Christmas in Oslo with children
Next tree lighting
29 November 2026
The first Sunday of Advent, at Universitetsplassen. The date is calculated rather than typed in, so it will still be right next year.
The tree lighting at Universitetsplassen
This is the city's oldest Christmas tradition, and one of the few things in December that is free, short and outdoors — which makes it well suited to children. There is brass music from the Salvation Army, a children's choir, walking around the tree and a reading of the Christmas gospel.
The tree has stood there since 1919. The idea came from Othilie Tonning, a social officer in the Salvation Army, and it was Norway's first outdoor Christmas tree — the rest of the country followed. The point was that those who could not afford a tree of their own should still get to see one. The lighting still marks the start of the Salvation Army's Christmas collection.
What works with small children
December in Oslo is dark from three o'clock, and that is really an advantage: the lights are the whole point, and they work best in the dark. But it also means that an event at six is right in the hardest hour of the day for a two-year-old. Put the Christmas outing in the morning if you can, and save the evening events until they are old enough to queue.
Expect getting dressed to take time. A tree lighting is twenty minutes of singing and several hours of getting there and home again in winter clothes. It is worth it, but it helps to know what you are in for.
The Christmas markets
The city has several Christmas markets through December, and they vary from year to year in both number and location. They are nicest early in the day and early in the season — the closer to Christmas Eve, the denser the crowds, and a Christmas market at peak time is no place for a pram.
We deliberately do not list individual events here: markets and shows are only announced in October and November, and a list written in advance goes stale. Our events calendar, on the other hand, is harvested every day and shows what is actually on:
Events in Oslo →Ice rinks in Oslo →Indoors when the weather turns →
The history of the Christmas tree was checked on 12 August 2026. The lighting date is calculated from the first Sunday of Advent; check the organiser's own pages for the time of day.