The case in summary Fotbalfesten AS loses the right to use Kontraskjæret for football events. The city council in Oslo has decided that pride park will take over the area from 2025 to 2030. Fotbalfesten AS is now looking for a new place for its events, but the process is challenging. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We are going up against over 300,000 people during this championship. That’s what Geir Oterhals says about what he refers to as “Norway’s biggest event”. Oterhals is the general manager of Fotbalfesten AS. Since 2006, they have shown football championships on the big screen at Kontraskjæret. But after this year, it’s over. The city council in Oslo decided last year that they will not enter into a new agreement with Fotbalfesten AS to use Kontraskjæret. From 2025 to 2030, it is rather the pride park that will take over the area. The background is a cross-party desire to ensure Oslo pride’s predictable use of public urban space. Gave the place a new lease of life – It’s clear that I think it’s a boring situation that we’re being pushed out, says Geir Oterhals in Fotbalfesten AS to news. PROUD: General manager of Fotbalfesten AS, Geir Oterhals, believes they have contributed to more people using the park at Kontraskjæret all year round. Photo: Geir Oterhals / Privat He believes that their football events have changed the area, and made Kontraskjæret an attractive gathering place: – It has gone from being a park that nobody cared about, and that was used by the disadvantaged, to becoming a popular park. With us, the place got a new life. Rolf Petter Olaisen / news – It’s nice that pride gets a permanent place. Although I like Kontraskjæret a lot, there are many places where we can watch football, says Anja P. Holden. My friend Emma-Sofie Berg agrees. – Totally agree. We’ll probably find another place to watch football. Rolf Petter Olaisen / news – We should not change history. The contrast is for football, so pride can come later when there is no football here, says Denis Turkovic. – Pride is a nice thing to celebrate, but I grew up with football being broadcast here on Kontraskjæret. So I think we should continue with that, says Fredrik Berget. Rolf Petter Olaisen / news – I think football suits Kontraskjæret very well, so I wish we could continue with it. Besides, pride fits so well in Sofienbergparken, it was really good there when I was there last, says Lena Evensen. Alexander Dvergsnes also thinks so. – Sofienbergparken is in the middle of the city and close to people, so I think pride should be there. And that football can continue to be here. Now they have to look for a new place. – Our goal is to find a location that allows us to create an event that is as good or better, says Oterhals. But that is easier said than done. ATMOSPHERE: Kontraskær is known for showing the big championships on the big screen. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB – Not easy – I think we have had 30 locations up, says Oterhals. But many have been quickly ruled out. – Some because of our needs, others because there are many things that we have to take into account. This is confirmed by city council secretary for the culture and business council, Kjersti Aastad (H): – It is not easy, and we are still working to find another place, she says to news. DIALOG: City council secretary Kjersti Aastad (H) says the municipality is working with the Football Festival to find them a new place. Photo: Hans Kristian Thorbjørnsen – The football party has a long list of criteria for what they think is relevant for them to be able to organize a good football party. Aastad mentions Rådhusplassen as one of the places the organizers have shown interest in. What they land on depends on “what you manage to agree on”, she says. Have you seen football at Kontraskjæret? Yes! No I have not. No, but I would like to. No, I don’t care about football. Show result – Fantastic for pride Pride park will take over Kontraskjæret in June for the next five years. This is what Dan Bjørke, the leader of Oslo pride, is happy about: – I think we all remember how successful it was to have Oslo pride at Kontraskjæret in 2023, and we want to repeat that in the future. CELEBRATE: Oslo pride leader Dan Bjørke during this year’s parade. Photo: Helge Tvedten / news A five-year contract is something he says is important for developing the festival. Although he is looking forward to returning to the city centre, the festival director is also very pleased with this year’s pride park in Sofienbergparken on Grünerløkka. – Sofienbergparken was absolutely fantastic. I think all our guests really appreciated being there. Several of this year’s festival participants agree: Hallgeir Braastad / news Emilia Storås Lied likes that there are trees that provide shade in this year’s pride celebration in Sofienbergparken. – I prefer this over Kontraskjæret. I think it’s a very nice place to have pride. Hallgeir Braastad / news Crizelle Arias and Gael Delpage also prefer Sofienbergparken. – We are in the middle of queer Grünerløkka. I want it to stay here, says Gael. Hallgeir Braastad / news – It is the people who play a role, not the location, says Martin Målø. – Demanding Although both Oslo pride and festival participants have been satisfied that this year’s celebration was added to Grünerløkka, there are some things that are challenging: – We understand that it is demanding for some of the neighbors that there are two large events one after the other in a district park in the middle of Oslo, says Bjørke. CROWDED: It was sunny during this year’s pride park in Sofienbergparken. Photo: Frederik Ringnes / NTB He refers to the music festival Piknik i parken, which was also held in Sofienbergparken in June. – So we are looking forward to coming back to Kontraskjæret again. We can also stay open one hour longer there, which I think our guests appreciate. Published 06.07.2024, at 14.49 Updated 06.07.2024, at 15.36
ttn-69
Pride park replaces the Football Party at Kontraskjæret – Greater Oslo
