Oslo Pride parade fills city streets

Oslo’s Pride parade will march through the city centre on Saturday, turning streets into a celebration of colour, music, and solidarity, Dagbladet reports.

The parade begins at 12:00 from Grønland and Helga Helgesens plass, winding through the city via Jernbanetorget, Stortorvet, and Stortinget before ending at City Hall and Pride Park on Kontraskjæret. The event is expected to last three to four hours.

Thousands of participants and spectators are anticipated, according to Anders Aas, operations manager at Oslo Police District.

Public transport will face significant disruptions between 10:00 and 18:00. All tram lines and bus routes 30, 31, 34, 37, 54, 60, 70, 74, and 81 will reroute. The metro will operate normally and is recommended as the best travel option, per Avisa Oslo.

Drivers should also expect detours, with E18 in central Oslo closed in both directions between Haakon VIIs gate and Dronning Mauds gate. Traffic is advised to use Ring 1 or Ring 2 instead.

For those overwhelmed by the crowds, Mental Helse Ungdom has opened Pauserommet, a quiet space at Oslo S in the Flytoget departure hall, from 10:00 to 16:00. The service is open to all, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals who may need support.

“Pride is perhaps the biggest reason we’re here today,” said Lars-Erik Edvardsen, project manager at Mental Helse Ungdom. “This is a group that knows what it’s like to experience exclusion and bullying, and they may struggle for various reasons. We want to be there for them.”