Oslo residents demand action as annual graduation parties disrupt neighbourhoods

Residents in Oslo’s Gaustad district say they have been forced to endure years of sleep deprivation and disruption as graduating high school students—known as russ—turn their streets into nightly party zones, Dagbladet reports.

Stine Foss Sagen, 34, a nurse who lives in the Sogn Terrasse housing cooperative, told the newspaper that for the past six to seven years, her street has been overrun by party buses filled with celebrating students, often from 11:30 PM until 5–6 AM. While she understands the tradition of russ—a month-long celebration marking the end of secondary school—she argues the city has failed to provide suitable locations for the festivities.

“It wouldn’t be a problem if they stayed for half an hour and left,” Foss Sagen said. “The issue is when they park here all night, blasting music so loud that even police struggle to hear me on the phone.” In 2024, she counted 25 buses lined up outside her home in a single night. Police have intervened, she added, but the students simply return once officers leave.

Urination, littering, and noise complaints

Beyond the noise, Foss Sagen described the aftermath of the parties as “a pigsty”, with discarded bottles, trash, and students urinating in bushes and on property. She also expressed concern for neighbours at a nearby reception centre for Ukrainian refugees, located across the street. “We don’t know what they’ve experienced in their home country. Then they come here and have to deal with this,” she said.

The disruption stems in part from Oslo’s environmental agency, Bymiljøetaten, which annually bans buses and campers from popular outdoor parking areas—including the Sognsvann recreation site—between May 4 and June 19. This year, for the first time, the restriction extends past final exams, directly overlapping with russ season. Foss Sagen called on the city to designate alternative gathering spots, such as the disused military camp at Skar in Maridalen, where students could celebrate without disturbing residential areas.

City acknowledges recurring complaints

In response to Dagbladet’s inquiries, Bymiljøetaten confirmed that outdoor parking lots have long been used as russ meeting points, leading to repeated noise complaints from locals. The agency did not announce immediate changes to the policy.

Foss Sagen, who celebrated russ herself years ago, stressed she does not oppose the tradition—only its impact on her neighbourhood. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They should enjoy it. But they need a proper place to do it,” she said.