Revamped Unity Arena Norway Ready For 2025 Event Season

Billie Eilish brought her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour to Unity Arena in Oslo, Norway, April 26. The show sold-out all available 25,000 tickets, and attracted fans across Norway (93%), and beyond (7%).

This represents a significant milestone for the country’s largest concert venue, which implemented various improvements throughout 2024, including acoustic enhancements developed by Vanguardia.

Jim Griffiths, director of Vanguardia, explained, “extensive 3D acoustic testing has been completed, along with a detailed modeling of the venue. This provides a concrete overview of sound quality improvements during concerts in all stage configurations. In addition, a detailed sound guide will be available to assist the production’s sound configuration, so that the soundscape is as optimal as possible.”

Newly introduced flexible configuration options allow for shows ranging from 5,000 to 25,000 attendees, making the venue suitable for a broader range of performances.

According to the building’s operators, three new configurations – “Box” (5,000-10,000), “Bowl” (10,000-16,000), and “Arena” (16,000-25,000) – have already resulted in numerous bookings for 2025 and 2026.

Billie Eilish was one of several sold-out shows Unity Arena has hosted this spring. Sabrina Carpenter and Norwegian artist Broiler sold out the arena in March. The upcoming Pitbull concert in June sold out in just 10 minutes, according to a press release from Unity Arena.

“Hosting Billie Eilish represents exactly what Unity Arena stands for,” commented the venue’s CEO Kjetil Bell Tveit, “This weekend’s concert showcases our commitment to bringing the world’s top artists to Norway.”

A recent box office report submitted to Pollstar from Unity Arena is the May 28, 2024 concert by Olivia Rodrigo, which sold out all available 23,565 tickets at a 2,318,561 gross.

Major changes have been made throughout 2024 to improve the guest experience at Unity Arena, including greater capacity in the bars and kiosks, as well as a new and broader food offering. The Premium offering has been expanded.

Unity Arena aims to become a leading venue in Europe, built optimally for music and sporting events, like the Handball World Championship it hosted this year.

“We’re not just building an arena, but creating a complete entertainment district that will set a new standard for the region,” commented Fredrik Steinum, chairman of Unity Arena.

“With the measures taken in the arena, we look forward to an exciting time with many and varied concerts at Unity Arena. We are confident that the measures that have been taken with the scaling, sound and catering will make the arena perfect for smaller concerts as well,” commented Martin Nielsen, head promoter at at Live Nation Norway.

“The bookings we’re securing, like Billie Eilish, demonstrate our continued commitment to bringing the world’s top artists to Oslo,” added Bell Tveit.

Unity Arena has also implemented numerous sustainability initiatives as part of its renewed strategy, including reusable cups, electrification of the venue’s vehicle fleet, special eco-friendly wristbands instead of traditional plastic ones, a dedicated vegan food truck during concerts, and an on-site second-hand shop.

Beyond environmental sustainability, the arena also focuses on social sustainability through partnerships with local foundations and organizations working on youth mental health.

“Sustainability isn’t just about the environment—it’s about people too,” explained Kjetil Bell Tveit, “Our partnerships with mental health organizations allow us to use the arena to create meaningful experiences for groups who might otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in live events.”

Unity Arena also has a strategic partnership with Oak View Group (OVG, Pollstar parent company) in place.

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