Venue Oscarsborg Fortress
The Oscarsborg Opera is situated on two small islands in the middle of the Oslo fjord. 120 minutes by boat from Oslo and 5 minutes by boat from the small town of Drøbak.
The opera arena is the large open air courtyard of Oscarsborg Fortress with 100% natural acoustics and a wonderful historic atmosphere.
Read more about Oscarsborg here
Sirkus Requiem
Sirkus Requiem is a unique presentation of Verdi’s Requiem, in collaboration with the Oslo Philharmonic, setting the standard for an innovative open-air experience at Oscarsborg
Premiere August 8th at 9:00 PM. Performances on August 9th, 10th, 12th, and 13th at 9:00 PM.
Opera and Circus – a Dance of Life and Death:
Imagine a world where every note, every movement, and every moment carries the weight of the ultimate: life itself. In Giuseppe Verdi’s “Requiem – Mass for the Dead,” the music is a masterful balance between beauty and doom, between heavenly joy and earthly despair. It is an opera not just about death—it unfolds it, with an intensity that sweeps the audience along. But did you know that this same life-threatening tension is also found in the circus?
In the circus, the artists defy gravity, balance on the edge of life, and challenge death with every single stunt. Yet it’s not just fear that fills the air—it’s the ecstasy, the untouched moment where anything is possible. Acrobats fly without a net, aerialists hang by a single thread, and the clown’s laughter hides a darker reality: One mistake, and everything can end.
Verdi understood this drama. His Requiem is not just a funeral march—it is an experience of the sublime, where choir and orchestra create a universe of both fear and wonder. When the soprano ascends to the highest notes, it’s as if she’s balancing on an invisible wire between life and death—just like the circus artist who dances in the air without safety.
Both art forms remind us of the most gripping aspect of human achievement: It is the danger that makes it captivating. Without risk, without the biting tension, neither opera nor circus would move us as deeply.
So if you want to experience art that truly “lives,” that defies death and celebrates life in the same breath—then you must see Sirkus Requiem and witness the wildest stunts of the circus. For here, in this intense blend of beauty and danger, we find what makes us most human: Our ability to stare into the abyss—and still sing, dance, fly.
Are you ready to take the leap?
Practical Information
Oscarsborg is about a 50-minute drive by car or bus from Oslo. The ferry from Drøbak to Oscarsborg is included in the opera ticket.
In connection with the performance, you can purchase a boat trip with the electric vessel Vision of The Fjords, departing from Langkaia 1 opposite the Norwegian Opera and Ballet. On the boat, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Oslofjord while enjoing a hot meal. The boat departs at 6.30pm and returns to Oslo at midnight. Tickets can be purchased together with the opera ticket via this link.
You can order a three-course dinner inside the fortress before the performance. This cannot be combined with the boat from Oslo. Tickets can be purchased together with the opera ticket via this link.
Complete the experience with an overnight stay at Oscarsborg Hotel. Here, you can enjoy a peaceful night in idyllic surroundings with views of the Oslofjord. Book your stay here.
On the island, there are two restaurants where you can enjoy a meal by the water’s edge:
How to get your
Tickets
The tickets are released in late autumn and are announced on our website, facebook and Instagram.
The seats are numbered and prices starts at NOK 695,-
Order your tickets at ticketmaster.com or call your local ticketmaster office.
In addition to the opera ticket you can order a round trip with boat from Oslo to Oscarsborg, and a three-course meal inside the fortress.
All the above offers will be given after you confirm your opera ticket at Ticketmaster.
How to get there
Transportation
Boat
The opera ticket includes a round trip with the ferry from Drøbak to Oscarsborg (5 min trip). The ferry departs from Sundbrygga (north in Drøbak) every 15 minutes from 4pm – 7.30 pm
The round trip boat from Oslo departs at 5pm from Oslo, and arrives Oslo at 0.30am after the performance. Tickets must be ordered before departure at ticetmaster.com. The boat offers food and drinks, an outdor deck and fantastic scenery.
Public transportation
Visit #Ruter for bus ticket information (https://ruter.no/en/)
The bus departs from the Oslo bus terminal and the trip takes 50 min to Drøbak. The Bus stop closest to the ferry is “Grande” or “Drøbak Kirke”.
There are no train stations In Drøbak.
By car
If you decide to arrive with a car be sure to come early to find a good parking space close to the boat (Sundbrygga). There is a cost for parking depending on where you park. Find information at Frogn municipality (kommune) home page.
Where to stay
Hotels, Dining andrefreshments
The Oscarsborg Hotel is located on the island. Book your stay at https://festningshotellene.no/oscarsborg-hotel-resort/en/
In the city centre of Drøbak you wil find Renskaug hotel. Book your stay at https://festningshotellene.no/reenskaug-hotel/en/
The Oscarsborg Hotel offers a three course meal inside the Fortress before the show. Seating starts at 5pm.
obs! This offer can not be combined with the boat from Oslo, due to the arrival time at Oscarsborg.
Outside the Fortress there are food and drinks available.
Weather
Its outdoors, whatabout the weather?
We do not cancel performances in advanced due to weather reports. We preform as long as the orchestras instruments don’t get wet. They are placed under a roof!
Do not trust the weather reports. It may change quickly. Make sure to bring warm and water resistant clothes. Function before beauty is the key! We sell rain ponchoes, blankets and seat pads at the island. And be sure to leave your umbrella at home, it will be in the way for the people sitting around you.
About the
OscarsborgOpera
The OscarsborgOpera was founded in 1998 by the Opera manager Anne Felberg and conductor Terje Boye-Hansen. And since then the company has produced 16 opera productions with over a 100 000 audiences. The opera is funded by the Norwegian government, the VIKEN region counsil and the municipality 0f Frogn.
Among the opera productions you will find The magic flute, Carmina Burana, Aida, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Tosca and more.
The company has produced 16 opera productions with over a 100 000 audiences
Oscarsborg Fortress is a fortress that was built in 1848 and served as an inner defense ring in the Oslo Fjord.
Oscarsborg Fortress is best known for the sinking of the German cruiser “Blücher” on April 9, 1940. Today, military operations have been closed down, and the fortress is open to civilians. There is a museum, outdoor stage in the courtyard, hotels, restaurants and several bathing places on the island.
The military activity at the fortress was discontinued in 2002, but the command post has been maintained. Today, Oscarsborg is managed by Forsvarsbygg in collaboration with the commander. Oscarsborg Fortress Museum is an important part of the public offer on site. It is subject to the Defense Museum and is responsible for the historical dissemination and guided tours.
Oscarsborg Fortress is one of Norway’s national fortifications and is open to the public every day throughout the year. In addition to the museum and the original fortifications, there is today a hotel with 190 beds, a guest harbor with a nice harbor restaurant and annually 100,000 visiting guests. Oscarsborg is popular as a summer resort in the summer and a course and conference venue in the winter.
On April 9, 2014, Oscarsborg Fortress was protected by the National Heritage Board.