Celebrating the 17th of May in Bergen
Get ready, Norway’s constitution day the 17th of May is a big deal in the whole of the country. But in Bergen, we take the celebrations to the next level. Here are 17 things you need to know about the 17th of May in Bergen.
Why does Norway celebrate the 17th of May?
- 17th of May is the Norwegian Constitution Day and is an official public holiday.
- The Constitution was signed at Eidsvoll on 17 May 1814, and declared independence from Denmark.
- A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day is its very non-military nature.
- All over Norway, children's parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration.
1. Where to watch the 17th of May parade in Bergen
There are two parades in Bergen, the Main Procession (hovedprosesjon) and the Flag Parade (Flaggtorget). Don’t get your parades and processions in a twist, although the Norwegian word for parade is “tog”, in Bergen we call it a procession.
The two processions start in different places in the city. The Main Procession starts at Koengen at 10:30am, whilst the Flag Parade starts at Festplassen at 10:40am.
Wherever you decide to watch the parades, we recommend that you arrive early if you want a ringside view by the road.
2. How to greet people
“Gratulerer med dagen” (translated to “happy birthday” – because this is Norway's birthday after all!) is the standard greeting on the 17th of May. Whether you’re at a party, watching the processions or hiking in the mountains, everyone greets each other with “Gratulerer med dagen”.
3. National anthem and the Bergenese anthem
The National anthem “Ja vi elsker” is obviously played throughout the day all over Norway on the 17th of May. In Bergen, you will also hear “Nystemten”, Bergen’s city anthem.
Don’t be surprised if you find your Bergenese friends getting more teary eyed and patriotic for “Nystemten” than they do for the national anthem. Be sure to stand for both songs and definitely place your right hand on your heart for “Nystemten”.
4. The 17th of May Committee
The 17th of May committee is responsible for the official programme of the day. They’re the people you’ll see leading the Main Procession with top hats and long ribbons.
5. Why is there a Viking ship at Festplassen?
Festplassen (direct translation “the Party Place”) is the open area in front of Lille Lundegårdsvatnet. On the 17th of May you’ll find a stage shaped as a Viking ship at Festplassen, with speeches and live music throughout the day. There will also be an air show with parachutes, rowing competitions on the lake, and climbing competitions.
6. Russ – high school seniors
Dressed in bright red or bright blue boiler suits or overalls, running and sometimes literally crawling around the city, are the “Russ”. There’s no direct English translation for “Russ”, and that’s probably because this quirky tradition only is found in Norway.
“Russ” are high school seniors, who party for approximately two weeks straight before (yes before!), finishing their final exams.
With the boiler suit, goes a hat with a long tassel. Part of the tradition is to get as many “russeknuter”, knots on your hat tassel, as possible. Knots are attained by completing tasks and dares, such as voluntary work, silly dares, sex challenges and drinking games.
Another aspect of the Russ tradition are “russebuss”. These are busses which have been refurbished outside and inside to be a party place on wheels. Planning and saving money for the buses usually starts the first year of high school, as the buses usually cost millions of NOK.
The 17th of May marks the end of the party period for the Russ. In Bergen the Russ walk in the Flag parade, so look out for them.
7. Home football game on the 16th of May
Although not strictly part of the 17th of May programme in Bergen, this list would be amiss if we didn’t mention the football match played by SK Brann on the 16th of May.
This match is always played on the home ground. This is the most popular match of the year, and the match is always sold out.
On the 17th of May the SK Brann team walks in the parade. As you can imagine, this is more fun for them after a victory rather than after a draw or loss.
8. What to wear on 17th of May
On the 17th of May everybody dresses in their very best clothes (except for the “Russ”). You will see a lot of people wearing a national costume (bunad) from the region their family comes from, and those not wearing a national costume will typically be in formal attire.
As a student in the city or a tourist visisting for the day, it's wise to follow the dress code, as locals might send rather disapproving looks your way if you wear jeans. So use the day as an excuse to get dressed up, (after all there aren’t that many in Norway) – think suits, button up shirts and summer dresses!
Guide to Bergen
Bergen has a lot to offer. Find out everything you need to know about Norways best Student City.
9. Buekorps
You know those little drummer boys you’ve heard whilst you’ve been trying to study? They are the Buekorps, you can read more about them here.
The 17th of May is the main event of their calendar, and what they have been practising for all year.
10. Fireworks and beacons
The end of the festivities, are marked with fire beacons on the mountain tops which are lit at 23:00, and a firework display from Festplassen at 23:15.
11. What to eat on the 17th of May?
Ice-cream, ice-cream, ice-cream! That’s the answer you’ll get if you ask a child what to eat on the 17th of May.
For many adults, it’s one long buffet with mealtimes rolling into each other. If you are invited to a 17th of May champagne breakfast or lunch, expect to find lots of different cold cuts, cured meats, smoked salmon, sour cream porridge (rømmegrøt) salads and cakes.
Supermarkets and the Wine Monopoly, (Vinmonpolet) are closed on the 17th of May, so make sure to buy what you need in advance.
12. Eating out on the 17th of May
If you venture into the city and plan to eat out on the 17th of May, you will find that some restaurants are closed.
Most of the restaurants and bars which are open will generally have a special 17th of May menu with prices which are slightly higher than their usual prices, or a minimum cover charge for the reservation.
The most popular restaurants and bars are booked up far in advance, so book early.
Food trucks have started to pop up around the city on the 17th of May, so you will be able to find food to eat even if you are unable to find a table.
13. Shout out to Bergen Municipality!
In Bergen we’re lucky to have been topographically blessed with fjords, mountains, and a temporal climate.
The city naturally explodes with lush greens in May, just in time for Constitution Day. But the vibrance of the city with the all the flowers, is thanks to the hard work of the Parks and Roads Operations Department at Bergen Municipality.
They start planning for May in the autumn, and plant 17 000 spring flowers and 30 000 flower bulbs that bloom in May. They’re also responsible for mowing, weeding, watering, and making sure that everything shines. So here’s a shout out for all their hard work!
On the 17th of May many of the festivities will take place at Festplassen.
Today’s weather forecast for Bergen
14. The 17th of May weather forecast
At Christmas almost everyone hopes for snow, whilst on the 17th of May almost everyone hopes for plenty of sunshine.
In the weeks leading up to the 17th of May, there is a lot of discussion between friends and colleagues about what the weather will be like on the day.
15. Getting into Bergen city centre
If you intend to travel in (or out) of Bergen on the 17th of May, make sure to plan on extra time for your journey.
In addition to Sunday routes, a lot of the roads in city are completely blocked off for all public transport traffic between 07:00–15:00, and for normal traffic between 07:00–24:00.
That means that buses and the tram will stop at different places than they usually do.
16. Getting away from it all
Experiencing at least one 17th of May in Bergen should be on your bucket list. But if you’re not one for crowds, don’t do formal attire, or can’t stand noise, we get that too.
You’ll find a lot of people hiking on the day, with Vidden being a popular route as it gets you out of the city for quite a few hours. Whilst formal attire is obviously not a requirement for hiking, we do suggest carrying a Norwegian flag or pinning a 17th of May ribbon to your clothes!
17. The 17th of May program in 2025
Full program can be found here (only in Norwegian)
| 07:00 | Cannon salute at Skansen |
| 07:00 | Morning procession from Dreggen. Sandvikens Ungdomskorps and Lungegaardens Musikkorps play. |
| 07:25 | Wreath laying at Christie statue at Musèplass. Speech by the leader of the Student Society in Bergen. Lungegaardens Musikkorps plays |
| 07:40 | The morning procession ends at Festplassen. Speeches by senior high school president and the leader of the student association at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Sandvikens Ungdomskorps plays. |
| 09:00 | Festive Service in Bergen Cathedral Bishop Ragnhild Jepsen |
| 09:00 | The fun fair opens on Festningskaien |
| 10:30 | Boat parade starts |
| 10:30 | Cannon salute from Skansen, the main procession starts from Koengen |
| 10:40 | The Flag procession departs from Festplassen |
| 12:00 | Cannon salute at Bergenhus Fortress |
| 12:45 | The main procession ends with speeches at Festplassen |
| 13:00 | Bell concert in the Johanneskirken |
| 13:30 | Climbing poles open at Festplassen |
| 13:30/13:45 | Parachute jump at Lille Lungegårsvann (weather permitting) |
| 13:00-17:00 | Several concerts with choirs and brass bands in various locations in the city centre |
| 17:00 | Concert at Music pavillion by Manger Musikklag |
| 19:30 | Folk musicians and dancers perform at Torgallmenningen |
| 20:00-22:20 | Concerts at Festplassen/The viking ship |
| 21:00 | DJ Etim at Viking Ship |
| 22:20 | Torchlight procession from Bergenhus to Festplassen |
| 23:00 | Lighting of the beacons, on the city mountains |
| 23:15 | 17th May fireworks at Festplassen |
17th of May celebration at Fløyen.
We hope you have a wonderful 17th of May in Bergen! Tag your photos with #studybergen / @studybergen
