INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF NORWAY Oslo Chamber of Commerce WEEKEND SUGGESTIONS Week 25 HI EVERYBODY! Oslo will be celebrating Midsummer's Eve on 23rd June, in style, with bonfires, good food and live music along the fjord from Høvikodden in the west to Hvervenbukta in the east. The celebrations are open to all, and with the exception of the events at the Folk Museum, they are all free. Norwegian Folk Museum: Traditional family midsummer celebration in the Open-Air Museum with folk dancing, games and activities, barbeque and an outdoor concert. Shops and cafés are open late. Hvervenbukta: Celebration on the beach at Hvervenbukta with a concert, open café, flower garlands and a bonfire organised by the local Polish club and others. They will light the bonfire at 21:00hrs. Tjuvholmen: Outdoor concerts and bonfire at the tip of Tjuvholmen. Local restaurants will be serving food outdoors, also free face painting for children. Høvikodden: The traditional Midsummer celebration at the Henie Onstad Art Centre with flower garlands, live music, a bonfire, art activities and open exhibitions. Take along a picnic basket and enjoy the evening. Enjoy our suggestions for the weekend! Photo: vg.no Photo: visitoslo.com USEFUL INFORMATION Schools Out!!! Summer Holidays - Public schools in Oslo and Akershus counties close for the summer holidays 22nd June. First day back at school for school year 2017/2018 in Oslo will be 21st August and in Akershus, 17th August. Private schools in and around Oslo have different closing dates. Traffic!! It is expected that the national airport, Gardermoen, will be quite busy this weekend as many start their summer holidays. The main roads out of Oslo will also experience heavy traffic as many start their holiday journeys. Allow yourself extra time during this period as it will be busy. It will keep the stress levels down. INN EVENTS 28th June Guided Tour to Hovedøya - the closest fjord island to the city center. A fascinating history and wonderful scenery. 7th July Friday Vibes Join us for our monthly get-together, open for everybody!! We will be having a “Picnic in the Park”. Further details will follow shortly. Remember to check out our calendar for upcoming INNEvents Follow INN on and INN WELCOME TO NORWAY SEMINAR New in Norway and curious about the culture, the country and its people? Sign up here for our popular «Welcome to Norway» Seminar, a one-day practical introduction to living and working in Norway and Oslo. The next seminar will take place 9th August. Free of charge for all INN Individual Members. For INN Corporate Members/OCC Members the price per person is NOK 4000 and non-members NOK 5000, including a welcome package and lunch. UPCOMING EVENTS Sting is coming to Oslo Monday 25th September Oslo Spektrum Few tickets left Photo: Ticketmaster MAJOR EVENTS / FESTIVALS / MARKETS Oslo Pride 2017, 23rd June – 2nd July Norway's largest festival for the lesbian and gay population, with concerts, art exhibits, shows, film screenings, parties and political debates. The Pride Park festival area in the city centre is free to enter for everyone! Oslo Pride consists of more than 150 small and large events over the course of ten days. Oslo Gay Pride's aim is to make gay culture visible and contribute to increased acceptance and respect for the gay part of the capital's diverse population. The Photo: VisitOslo.no event was first established as "Gay Days" in 1982 and got its current name in 2014. Picnic in the Park festival, 22nd – 24th June Annual music festival with a laid-back and intimate atmosphere. The festival takes place in the park by the Vigeland Museum, and both international and Norwegian artists perform on a total of three different stages. Artists confirmed for 2017 so far: Father John Misty, Solange, Band of Gold, Whitney, Gavin James, Kadhja Bonet, Paradisia, Tash Sultana, Gundelach, Siv Jakobsen, Tall Heights, Cass McCombs. Check www.piknikiparken.no for updates. Tickets on site. Photo: VisitOslo.no OverOslo, 21st – 24th June OverOslo is an annual summer festival with four nights of concerts at Scene Grefsenkollen, a stage, on a hill, 377 metres above the city. Tickets available for dinner & concerts on Friday and Saturday. Program: OverOslo Free shuttle buses to the festival run between Storo Storsenter's main entrance and Grefsenkollen. Photo: VisitOslo.no EXHIBITIONS Gay clubbing in Norway 1950-2017, Historisk Museum, 10:00-17:00 Exhibition documenting the nightlife in bars, clubs and venues for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people from 1950 until today. Through photos, videos, stories and objects, Gay clubbing highlights the importance of these informal meeting points for the emergence of LGBT communities in Norway. The exhibition is curated by Henriette Stensdal and Vibeke Hermanrud, and is the result of a cooperation between the Norwegian national archive for queer and LGBT Photo: VisitOslo.no history in Bergen, Kunstplass [10] and the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. Opening party: 22 June at 6 pm. Free entrance during Oslo Pride (23 June - 2 July), Tickets on site. Address: Frederiks gate 2 CONCERTS Outdoor concert: VG-lista 2017, Rådhusplassen, 24th June at 17:30 Scandinavia's largest outdoor concert takes place at City Hall Square in late June every year. At the most it has attracted up to 100,000 people for an evening of great music. The show features top Norwegian and international artists with hits from the past year, who share the stage with established artists and potential new summer hitmakers. Artists for 2017 include: MØ, Admiral P, Arif, Kream, Dagny, Italobrothers, Maggie Lindmann, Jowst, Freddy Kalas, Julie Bergan, Mugisho, TRXD, Morgan Sulele, Gabrielle. Entry is free! Click here for more information about the concert. Address: Rådhusplassen Photo: vg.no Tsegaye Eshetu, Cosmopolite, 24th June at 22:00 Tsegaye has filled our hearts with magical Ethiopian music since the 80's and has many hits to look back on. He continues with his unique style delighting his great fan base of music lovers both in Ethiopia and internationally. Final Getaneh and Addis will join Tsegaye on stage, so come and experience an all-round Ethiopian party at Cosmopolite! Address: Vogts gate 64 Photo: cosmopolite.no New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Oslo konserthus, 25th June at 19:30 The Orchestra visits Oslo as part of their 2017 summer tour in Norway. The orchestra is comprised of talented musicians ages 12 to 18, and is considered one of the best youth orchestras in the world. This year's soloist is the Norwegian violinist David Coucheron, concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The program for the evening is: Verdi: La Forza del Destino, Saint- Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3, Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances. Click here for tickets. Photo: VisitOslo.no Address: Munkedamsveien 14 Martha Wainwright, Parkteatret Scene, 25th June at 19:00 A captivating live artist and a refreshingly different musical force. Towards the end of last year, she released her fourth studio album, Goodnight City, where she returns to the roughness that characterised her first releases. The album consists of songs written by Martha herself, but also songs written for her unique voice by friends and songwriters such as Beth Orton, Glen Hansard, her brother Rufus Wainwright and Merrill Garbus. Click here for tickets. Address: Olaf Ryes plass 11 Photo: VisitOslo.no The THIEF Music Unplugged, The THIEF Hotel, 22nd June at 19:00 Twice a month The THIEF invites amazing musicians to do exclusive acoustic concerts in their lounge. This week the concerts will feature Colin John and Philip & The Reindeer. Click here for more information. The concerts are free of charge but there are limited seats – first come, first served. Address: Landgangen 1 Photo: VisitOslo.no DANCE Rooms by Alexander Ekman, The Opera House, 23rd and 25th June at 19:30 Choreographer Alexander Ekman is an internationally renowned name in the world of dance, sought-after for his unique ability to combine ballet with humour and playfulness. The last time Alexander Ekman visited the Oslo Opera House, he created a brand-new swan lake that required 5,000 litres of water. Now the choreographer will use the entire performance space, including the auditorium, wings and backstage area, to take you on a journey of dance and experiences, from space to space through a unique world. This is a journey that Photo: VisitOslo.no is guaranteed to be full of surprises – not to be missed! Tickets are selling very fast. Click here to purchase tickets. Address: Kirsten Flagstads plass 1 THEATRE & SHOW Jo Strømgren Kompani: A Doll’s House, The Opera House, 22nd June at 20:00 and 23rd June at 18:30 A Doll’s House is choreographer Jo Strømgren’s take on Henrik Ibsen’s immortal drama, performed in English by American actors. A Doll’s House may very well be the most-performed play in the world, and has been twisted and turned in all possible directions. The version from Jo Strømgren Kompani is faithful to Ibsen’s text, but takes us outside of the four walls of the house to show what the characters are up to before and after their actions in the drama. With a physical and grotesque design, we are exposed to the anguish of the soul and the disintegration of facades, Photo: VisitOslo.no bittersweet stings and existential matters. Click here to purchase tickets on 22nd June and here for 23rd June. Address: Kirsten Flagstads plass 1 FAMILY & CHILDREN Pokémon-Con 2017, Sagene Samfunsshus, 24th -25th June, 09:00- 15:00 Norway's first Pokémon convention is held at Sagene samfunnhus in Oslo 24th and 25th June. The weekend will be filled with Pokémon- related activities for Pokémon enthusiasts of all kinds.