Watch professional ice hockey in Oslo at the recently opened 5,300-capacity Nye Jordal Amfi, home of Vålerenga Hockey. Here’s what you need to know about visiting.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve taken in two ice hockey games at the Jordal Amfi arena in Oslo. Having been to the old, run-down Jordal Amfi, I was keen to finally check out its replacement.
The old hockey stadium was more than showing its age. Built as part of the 1952 Oslo Winter Olympics, the arena was built into a hillside giving it a highly asymmetrical shape.
In its latter years, the venue held around 4,500 people and its steep sides were often criticised by visiting fans. There was plenty of politics about the construction of a new arena, but work on the NOK 400 million facility finally got underway in 2017.
The arena opened in 2020, sadly without fans due to the restrictions in place at the time. Now, Oslo has one of the most modern arenas for ice hockey in Norway.
Watch a video tour
For the recent Vålerenga v Storhamar game, I took a video of my visit to the arena and match day experience. Then, read on for the details. Enjoy!
If you’re in Oslo and interested in ice hockey, here’s what you need to know about watching the sport at the biggest arena in Oslo.
Vålerenga Hockey
Nye Jordal Amfi is the home ice of Vålerenga Hockey, one of the best-known hockey teams in Norway. With 26 championship titles, the club is Norway’s most successful although is without a title since 2009.
Since 2014, the TV series Iskrigerne (The Ice Warriors) has documented the ups and downs of the club and its players.
One of the games I went to was one of the biggest in Norwegian hockey. Vålerenga and Storhamar are two of the biggest clubs and enjoy a traditional rivalry that always adds a little spice to the matches.
Introducing Nye Jordal Amfi
The 5,300-capacity arena is a very comfortable place to watch ice hockey. Built in the same place as the old stadium, it’s the centrepiece of the Jordal sports park that sits between the neighbourhoods of Kampen and Vålerenga.
The arena bears some resemblance to the former arena's lop-sided shape with more seats at one end than the other, but the difference is not as severe. For games with low crowds expected, the lower tier is open and the upper tier usually remains closed.
The more boisterous home support tends to gather near the goal at the “short end” of the arena. For all Vålerenga games, there is one section reserved for singing supporters that wish to stand.
Away fans are welcome and not segregated, although they are encouraged to buy tickets in a specified section. Usually, this is at the opposite end of the arena.
For the Storhamar game, the relatively large number of visiting fans were given a large section of the upper tier behind one of the goals.
For the Lillehammer game, there were far fewer visiting fans. In this case, they were located in the lower tier behind the same goal.
Where should you sit? That's up to you! While there were 4,800 people in attendance for the Storhamar game, there were around half that for the Lillehammer game. For the latter, I moved around the arena several times during the game because of the available space.
Before the game
Buying tickets is straightforward and can be done online via the Vålerenga Hockey website. You do need to select a specific seat, and the price varies from NOK 180-270 depending on seat location. VIP seating is also available.
Before the game Vålerenga fans gather at Vålerenga Vertshus, a short walk away from the area.
The arena opens about one hour before the game. There's not a great deal to do before the game, unless you're keen to buy some merchandise or fill up on coffee or soda. Most fans arrive with about 15-20 minutes to go.
That being said, it's worth having a wander around the concourse. You can walk all the way around the arena once inside. Make sure to check out the murals!
Parking is at a premium so the vast majority of people use public transport to arrive at the arena. It's a few minutes walk from Ensjø station on the Oslo T-Bane and bus routes 20, 37, 60, 100 and 110.
During the match
If you've never been to an ice hockey game before, here's a quick summary. There are three periods of 20 minutes, with two breaks of 18 minutes.
However, as the clock is stopped for incidents during the game, the exact amount of time it takes can vary. Typically, a game lasts around two hours, unless there is overtime.
The score and time are always displayed on the big screen that hangs above the rink. You can also see the number of shots taken by each team along with any time-related suspensions.
It's a relatively family-friendly atmosphere and there were large numbers of young children and teenagers in attendance for both games.
During the two breaks, most people go into the concourse to stretch their legs and to warm up a little.
There are several kiosks around the concourse selling pølser, pizza, popcorn, chocolate, coffee and soda. As with football in Norway, there are no alcohol sales inside the arena.
Important! If you've never been to an ice hockey game before, the one thing that may surprise you is the temperature. It's cold inside an ice hockey arena! Wear a jacket, no matter the weather outside. A scarf and a beanie hat are a good idea too.
After the game
As soon as the game ends, the players line up for the best player awards, one from each team.
Getting out of the arena is quick and easy as several exit doors are opened up. The T-Bane and bus may be a little busier than usual right after the match, but otherwise it's super easy to get away from the arena.
Have you been to Oslo's Jordal Amfi? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Nice arena, a big improvement over the old one!