The decision to hold a national memorial ceremony for those who were killed or injured in the attacks on the government offices and Utøya on 22 July was taken together with the political parties represented in the Norwegian parliament, the Storting. The ceremony was held in Oslo Spektrum on Sunday 21 August at 15:00.
Among the 6 000 guests gathered were bereaved families and survivors and their relatives, along with rescue workers from the health service, the police, the fire and rescue services, the armed forces, the civil defence and voluntary organisations, as well as individuals who took part in the rescue effort and those who have been involved in the follow-up work in the ministries. Representatives of the Labour Youth League and the Labour Party and representatives of the Norwegian authorities were also present.
The ceremony was opened by H.M. King Harald V and featured performances by some of Norway’s top musicians, with the pop-band a-ha reuniting for the occasion. The names of the victims were read aloud by five Norwegian actors between the passages of music. The audience included several foreign dignitaries, notably the presidents of Finland and Iceland, the prime ministers of all the Nordic countries, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark.