Key facts
Club: none | Opening: 1926 | Capacity: 27,200 seats
History and description
Ullevaal Stadion is Norway’s national stadium and as such home of the Norwegian national team and the venue of the Norwegian Cup final. No club currently plays at Ullevaal though it has been the home of Vålerenga and Lyn in the past.
The initiative for the construction of Ullevaal Stadion came from local club FK Lyn. In 1925 a limited company was established in which Lyn, the local municipality, and a few other local clubs participated, and which was to finance the new stadium.
Ullevaal Stadion officially opened on 26 September 1926 with a match between Lyn and Swedish side Örgryte (5-1). The stadium was at that time bowl-shaped, had a running track, and could hold about 35,000 people.
It recorded its highest attendance in 1935 when 35,495 people attended a friendly international between Norway and Sweden.
In 1945 the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) took over the shares of the local municipality and started staging cup finals at the venue. In 1960 the NFF became majority shareholder and started planning to turn Ullevaal into a national stadium.
A new South Stand was built in 1967, and soon after the NFF moved its offices to the stadium. Further developments were however not made until the 1980s.
In the mid 1980s, plans were presented for the almost complete rebuilding of the stadium. A new West Stand opened in 1985, and four years later the North and East Stand got demolished and replaced with new two-tier stands. At the same time the running track was removed, making Ullevaal a proper football stadium.
The redevelopment was completed in 1998 with the construction of a new South Stand.
At that time Ullevaal Stadion was the sole home of FK Lyn, but in 2000 Vålerenga moved in as their Bislett Stadion could not meet the league standards.
Over the years, the two shareholders Lyn and the NFF were regularly involved in conflicts over the stadium. In the early 2000s, Lyn were gradually forced to sell part of their shareholding to the NFF to pay off their heavy debts, and in 2007, the NFF obtained full ownership.
Soon after, in 2009, Lyn decided to move out of Ullevaal and into the renovated Bislett Stadion to reduce their rental expenses. Valerenga moved out in 2017 to the newly built Intility Arena.
How to get to Ullevaal Stadion
Ullevaal Stadion is located in the north of Oslo, about 4 kilometres from its city centre and a little more from its central rail station.
Ullevaal lies right next to Oslo’s ring road (Ring 3). The appropriate exit is signposted from the Ring 3.
If using public transport, the stadium can be easily reached by metro (T-Bane). Line 3, 4, and 5 can all be taken from Oslo’s city centre or central station. Take line 3 in the direction of Sognsvann, or line 4 or 5 in the direction of Ringen. Get off at stop Ullevaal Stadion. The journey takes 10 minutes.
Address: Sognsveien 75 A, 0855 Oslo
Ullevaal stadium tours
Ullevaal Stadion houses the Norwegian football museum. The museum is opened Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm and on Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The football museum also offers guided stadium tours that run every 45 minutes. Entrance costs NOK 90.00, but is free with an Oslo pass.
For more information call +47 23 00 83 07 or email post@fotballmuseet.no.
Useful Internet links
Ullevaal-stadion.no – Official website of Ullevaal Stadion.
Visitoslo.com – Oslo tourist information.
Tbane.no – Maps, timetables, and journey planner of the Oslo T-Bane.
Photo credits: Kjetil Ree