It is just past nine on a Friday, and the pavements around Grünerløkka are busy with people drifting between cafés and bars, while inside the venues along the river the evening is only getting started. Further towards the centre, the terraces fill earlier and the queues outside clubs build later, once the restaurants have emptied.
Oslo's nightlife is compact, walkable and expensive, and it rewards people who plan around food, drink and music rather than around a single strip of clubs. It suits visitors who are happy to move between a bar, a park and a live venue in one evening, and who accept that the city's licensing rules shape how and where the night happens.
Where to go out in Oslo
1. Grünerløkka
Grünerløkka is a city district filled with cafés, bars, small fashion and designer shops and parks. The river Akerselva runs along its west side, and there is a selection of bars, clubs and cafés near the water.
It suits an evening that starts with food and drink and stays casual, moving between indoor venues and the parks. Trams 11, 12 and 18 serve Nybrua, Schous plass, Olaf Ryes plass and Birkelunden, trams 17 and buses 30–31 serve Heimdalsgata or Birkelunden, and bus 21 serves Sannergata.
2. Parks for a drink in summer
Drinking in public areas is illegal, but in public parks during summer the rules are not enforced much at all. Sofienbergparken and Kuba at Grünerløkka, Frognerparken in Majorstua and the park at St. Hanshaugen are named as good places for a park beer, with St. Hanshaugen on a hill with a view between Grünerløkka and Majorstuen.
This suits a warm-weather early evening before moving on to bars. If you are spotted by a police officer you will usually only get a warning, but behaving impolitely or catching an officer on a bad day can result in a fine of 1,500 kr.
3. Pubs and bars
All bars, pubs and restaurants in Oslo are smoke-free, so smoking means going outside. Because you cannot drink on the street, you have to leave your drink inside unless the venue has a designated drinking area, and those areas always close earlier than the venue itself.
This is the backbone of most nights out. Expect high prices: a half-litre of beer typically ranges from 58 to 70 kr, and closing hours run as late as 03:30 in the city centre.
4. Vinmonopolet outlets
Hard liquor, wine and beers above 4.75% ABV can only be bought at the state-owned shops called Vinmonopolet, or at the international airport terminals. Outlets are open Monday to Friday until 18:00, Saturday until 16:00, and closed on Sunday.
If your evening involves drinking at home or at a hotel before going out, this is where you stock up, and the timing matters. Central outlets include Oslo Central Station beneath the staircase down to Trafikanten, the basement of Oslo City shopping centre, the Steen og Strøm shopping centre near Karl Johans gate, Rosenkrantzgate 11 near the Grand Hotel, Aker Brygge at Bryggegata 9, Thereses gate at Bislett, and Tøyengata 2 at Grønland Basar.
5. Supermarkets for beer
Beer at 4.75% or below can be bought in supermarkets for 30–50 kr for a 0.5L can. Supermarkets stop selling beer after 20:00 each day, 18:00 on Saturdays and 16:00 on holiday weekends, and it is not possible to buy beer in a shop on a Sunday.
This suits a low-key start to an evening, or a picnic in one of the parks. Plan your shopping before the cut-off, since the rules are enforced by the clock rather than by the venue.
6. Live music and club venues downtown
Several of Oslo's festivals take place in various venues downtown, which gives a sense of where the city's music rooms cluster. by:Larm, Inferno, the Oslo Jazz Festival and the Oslo Chamber Music Festival are all described as taking place in various venues downtown.
This suits anyone who wants a night built around a specific performance rather than a general bar crawl. Check what is on before you travel, since these are event-driven rather than permanent fixtures.
7. Tøyenparken
Tøyenparken hosts Øyafestivalen in the beginning of August every year, an event that has become a festival for people of all ages who enjoy rock and pop music.
It suits a full day and evening of music rather than a spontaneous night out, and it is worth timing a trip around if the lineup appeals.
8. Bislet Stadion
Bislet Stadion hosts the Findings EDM festival every August.
This suits a night of electronic music in a stadium setting. As with the other festivals, the date is fixed to the month rather than to your itinerary, so plan around it.
How a night out unfolds
Oslo's evening is shaped by shop and bar closing times rather than by a late-night culture that runs into the small hours everywhere. Supermarkets stop selling beer at 20:00 on weekdays, 18:00 on Saturdays and 16:00 on holiday weekends, and Vinmonopolet closes at 18:00 Monday to Friday and 16:00 on Saturday, so any drinks bought for the start of the evening need to be in hand early. Bars and pubs then carry the night, with closing hours as late as 03:30 in the city centre. Outdoor drinking areas at venues close earlier than the venues themselves, so a night that begins outside tends to move indoors as it goes on.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- by:Larm — rock festival in various venues downtown Oslo, mid-February, mostly Norwegian or Nordic underground and rising artists alongside some more established names.
- Inferno — metal festival in various venues downtown Oslo, late March.
- Arabian Film Days — late April.
- Constitution Day (syttende mai) — annually on 17 May, a folk festival celebrated by the whole population, with schoolchildren parading to the royal palace.
- Musikkfest (National Music Day) — free, mostly outdoors, always on the first Saturday in June.
- Oslo Pride (Skeive dager) — pride festival and parade all over the city, late June.
- Norway Cup — football tournament at Ekebergsletta, beginning of August every year.
- Øyafestivalen — rock and pop festival in Tøyenparken, beginning of August every year.
- Findings — EDM festival at Bislet Stadion, every August.
- Oslo Jazz Festival — mid-August in various venues downtown.
- Films from the South — film festival in various theatres in Oslo, mid-October.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink alcohol in a public park in Oslo?
Drinking in public areas is illegal, but in public parks during summer the rules are not enforced much at all. You will usually only get a warning if spotted by a police officer, though behaving impolitely or catching an officer on a bad day can result in a fine of 1,500 kr.
Where can I buy wine or spirits for an evening in?
Hard liquor, wine and beers above 4.75% ABV can only be bought at Vinmonopolet or at the international airport terminals. Outlets are open Monday to Friday until 18:00, Saturday until 16:00, and closed on Sunday.
How late can I buy beer in a supermarket?
Supermarkets stop selling beer after 20:00 each day, 18:00 on Saturdays and 16:00 on holiday weekends, and it is not possible to buy beer in a shop on a Sunday.
Can I smoke inside a bar in Oslo?
No. All bars, pubs and restaurants in Oslo are smoke-free, so you have to go outside to smoke. Since you cannot drink on the street, you have to leave your drink inside unless the venue has a designated drinking area, and those areas always close earlier than the venue itself.
Decide which part of the city you want to start in, check the closing times that apply to your evening, and build the night around them.