With Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at the fairgrounds on the banks of the Nitelva, the ring will be closed. – That’s what we started with at the Norwegian Trade Fair in 1965, says NOVA Spektrum manager Gunn Helen Hagen. Almost 60 years have passed since the legendary Rolling Stones concert in the exhibition hall at Sjølyst in Oslo. The rock band is still in full swing. The trade fair is called NOVA Spektrum, and the exhibition and congress center moved to Lillestrøm in 2002. Space for over 40,000 Together with Lillestrøm municipality, they are today launching Lillestrøm as a host city for large stadium concerts. The arena is ten minutes by train from Oslo S and Oslo Airport. Thus, they believe they have solved the problem of concerts in the Oslo area. – Everything is arranged here. We have a large outdoor area that we call Nova Open Air, which can hold over 40,000 spectators, says Gunn Helen Hagen. Inside the exhibition halls, concerts can be held in two halls with a capacity of 10,000 and 3–4,000 people respectively. POSITIVE: Both NOVA Spektrum manager Gunn Helen Hagen and the mayor of Lillestrøm will use the parking lot behind them as a concert arena. Photo: Olav Juven / news An alternative to Oslo Oslo has not had a fixed arena for stadium concerts since it was over and out for Valle Hovin. The industry misses a venue they know is available when it fits with major artists’ touring schedules. According to the organisers, this causes the biggest stars to opt out of Oslo. – After Valle Hovin disappeared, we have been looking for new opportunities and new areas, says chief promoter Martin Nielsen in Live Nation. MORE ALTERNATIVES: Martin Nielsen in Live Nation sees Lillestrøm as a good supplement. Photo: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / Erlend Dalhaug Daae He says that there are very few places where you can have big concerts in Norway. With Lillestrøm, you will have more options. – With this opportunity, I hope that together with Bjerkebanen and Voldsløkka, we can be more on the supply side towards the biggest artists. Neither Taylor Swift nor Coldplay have Norway on their tour plans for this year. Bruce Springsteen performs in Bergen. Crushing plant at Grorud Oslo municipality, for its part, has investigated the possibility of using the decommissioned crushing plant Huken at Grorud. According to the report, Huken is challenging to say the least. The biggest problem is getting people home within a reasonable time. At Lillestrøm, the logistics are in place both in relation to the audience, artists, rigging and the concert technical aspects. – In theory, we can have a concert tomorrow, says Gunn Helen Hagen. – But such concerts have long planning horizons. We have worked well with the industry and received good input from the major promoters and concert organizers. We are ready when they are ready, she says. Would you go to a stadium concert in Lillestrøm? Yes, I’m looking forward to this No, it must be possible to find a place in Oslo Stadium concerts are just tiring anyway Show result Good public transport coverage The plans have the support of Lillestrøm municipality. – This will be very, very good. It will create activity and buzz about the city and municipality, says mayor Kjartan Berland (H). Mayor of Lillestrøm, Kjartan Berland (H). Photo: Olav Juven / news – There are large areas here and easy to get to the area. It is close to Lillestrøm station, the country’s third largest public transport hub, he says. Today, the municipality and NOVA Spektrum sign an agreement to develop Lillestrøm as a concert city. – This is a declaration of intent from us to support local businesses. It is also in line with Lillestrøm municipality’s cultural strategy, says Berland. Skedsmohallen Lillestrøm as a concert city is nothing new either. In the 80s, an impressive number of world stars visited Skedsmohallen near Åråsen. Kiss, Metallica, Def Leppard and Frank Zappa are just some of those who performed in Lillestrøm. SKEDSMOHALLEN: The British heavy rock group Def Leppard with frontman Joe Elliot performed in Skedsmohallen in 1988. Photo: Eystein Hanssen / NTB
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Launches Lillestrøm as a large concert arena – Stor-Oslo
