Norwegian strip clubs are known locally as showbars, and the name is accurate: a rotation of dancers performs on stage through the night, alongside private rooms and hostessing. They are generally high-end venues with prices to match — a reflection of Norwegian cost levels rather than of the clubs themselves.
Where the clubs are
The Norwegian market has contracted, and it now sits in two cities.
Oslo — four clubs
- String Showbar — Skippergata 21. Open since 1998 and the longest-running club in the country. Best International Club of the Year, Las Vegas, 2017.
- Lotus Showbar — central Oslo, open nightly 21:00–03:00.
- Blaze — go-go format, Norway’s first, dating to the early 1990s. Open Tuesday to Saturday.
- Diamond Showbar — Tordenskiolds gate 11, opened late 2025.
Trondheim — one club
Dreams Showbar has been the only strip club in Trondheim since 2002, and is the only venue operating outside Oslo anywhere in Norway. Munkegata 68B, open Monday to Saturday 22:00–04:00, entry 300 NOK, age limit 20. Read the full Trondheim guide.
Bergen — none
Bergen no longer has a strip club. After Dark, the city’s only venue, has closed — see our Bergen page for the background.
Several older Oslo venues have also gone: Nightlife Bar, Paradise Showbar, Xposed and Lamour Gentlemen’s Club are all closed, though out-of-date guides elsewhere still list some of them as open.
How the champagne system works
Norwegian clubs run on the champagne system. You are buying the dancer’s time, and drinks are how that time is priced — ladies’ drinks and bottles carry a premium over normal bar prices, and the dancer takes a share.
Stage shows are included at no extra cost. Tipping is not standard practice in Norwegian strip club culture; it is welcome but never expected.
The rules
Norway is conservative about adult venues and regulates them tightly. Clubs enforce the conditions strictly because their licences depend on it.
- No touching. Not in private shows, not on the club floor. This applies everywhere in the country.
- Prostitution is illegal in Norway and does not take place in these venues.
- Alcohol hours are strictly enforced. Last orders fall between 01:00 and 03:00 depending on the city and the night. Clubs commonly stay open past the alcohol cut-off while remaining within their licence — so both guests and dancers need to keep an eye on the clock.
- Nudity and alcohol do not always run together. Where local conditions require it, fully nude performances begin only after the alcohol cut-off, and no alcohol may be taken into private shows.
Working in Norway as a dancer
Norway has a long-standing reputation among travelling dancers as one of the top-earning countries in Europe. The oil, gas and shipping industries built a clientele with money to spend, and Oslo remains the financial and industrial centre of the country.
Because the earning potential draws dancers from across Europe, Norwegian clubs can be selective, and standards are correspondingly high. Norway is not an EU member but belongs to the EEA, which gives EU and EEA nationals the right to work.
Current openings are listed on StripRecruit.