Buses from 27 cities and towns across the south of Norway transported many of the 22,000 teenagers that were en route to the first of Justin Bieber's three concerts at Telenor Arena. Many buses were also scheduled to depart from downtown Oslo in order to safely transport spectators to the concert arena, located on the western side of the city.
Some of the most avid fans showed up outside Telenor Arena at 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning, making it a long day of waiting until the star went on stage. Safety is a big concern for the police, who fenced off the entire waiting area, making it impossible for anyone to enter who did not have a ticket, including the press.
Last summer chaos erupted when Justin Bieber arrived in Oslo for a concert - unannounced. More than five thousand teenage girls made their way to the Opera House in Oslo, and police needed several hours to gain control of the massive crowds.
Although the concerts this week are more organized, the hysteria and enthusiasm is just as high, and unique in a European context. Only Sweden is close to matching the Norwegian fans and their dedication to their teen idol, writes Dagbladet.
"We had more than 120,000 individual attempts to buy tickets for the concerts, so I am sure we could have sold at least 100,000 tickets," says the organizer, Peer Osmundsvaag in Atomic. The tickets were sold out in only a few minutes. In comparison, Bieber sold fewer tickets in six German cities than in Oslo alone.
News reports Wednesday morning tell of a successful first concert in Oslo, with no serious incidents.
Justin Bieber next concert at Telenor Arena is Wednesday night, and doors open at 6.30 p.m.
(NRK/Aftenposten/Dagbladet)
Julie Ryland
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