The best sommerfest (company summer party) ideas for Norwegian businesses make the most of June’s long evenings: a hosted tasting, a craft session, yoga by the water or a cooking masterclass that ends with dinner together. The shared experience lasts well beyond when fellesferie (the shared summer holiday) begins. Plan in spring; prime dates fill quickly.
For companies in Oslo and across Norway, the summer gathering is a chance to design something the team will genuinely remember: a programme shaped around the long light, the water and a shared experience worth having.
Sommerfest formats at a glance
| Format | Setting | Group size | Time of evening | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wine and seasonal food tasting | Waterfront terrace or rooftop | 12 to 60 | 18:00 to 20:30 | Conversation starts immediately; works equally well with non-alcoholic pairings |
| Cooking masterclass | Studio kitchen or hired venue | 10 to 30 | 17:30 to 20:00 | Hands-on and collaborative; dinner is the session |
| Candle making and scent blending | Studio, garden or company space | 8 to 40 | 17:00 to 19:30 | Screen-free and fully inclusive; everyone takes a finished piece home |
| Yoga or breathwork at golden hour | Fjord-side terrace, rooftop or garden | 8 to 40 | 18:30 to 20:00 | Restorative; sets a calm, grounded tone before the summer break |
| Floral and botanical arrangement | Garden, studio or outdoor venue | 10 to 40 | 16:30 to 19:00 | Seasonal and tactile; works for all energy levels and preferences |
| Rhythm and music session | Studio, garden or rented hall | 15 to 80 | 18:00 to 20:30 | High energy and joyful; scales to large groups without losing warmth |
| Outdoor drawing or sketching | Fjord-side, Bygdøy, Nordmarka | 6 to 20 | 17:00 to 19:30 | Quiet, creative and entirely in the friluftsliv (outdoor life) spirit |
The long light evening: the gift June gives you
Near midsummer, the evening light in Norway lasts well past 22:00, golden and horizontal in a way it is at no other time of year. A sommerfest designed around this light will feel entirely different from any other company gathering. A south-facing terrace by the Oslofjord, a rooftop above Bjørvika, an island reached by a short ferry crossing, a garden in Frogner: these settings do real work for an evening. Two to three hours of something genuinely shared, led by an experienced facilitator who arrives with everything prepared, gives the evening its centre.
Hosted moments that stay with people
The strongest sommerfest programmes pair the setting with a structured, hands-on experience the team can talk about for weeks afterwards. A wine tasting with seasonal food pairings creates instant common ground. A cooking masterclass that ends with everyone eating what they made together reaches something more fundamental. Candle making and scent blending with summer botanicals, floral arrangement, outdoor sketching, a rhythm session with percussion: all of these hold their warmth for everyone in the room, regardless of preference around alcohol. For teams that also host clients, client experience events built on the same principle give guests a shared moment to participate in together. Teams looking ahead to autumn will find a team away day a natural companion.
An example sommerfest evening
An example evening for a team of 25, at a waterfront venue from 17:30:
- 17:30 Arrival and welcome: still and sparkling water, seasonal soft drinks and wine set out alongside each other
- 18:00 Hosted session begins: candle making and scent blending with summer botanicals, led by an experienced facilitator who introduces the materials and guides the group through blending and pouring
- 19:15 Session closes; finished candles set to cool on a shared table
- 19:15 to 20:30 Informal dinner on the terrace; the evening light carries the atmosphere
- 20:30 Candles wrapped and collected to take home
The same structure adapts to a cooking masterclass, a tasting led through each pairing by the host, or an outdoor drawing workshop where the walk to the sketching spot is part of the experience itself.
What makes a summer company session genuinely land
- A venue chosen for the light: south-facing terraces, rooftops and waterside spaces earn their keep in June
- A hosted moment the team actively participates in, not just observes
- Non-alcoholic options that are as considered as the drinks list
- A facilitator who arrives with everything prepared, so the organiser has nothing to source on the day
- A session length that respects that people have summer schedules and early mornings
- A clear finish time, so everyone can plan the rest of their evening
What are good sommerfest ideas for a company?
The most memorable company sommerfest ideas share one quality: they give the group something to do together, not just somewhere to gather. A hosted wine or food tasting, a cooking masterclass that ends with dinner, candle making with summer botanicals, outdoor sketching, yoga at golden hour or a rhythm and music session all do this well. The format matters less than the decision to centre the evening on a facilitated experience, at the office, a hired studio or a waterside venue in Oslo or across Norway.
When should a company hold its sommerfest?
June is the natural month, with most teams aiming for the weeks before fellesferie begins in July. Outdoor venues with evening sun fill quickly, particularly in late May and early June, and experienced facilitators book up in the same window. Spring is the right moment to confirm both the setting and the hosted experience. Arbeidstilsynet’s guidance on holiday arrangements outlines when fellesferie applies, which helps with planning across teams on different contracts.
What if the weather turns?
A sommerfest that depends on sunshine has one point of failure. The practical answer is a venue with a covered or indoor option: a terrace with a reliable awning, a studio with generous windows, a boathouse with the doors open to the water. For hosted craft or culinary sessions, the activity itself keeps the energy and conversation high regardless of the weather, which is why a structured programme matters more in June than a perfect forecast.
Can a sommerfest include families?
It can, and some teams prefer it. When families join, craft sessions with natural materials tend to suit a wider age range: floral making, botanical candle pouring and chocolate work all translate well. The evening works best with a shorter, defined session followed by relaxed time. Where teams choose an adults-only gathering, the sommerfest serves its own distinct purpose: a moment of genuine connection between colleagues before the summer dispersal, one that is harder to replicate once half the team is away.
How do we make a sommerfest feel different from the julebord?
The julebord (the company Christmas gathering) arrives in the dark, in formal dress, carrying the weight of the year’s end. The sommerfest is its counterpart in almost every respect: outdoor or at least full of light, relaxed in structure, and carrying the spirit of something beginning. The sharpest way to honour that difference is to design the evening around what Norwegian summer offers: the long light, the water, the openness of June. Where the julebord celebrates the year, the sommerfest sends the team into summer feeling like a team. For ideas on what makes the julebord itself worth doing well, see our guide to julebord ideas for companies in Oslo.
Plan a summer session for your team
Tell us your group size, preferred timing and the kind of experience you have in mind and we will curate the right format and facilitator. Or explore our experts and sessions and choose for yourself. Start with company celebrations in Oslo, from the sommerfest to the julebord.
References
- Arbeidstilsynet, holiday and fellesferie guidance: arbeidstilsynet.no
- Gallup, State of the Global Workplace: gallup.com