About

One of the largest ice-skating arenas in the world

Hamar Olympiahall - Vikingskipet is a modern multi-purpose arena with an architecture reminiscent of our Viking Ship heritage. It was built for the 1994 Winter Olympics, and has status as a national arena. This means that it can be used for international championships. Today, the bustling arena is used for speed-skating, bandy, and figure-skating training and competitions, and it also plays host to a wide range of small and large trade fairs, corporate events, exhibitions, banquets, and concerts. When used as a concert venue, Vikingskipet offers a 20 000-people capacity. It enjoys a beautiful location in Åkersvika, on the banks of Mjøsa, not far from Hamar town centre.

Spectacular architecture

Shaped like an upside-down Viking Ship, the arena showcases Norwegian architecture and building design using laminated wood lattice girders with a max. beam span of 96 metres and with 4-metre struts. The architects are Biong & Biong Arkitektfirma and Niels Torp Arkitekter, and the arena measures 250 metres at is longest and 110 metres at its widest. It has a max. floor-to-ceiling height of 36 metres, a total area of 22 000 sq. m, a 10 000 sq. m ice rink, a 30 000 sq. m roof surface, and a volume of 350 000 cubic metres.

Test your ice-skating skills

When the arena’s ice rink is in place, ice skating in Vikingskipet is open to everyone. Skates are available for hire, and there is also a shop selling ice-skating equipment.