norway this summer Advertisement Pride events Oslo Pride will occur between June 20th and June 28th, and the main parade will occur on June 28th. Oslo Pride is the country's largest LGBTQIA+ celebration. The parade will begin in Grønland. Bergen Pride will take place between June 13th and June 21st, with a parade and closing concert taking place on the 21st. Roadworks and rail replacement buses Both Norway's rail track operator and the country's roads agency take advantage of relatively empty cities and low levels of commuting over the summer to carry out maintenance and renovation projects. There will be rail replacement buses on several rail lines out of Oslo through much of the summer, and traffic diversions in several places. Read our breakdown here . Trollstigen reopens The Trollstigen road (meaning "path of the trolls", or "magic path") has been closed since 2024 due to the risk of falling rocks. The road, famed for the eleven hairpin bends that take you up from Åndalsnes to the Trollstigen plateau, is scheduled to reopen again on July 14th. Advertisement Summer solstice Saturday, June 21st 2025, will mark the summer solstice in Norway. In most parts of Norway, you can expect it to remain light hours past midnight. From that day forward, the days in Norway will gradually get shorter until the winter solstice in December. In Bodø, the midnight sun is visible between June 4th and July 8th. NEW LAWS Abortion threshold extended to 18 weeks On June 1st, Norway extended the threshold at which women can decide to have an abortion from the 12 week of pregnancy to the 18th week. Abortions after this week require the approval of the country's abortion board. Separate collection of glass and metal waste mandatory From July 1st, municipalities across Norway will have to collect glass and metal waste separately, as Norway implements the last parts of the EU's Waste Framework Directive. For those living in major towns and cities, this should not make much difference, as most already collect glass and metal waste separately, but it may mean changes for those living in less densely populated areas Tax cut should lower power bills From July 1st, the government is cutting the "electricity fee" or elavgiften by 4.4 øre per kWh, a change that it expects will reduce the average households annual spending on power networks by 825 kroner per year. Together with the so-called Norway Price, the measure is intended to reduce the burden on households from high power prices. Advertisement Stricter rules for estate agents New rules come into force on July 1st which will tighten the rules for estate agents, among other things prohibiting the practice of secret bids, where estate agents can take bids and keep them secret from other bidders. The new rules bring in other stricter requirements for brokers, and give the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway (Finanstilsynet) greater powers to monitor and enforce compliance with the regulations. Norway's security police wins power to process public data Norway's PST security police will from July 1st gain new powers to store, systematise, and analyse publicly available information which it can use to prepare analyses and intelligence assessments on potential national security threats. The new rules bring in new rules on how such public information should be stored and processed.
Local Norway
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Local Norway
What's on in Norway: Nine unmissable events in June 2025
NEON, June 6th and June 7th The NEON music festival in Trondheim has become one of the hottest summer kick-off festivals since its launch in 2022. This year, Imagine Dragons, Robin Shulz, and Benjamin Ingrosso are among the headliners at the festival, which will take place at the EC Dahls Arena. At the time of writing, only festival passes and day tickets for Friday were still available . Whit Monday, June 9th You'll be able to enjoy a long weekend in early June as Whit Monday is a public holiday in Norway, meaning kids will be off school, and most workers can expect the day off. Whether it's a day to yourself, a long weekend, or soaking up (hopefully) some summer sun, make sure you find something nice for yourself to do. Diamond League – Bislett Games, June 12th The Bislett games bring the prestigious Diamon League to Norway, and visitors will be able to see top international track and field athletes compete in various disciplines. Extra tickets for the sold-out event will be released on June 3rd. Miniøya, June 14th and June 15th Miniøya has become Norway's largest music and cultural festival for children over its 15-year history. The festival is mainly aimed at families and kids 12 and under, and the programme includes music, theatre, literature, disco, dance, and activities. The sad news is that regular tickets are sold out, but you may still be able to pick up some resale tickets. Advertisement Bergenfest, June 11th – June 14th A mix of Norwegian and international stars will be performing at Bergenfest on Norway's west coast in mid-June. Alanis Morissette, Aurora, Kjartan Lauritzen, 070 Shake, Benjamin Ingrosso and Lissie are among the festival's headliners for 2025. Tickets for a number of different days were still available at the time of writing . Pride events Oslo Pride will occur between June 20th and June 28th, and the main parade is on June 28th, leaving from Grønland. Oslo Pride is the country's largest LGBTQIA+ celebration, and countless activities, workshops, events, and seminars will be held throughout Oslo Pride. Bergen Pride will take place between June 13th and June 21st, with a parade and closing concert taking place on the 21st. Pride Park will be the celebration's festival arena and is open between June 19th and June 21st, while Pride House will highlight culture between June 14th and June 18th. Advertisement OverOslo, June18th – June 21st The idyllic hilltop festival is one of the highlights of Norway's music calendar. Lars Vaular, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Bryan Adams, and Cezinando are among this year's headliners. Panoramic views of the city and Oslofjord provide a spectacular backdrop for the festival's diverse lineup. Santkhans, June 24th Sankthans, or Jonsok, translated as "John's wake", is a Midsummer celebration with both religious and secular roots. Along with the rest of Scandinavia, it is popular to celebrate with bonfires. In major cities and small towns, the bonfires are typically made along the coastline or in a body of water, and the locals watch from boats or from along the shoreline and bring drinks and snacks. The atmosphere is festive yet relaxed. Many Norwegians say that if you sleep with a sankthansblomst or a "red campion flower" underneath your pillow on the night of sankthans, then your future spouse will appear in your dreams. Ålesund builds a huge bonfire yearly, while in Oslo, a celebration is typically held at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. Gladmat, June 25th – June 28th Over in Stavanger is the event for foodies that bills itself as the world's coolest food festival. The event is Scandinavia's biggest food festival, and 250,000 visitors will have the opportunity to sample the best flavours from the Stavanger region. The festival brings together local food producers, great restaurants and delicious street food.
