Ullevål Stadion (Oslo)

Ullevål Stadion is the national football stadium of Norway, opened in 1926 in the Sognsveien district of the capital of Oslo. It staged the Norwegian Cup final on several occasions before becoming the permanent venue from 1946.

FK Lyn, along with other local sides, made it their home when it opened, having made a deal with the tram operator Akersbanerne to purchase land they had acquired as part of the construction of the Sognsvann Line.

The stadium was initially built with a running track, with the Aker Municipality selling their shares in the stadium company to the Norwegian Football Federation. In 1935, a crowd of 35,495 attended to watch Norway play Sweden.

In 1960, the NFF bought more shares from Lyn, before in 1967, the Japp Stand was constructed and the NFF opened offices there, followed by the completion of the single-tier West Stand in 1985. The two-tier North and East Stands in 1990 and the South Stand in 1998 were then added, with the all-seated capacity totalling 27,182.

Lyn were in financial difficulties in 1993, selling their remaining shares to the NFF, before the club set up a limited company to look after their football affairs, which intended to buy their shares back at Ullevål. The courts ruled in favour that they should be able to, following a dispute.

However, it transpired that when Lyn did, they didn’t have the finances in place to do so. In later years, the shares would exchange hands before the NFF took them back in March 2007. When the stadium was being reconstructed, Lyn and the national team played their matches at Bislett Stadion.

Vålerenga considered hiring Ullevål as their home in 1999, as well as Skeid, another Oslo club. Vålerenga eventually became tenants in 2000, while land was sold commercially around the stadium, as well as space in the West Stand.

Lyn departed at the end of the 2009 season to head to Bislett, with their final match at Ullevål attracting just 2,092 fans. They would go bankrupt and start again, working their way through the divisions. Vålerenga built a new stadium in the east of the city, their traditional heartland, which opened during the 2017 season.

Among its major matches, Ullevaal hosted the finals of the UEFA Women's Euro in 1987 and 1997. It will also host the UEFA Women's Champions League final in 2026. Plus, of course, Norway’s famous 2-0 win against England in their World Cup qualifier in 1993.

Ullevål hosted the Vålerenga v Lyn men's second-tier derby in 2024 in front of 25,103 spectators.

My visit

Tuesday 29th May 2018

An excellent long weekend visit to Norway, catching up with family in Halden, followed by Sarpsborg 08 v Stabæk, and then spending the night at an apartment in Parkveien in the capital. I was determined to discover the capital on another very nice day.

After a stroll to nearby Bislett Stadion, I took a tram and train to Ullevål Stadion station. I wandered around the perimeter without being able to find an open gate, which sometimes appears, even in the biggest stadiums. I didn’t do too badly, certainly as close as possible without being inside.

I took the best photos possible, catching glances of the national side training on the pitch before their friendly away to Iceland a couple of days later, before taking a train back towards the city, stopping at Frogner Stadion on the way.