Oslo bar faces fine for defying noise order during Norway-England match

A popular Oslo bar risks a fine of up to 100,000 Norwegian kroner after defying a municipal noise order during Norway’s Women’s World Cup quarter-final against England, Dagbladet reports.

The city’s health authority had ordered Folk i Storgata to turn off outdoor speakers by 23:00 to avoid disturbing nearby residents. But as Norway’s dramatic match played out late Saturday, the bar kept the sound on past the deadline and well after the final whistle.

Saul Njie, the bar’s managing director, told Dagbladet minutes after the match that he did not regret the decision, despite the potential financial penalty.

“Was it worth it? Yes, with an exclamation mark!” he said. “If we hadn’t shown the World Cup here, we would have gone bankrupt. It’s expensive to show, but it’s more expensive to have no income.”

Njie acknowledged that a 100,000-krone fine would be significant but insisted the bar accepts the consequences. “We follow the law, and we understand how it is,” he said.

He described the evening as more than just a football match, citing the citywide atmosphere. “I can’t turn off the sound,” he added.

Dagbladet was unable to obtain comment from Oslo’s health authority on Sunday.