Gay Guide to Oslo
Norway decriminalised sex between men in 1972, and in 1981 it became the first country in the world to outlaw discrimination against gay people in law; same-sex marriage followed in 2009. The scene was tested on 25 June 2022, the night before Oslo Pride, when a gunman killed two people outside London Pub. The official parade was cancelled that day, though thousands marched anyway.
London Pub on C. J. Hambros plass, a fixture since 1979 with a bar downstairs and dancing upstairs, is still the heart of gay Oslo. Bob's Pub in Grønland, just east of the centre, is a cosy local.
Up the river in Grünerløkka, Blå by the Akerselva hosts queer-friendly dance parties, and SKOKS, the queer arts and culture centre, is an intergenerational meeting place with free events.
Oslo Pride runs for ten days in late June. The parade sets off from Grønland and finishes at the Pride Park around Rådhusplassen and Kontraskjæret, on the waterfront below Akershus Fortress. The Oslo/Fusion film festival and the Raballder Cup LGBTQ+ sports tournament add events through the year.