The development of the new Oslo Spektrum

A whole new era is approaching for Oslo Spektrum. Construction work is now underway on the new congress and cultural stage, which will be completed in the fall of 2028. The new Oslo Spektrum will give everyone even more experiences and events to look forward to!

In the spring of 2023, a broad majority in the Oslo City Council said yes to the plans for the new Oslo Spektrum. Now, the NOVA Spektrum Foundation has entered into an agreement with the construction company HENT in connection with the construction of the new congress and cultural stage in connection with the current Oslo Spektrum.

Even more to look forward to

Many people have a close and dear relationship with Oslo Spektrum, and the arena represents one of Norway’s largest indoor multi-purpose arenas. With the establishment of the new congress and cultural stage, Oslo Spektrum will become a place for even more memorable experiences:

– Our establishment of the new congress and cultural stage gives Oslo Spektrum a fantastic boost, and allows us to create and facilitate even more events that excite and fascinate. Through the expansion of Oslo Spektrum with the new stage, we are creating a new “Mini-Spektrum” next to the current hall. This means that Oslo will get the medium-sized stage that the city does not have. With the new stage, the concert and cultural offering can be further expanded in the form of more events adapted to different audience sizes, says CEO of the NOVA Spektrum Foundation Gunn Helen Hagen.

Signering av entepriseavtale – Oslo Spektrum-6 iktig versj

The NOVA Spektrum Foundation has now entered into an agreement with the construction company HENT for the construction of the new Oslo Spektrum. The plans also include over 1,000 office workplaces that will be established in collaboration with Aspelin Ramm. The photo is taken from the signing of the agreement. From left: CEO of the NOVA Spektrum Foundation Gunn Helen Hagen, CEO of HENT Jan K. Jahren, and Ida Aall Gram, CEO of Aspelin Ramm. Photo: NOVA Spektrum.

Activities every day

When the new Oslo Spektrum is completed in the fall of 2028, Oslo Spektrum will be a place with activity every day throughout the year.

– After more than 9 years of planning, we can finally get started with the construction project, and we are very much looking forward to providing the residents of Oslo and Norway with an even better and more diverse event offering. We are entering a new and exciting era for Oslo Spektrum with all the opportunities this means for the entire “great room” of Norway, says Hagen.

New Byhallen

The expansion of Oslo Spektrum means that the arena opens its facade to the surroundings through the establishment of a new meeting place on the ground floor facing Sonja Henies Plass and Oslo Plaza. The new meeting place has been named Byhallen, and will have a total area of 800 square meters. The goal is for Byhallen to become an attractive destination in itself.

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The new City Hall will be an attraction in itself, and will be open to everyone. Illustration: Metropolis and Goldbox.

– Byhallen will be Oslo Spektrum’s central meeting place for great food and drink experiences before and after events, and an attractive place to spend time with friends and colleagues. We want Byhallen to be a place that follows the pulse of Oslo with everything from a quiet breakfast atmosphere in the morning to the place where you want to round off the evening before strolling home after an event. In addition, this will be a place where we will create content and take as a starting point our ambition that Byhallen will be a public space that can be used in many different ways, and that will be open to everyone, says Hagen.

The Nordic region’s leading event capital

The new congress and cultural stage has an estimated audience capacity of about 3,000 people. The stage will be important in making Oslo an attractive first choice for many of the major national and international organizers:

– Through the new Oslo Spektrum, we are elevating the capital to become the Nordic region’s leading event capital with congresses and events that bring together participants from all over the world. This will create enormous ripple effects for the entire Oslo region, and help lay the foundation for even more activity and more jobs, says Hagen.

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The new Oslo Spektrum makes Oslo the leading event capital of the Nordic region. Illustration: LPO.

More city life

Hagen describes the new Oslo Spektrum as the Nordic region’s coolest meeting place for business, culture and organizational life, and estimates that the new congress and cultural scene will double the current number of visitors to Oslo Spektrum. The new Oslo Spektrum will certainly leave its mark on the city in connection with all the events and activities planned for the future:

– With the new Oslo Spektrum, we are facilitating more activity in the city center for the benefit of the entire population of Oslo. Increased event tourism also lays the foundation for an even larger and more diverse experience and tourism industry in the region. More shops, restaurants and attractions will help make the capital an even better city both for visitors and for everyone who already lives and works in Oslo, says Hagen.

Large-scale upgrade of Sonja Henies Plass

As part of the plans for the new Oslo Spektrum, a large-scale upgrade of Sonja Henies Plass is included. The square will be given a completely new design with good qualities and better accessibility. A new subway entrance will be established from Jernbanetorget subway station. On the ground floor, Byhallen will face the surroundings and contribute to a real area boost in the heart of Oslo.

– The planned urban renovation of Sonja Henies Plass will, together with the new Oslo Spektrum and Byhallen, help make the heart of Oslo a safe and pleasant place for everyone. We want a vibrant and citizen-friendly city center that makes the capital a good city to live in, and a good place to visit for all our event guests, says Hagen.

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In connection with the new Oslo Spektrum, a large-scale upgrade of Sonja Henies Plass is being carried out. Illustration: LPO.

Temporary event break

To make room for the construction of the new congress and cultural stage, the current office building adjacent to Oslo Spektrum must be demolished. This means a temporary break for events in the period from June 19, 2025 to September 1, 2026.

September 1, 2026 – Oslo Spektrum concert arena reopens

From the fall of 2026, Oslo Spektrum will once again be ready for concerts and large events. The same fall, there will be Christmas concerts and other experiences in the arena.

2028/2029 – New Oslo Spektrum is completed

The expansion of Oslo Spektrum, with a new congress and cultural stage, will be completed at the end of 2028. Then we will open the doors to the Nordic region’s most modern meeting place – in addition to a fully-fledged concert arena in operation.

First high-rise building in more than 30 years

The plans for the new Oslo Spektrum also involve the establishment of more than 1,000 office workplaces in the immediate vicinity of Norway’s largest public transport hub. The new building has a planned height of 108.4 meters (a few centimeters lower than Oslo Plaza), and represents the first high-rise building with a height of over 100 meters in more than 30 years. The office building is jointly owned by the NOVA Spektrum Foundation and Aspelin Ramm. The project has high environmental ambitions with extensive reuse of, among other things, bricks and art, as well as BREEAM Excellent certification.

The overall plans for the new Oslo Spektrum involve an investment of nearly 3.2 billion kroner.