Join the celebration!

King Harald’s 80th birthday was in February, and Queen Sonja’s is in July. A large celebration for both of them will be held in between their birthdays: on Tuesday 9 May and Wednesday 10 May 2017. Some 30 to 40 guests are expected from the other European Royal Houses, in addition to the presidents of Iceland and Finland and their spouses.

Welcome to the Palace Square

The celebration will begin on the Palace Square at 5:30 pm on 9 May. There will be a drill demonstration by His Majesty The King’s Guard, and singing and music by the choral group Soul Children.  

What will be served? “Crown” ice-cream drumsticks, of course, as long as they last!

The King’s Guard’s music and drill platoon gives a demonstration, and leads the birthday song together with Soul Children. Photo: Espen Bratlie / Samfoto

Sing the birthday song for the King and Queen

At 6:30 pm the King and Queen will walk out on the Palace Balcony along with many of their royal guests. We invite everyone to come to the Palace Square to help to sing the birthday song to Their Majesties.

Create a festive atmosphere on 10 May

The celebration will continue in Oslo city centre on 10 May as well, when the Government hosts a gala banquet at the Oslo Opera House for the King and Queen and 300 guests. As part of the festivities, the Royal Family with their guests will travel in a motorcade from the Royal Palace, down the entire length of Karl Johans gate to Oslo Central Railway Station square and over to the Oslo Opera House. 

His Majesty The King’s Guard will head the procession. They will march from the Royal Palace to the Oslo Opera House at 6:15 pm. At 6:30 pm the royal guests from Norway and abroad will drive behind them.

The Government will host a gala banquet at the Oslo Opera House in honour of the King and Queen. There is space for 1 000 spectators on the roof for those who wish to view the arrival of the guests. (Photo: Liv Osmundsen / The Royal Court)

There will be singing and music along the route. A youth choir will sing at University Square, the Høybråten school band will play at the intersection of Kirkegata and Karl Johans gate, and the Ullevål school marching band will play at the railway station square.

Karl Johans gate will be closed to traffic from 5:00 pm–7:00 pm. This is important to keep in mind if you are planning to be in the area during this time.

Roof of the Oslo Opera House

The royal guests will arrive at the Oslo Opera House beginning at 6:40 pm, and the King and Queen will arrive last, at 7:00 pm. They will be welcomed by the host for the evening, Prime Minister Erna Solberg. There will be dancing and music outside the opera house. One thousand spectators will be allowed onto the roof of the opera house beginning at 4:00 pm. Participants must be in place by 5:30 pm, and everyone must go through a security check. Details are available on the Facebook event published by the Office of the Prime Minister (see list of links).

Later in the evening, following the gala banquet, there will be a fireworks display outside the opera house at 10:30 pm.

Honnørbrygga dock

It will also be possible to see the King and Queen and their royal guests earlier in the day on their way to the Norwegian Royal Yacht Norge. They will depart from Honnørbrygga dock at the City Hall pier on 10 May at 11:00 am. 

The Norwegian Royal Yacht Norge takes guests on a short cruise of the skerries outside of Oslo. Photo: Ivar Ekseth / NTB Scanpix

The Danish Royal Yacht KS Dannebrog will serve as home base for the Danish Royal Family during the celebration, and will be docked at the pier beneath Akershus Fortress. It is rare to see the two yachts together in this way.

Follow the events on TV

The festivities at the Palace Square and celebrations at Honnørbrygga dock, along Karl Johans gate or on the roof of the Oslo Opera House will all be broadcast on TV so everyone who cannot attend can still follow along. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) will follow the event live on both days beginning at 5:20 pm.

There will be full coverage of the entertainment at the Palace Square and the arrival of the guests at the gala banquet. Inside the Royal Palace we will get a chance to see the King and Queen welcoming the guests, the procession into the gala banquet, and the speeches at the dining table in the Banqueting Hall.

NRK will also cover the guests’ arrival at the Oslo Opera House the following day and will broadcast highlights from the gala banquet hosted by the Government.