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What’s on in Norway: Ten unmissable events this June

Music and food festivals, Pride parades, and Sankthans are among the many events to look forward to in June in Norway. 

Published: 23 May 2024 12:38 CEST
Updated: 2 June 2024 05:39 CEST
Pictured is a person at a festival.
Plenty of Norway's biggest festivals take place in June. Pictured is a person at a festival. Photo by Maxime Bhm on Unsplash

National Music Day, June 1st 

The Norwegian capital of Oslo will host its free annual music festival at the start of June. More than 50 outdoor stages will be spread across the city, and hundreds of performers will treat Oslo’s residents to all kinds of musical performances. 

Free music will be available everywhere, from pub patios to large stages in parks. The festival’s website provides more information on where the various stages are and who will be performing. 

NEON, June 7th – June 8th 

The NEON music festival in Trondheim has quickly become one of the hottest summer kick-off festivals in Norway since launching in 2022. 

The 2024 edition of NEON will take place on June 7th and 8th in Trondheim’s Bryggeribyen E.C. Dahls Arena. 

2024 festival goers will be able to see Tom Odell, Matoma, Lost Frequencies, Jason Derulo, Benson Boone, Emma Steinbakken, Roc Boyz and many more.

Tickets are already available, and you can choose between a festival pass, daily tickets, or premium ticket options.

Miniøya, June 8th – June 9th 

Since its first edition in 2010, Miniøya has become Norway’s largest music and cultural festival for children. 

The festival is aimed at children up to the age of 12, and its program includes music, theatre, literature, disco, dance, and activities. 

Tickets are still available at the time of writing, and OBOS members receive 100 kroner off the 430 kroner ticket price. 

Oslo Food Festival, June 8th – June 9th

The second weekend in June and the final weekend of August will see the Oslo Food Festival held in trendy Grünerløkka. 

The festival focuses on foods from around the world. A mix of established and lesser-known restaurants, as well as plenty of home cooks, will be offering up fantastic food. 

For that reason, the event is much a cultural exchange as it is a gathering for foodies. 

Bergenfest, June 12th – June 15th 

It’s not just the capital that will be treated to music festivals in June. Artists such as PJ Harvey, Stormzy, Kaiser’s Orchestra, Jungle and Gabrielle will all take to the stage. 

The festival is being held in Bergenhus Fortress, one of Norway’s oldest and best preserved fortress areas. 

Day passes, weekend passes, and festival passes are all still available at the time of writing. 

Mablis, June 14th – June 15th 

The music festival, near the centre of Stavanger, aims to blend established acts with new and emerging talent. 

Mablis aims to be an inclusive and sustainable festival, and plenty of local, short-travelled food will be served. 

The festival wants to include the whole family, so there is no age limit. Children under 14 also get to enter the festival free of charge when with an adult. 

OverOslo, June 19th – June 22nd 

Four nights of festival music from acts such as Jungle, Chaka Kahn, Billy Ocean, and plenty of Norway’s biggest funk and pop artists await festivalgoers at the top of Grefsenkollen. 

Tickets for some days are still available at the festival held in the forests above Oslo.  

Sankthans, 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.

Pride events 

Norway’s two biggest cities will celebrate Pride in June. Bergen Pride begins at the start of June, and events will continue until the city’s Pride parade on June 8th. 

A number of different events will be held across different venues to mark this year’s celebrations. 

Meanwhile, Norway’s biggest LGBTQ+ celebration, Oslo Pride, will begin on June 19th and end on June 29th. The parade will be held on June 29th.

Gladmat, June 26th – June 29th 

Billing itself as the world’s coolest food festival is Gladmat in Stavanger. 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. 

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SPORT

The key info you need to know about fishing in Norway

Norway is widely considered one of the best fly-fishing locations in the world. Whether you've planned a trip or always wanted to give fishing a go, you'll need to get up to speed with the rules.

Published: 7 June 2024 13:22 CEST
The key info you need to know about fishing in Norway

Fishing has traditionally been a cornerstone of the Norwegian economy, and the country’s seafood is considered some of the best in the world.

The country still has a large fishing industry, but recreational angling probably attracts the most interest these days.

This is because the country is considered one of the best destinations in the world to cast a line due to its clear and bountiful freshwater lakes and rivers.

Whether you’re located in Oslo or above the Arctic Circle, you are likely to be near a good spot, too.

The rules for fishing are typically divided into two categories: freshwater and saltwater.

Saltwater fishing

You don’t need a permit to fish, and you can fish from land when you aren’t in built-up areas. You can also cast a line from a jetty in other areas.

Anglers can only use handheld tackle, and it is illegal to catch species that require gear other than handheld tackle. There are also minimum size requirements to catch certain species.

There are also regulations on the minimum size of the fish you catch, boat drivers must have a boating licence, and life jackets must be worn in the vessel.

When fishing, you must be at least 100 metres from the nearest fish farm. It is also illegal to sell your catch, but you can give it away.

Only tourists with a registered camp or guide can take their fish products out of the country, with weight limits also in place.

Furthermore, spiny dogfish, basking shark, porbeagle, blue ling, lobster, bluefin tuna, silk shark, eel, and wrasse are protected species and cannot be caught. You cannot catch cod in the Oslofjord, either.

Some species, such as redfish, cod, halibut, and Greenland halibut, are also protected during the year. Halibut above 2 metres long must also be released.

More information on the regulations can be found on the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries website.

Freshwater fishing

Those who want to fish freshwater in Norway will typically need to purchase a licence from the local rights holder. Local sports shops and tourist offices will have more information on where to purchase the fishing licence.

There will also be local fishing rules and a fishing season for fish like salmon (typically between June and August).

When fishing for migratory fish, like salmon, you can only use worms, lures, spinners, wobblers and flies as bait. There are also restrictions on hook sizes, or single hooks, the maximum gape size is 15 mm, and for double/treble hooks, it is 13 mm.

There is a national fishing fee of 329 kroner for salmon, Arctic char and other fish that migrate upstream that can be purchased online. This is paid in addition to any local fishing licence fees.

Catch and release?

In almost all cases, you can keep your fish and eat it if you want. This is due to the Norwegian right to roam and forage.

However, local restrictions may mean there are certain types of fish you need to release, furthermore prohibited species and those not meeting the minimum size requirements must also be released.

The exception to this rule is if it is clear that the fish will not survive in the wild.

Catch and release is a growing trend in Norway and is something you can choose to do, too, if you wish.

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