From 21–27 September, the first Norway Welcome Week took place across 14 cities and towns, with 71 events, 57 organizers and more than 1,600 event RSVPs.

Organizations, businesses, sports clubs and local groups across Norway took part, hosting everything from small gatherings and workshops to football matches, professional events and open days.

Welcome Week was created around a simple idea: integration is a shared responsibility. It invited Norwegian organizations and residents to take an active role in welcoming international residents and creating opportunities to participate.

The Secret Art of Networking – Shutting the F*ck Up · Oslo · Hosted by Splash · Photo- Gabriella Mikiewicz

Try Field Hockey with Bergen Landhockeyklubb · Bergen · Photo- Diana Grijalva

Walking Wisdom · Oslo · Hosted by Polaris Consulting · Photo- Gabriella Mikiewicz

Coffee & Networking for Communication Professionals · Oslo · Hosted by Ellen Summey · Photo- Leticia Monteiro

From living rooms to football stadiums

Welcome Week came in all shapes and sizes.

In one home in Oslo, ten people gathered to make dumplings together. Across town, around 300 people came together for Welcome to Oslo: Community Day.

In Tromsø, international residents got a behind-the-scenes look at NRK. In Bergen, a mother and daughter attended their first Brann match despite living less than ten minutes from the stadium. They enjoyed it so much that they’re planning to return with the rest of the family.

Some organizers created new events for Welcome Week. Others invited people into activities they were already running.

Across the programme, events included sports, outdoor activities, book clubs, creative workshops, cultural experiences and professional networking.

Welcome Week took place in 14 cities and towns in Norway, with additional events online.

Communities across Norway and beyond

Norway Welcome Week 2026 took place in 14 cities and towns, from Tromsø to Kristiansand and Arendal, as well as online.

Each event was organized locally, so the programme reflected the people, organizations and places taking part.

Welcome Week’s wider aim was to encourage more organizations and residents to play an active role in welcoming international residents—not leaving the responsibility for integration entirely to the people arriving.

Welcome to Oslo- Community Day Oslo · Photo- Oslo&Co / Abrakadabra

Welcome to Oslo- Community Day Oslo · Photo- Shawn van Zyl

New connections, new experiences

We’re still collecting feedback, but we’ve already heard about people staying in touch and trying things they hadn’t done before.

One group created a WhatsApp chat after meeting at an event. The mother and daughter who attended the Brann match are planning to go again. A volunteer who had lived in Norway for almost five years told us she appreciated the opportunity to get out, meet people and try something different.

We’re now gathering feedback from participants and organizers to understand what worked, what didn’t and what we can improve for 2027.

The future of Welcome Week: see you in 2027?

We’re starting to think about the next Welcome Week.

If you’d like to organize an event, become a partner, volunteer or help bring Welcome Week to your community, get in touch.

This is about the maximum length I'd use. And I’d let the photos + map + stats do a lot of the storytelling rather than trying to narrate every significance of Welcome Week in the text.