What's on in Stockholm this season
Publish date: 12 December 2024
Late fall and winter mean light, warmth, and traditional holiday celebrations. Here are some of the season's highlights!
December
Stockholm Santa Run December 1
The fun run Santa Run dresses its runners up as Santa and turns them loose in central Stockholm. The starting line is in Kungsträdgården Park and runners have two tracks to choose from, 3K or 6K (roughly: 1.8 or 3.7 miles). All proceeds go to charity.
Nobel celebrations in Stockholm 7-15 December
The Nobel Week is the highlight of the scientific year in Sweden. The week culminates with the Nobel Award Ceremony in Stockholm Concert Hall and the Nobel banquet in the City Hall on December 10! The banquet itself is prepared by famous Swedish chefs, most of whom have their restaurants in town. Read more about Nobel meals in our guide.
One of the more visible events during the week is the Nobel Week Lights festival during which several Stockholm buildings and landmarks are decorated by light installations celebrating science and research. Don’t miss our guide to Nobel ways to discover Stockholm.
Concerts, festivals, and performing arts this season
Concert highlights this season include Rhys (December 4, Musikaliska Kvarteret), The Tarantula Waltz (December 5, Debaser), Freak Kitchen (December 14, Kollektivet Livet), Lars Demian (December 21, Fasching), Tremonti (January 16, Debaser), JPEGMAFIA (January 17, Fållan), Pantera (January 23, Hovet), Manowar (January 29, Circus), Becca Stevens (January 29, Fasching), Kite (February 1, Avicii Arena) Opeth (February 11, Cirkus) Kvelertak (February 13, Fållan) Kebnekajse (February 15, Fasching), and H.E.A.T (February 28, Fållan).
Many of December's highlights are naturally Christmas-oriented. Classic venues like Berwaldhallen, The Stockholm Cathedral, and The Stockholm Concert Hall have programs full of Christmas concerts ranging from traditional carols to pop-song sing-alongs. Folkoperan is once again visited by Ebenezer Scrooge (himself haunted by the ghosts of Christmases past, present, and future) in an English production of A Christmas Carol (December 7-22), and Christmas Night 2024 blends traditional carols and songs with modern classics in a variety show.
Find more Christmas events in our guide here!
Find more music in Stockholm
Lucia Day December 13
Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebration is one of the most beloved cultural traditions in Sweden, with its clear connection to life in the peasant communities of before darkness and light, cold and warmth. Today Lucia, the bearer of light, is celebrated all around Sweden with candle processions and Lucia choirs, saffron buns, and glögg (mulled wine)! Learn more about the tradition and how to experience the celebrations in Stockholm in our Lucia guide.
Christmas and New Year in Stockholm December 24-31
Late November and December are in large part a lead-up to the Christmas Holidays.
- There are many Christmas markets to pick from, where you can find delicacies to serve on your Christmas dinner table or unique gifts. Skansen (November 29 - December 22), Kungsträdgården (November 30), and Stor Torget's (November 23 - December 23) markets are among the most well-known traditional markets. Konstfack's Christmas Market (The University of Arts, Crafts, and Design) is a great alternative if you're looking for unique presents and gifts.
- Many restaurants offer seasonal Christmas menus. A typical Swedish Christmas dinner includes meatballs, roasted Christmas Ham, pickled herring, glögg, potatoes, and julmust served buffet-style. But there are alternatives like Italian and Japanese Holiday menus or vegan -and vegetarian-oriented ones. Read our Christmas dinner guide to find out more.
- At the tail end of the holiday week is of course New Year's Eve, with rowdy parties and glitzy concerts. How about a burlesque New Year's Masquerade at Nalen, a concert in the Stockholm Cathedral, or a five-course dinner with jazz music and a magical view? Find more suggestions on how to spend the year's evening in our New Year's guide.
Stockholm's schools are closed from December 21st to January 7th, giving schoolchildren a well-deserved break. As is the case with most holidays, many attractions and museums will host special activities and events.
Get prepped for the Holidays
January
Formex January 14-16
Formex started in 1960 and is organized twice a year, at the beginning of January and at the end of August. It's Sweden's biggest design convention for professionals, touching on areas such as interior design, gardening and mixed living, packaging and paper, toys, and much more. Pick up on the latest trends, meet future talent, and find many great designs to bring home. Note: Only the final day of the convention is open to non-professionals.
P3 Guld January 22
The P3 Guld Awards have celebrated Swedish music since 2003. Every year, music fans themselves get their say in categories like "Artist of the Year", "Song of the Year", and the Golden Mic for the best live act. In 2025 the show moves to Cirkus, in Stockholm, and will be hosted by radio -and TV-personality Christopher Garplind. Nominees will be revealed in December, and live performances during the show announced as it draws closer.
Avicii Arena re-opens late January
Avicii Arena opens up for the public again, having been closed in 2024 due to renovations. The world's largest spherical building, and one of Stockholm's most popular concert -and sports venues, has been modernized with new seats, a new ceiling for better acoustics, and a new lighting rig, among other things. The first booking at the new Avicii Arena is an arena production of the classic musical Les Misérables (January 23-26).
Museum highlights this season
Some exhibition highlights this season are:
- Andy Warhol – Money of the Wall (October 18 - April 27, Spritmuseum) focuses on one of the pop artist’s most recurring themes: money. Visitors will get a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Warhol’s artistry and its connection to economics and society.
- Katalin Ladik has been using her body and voice as tools and materials in her poetry, sound, and performance art since the 1960s, becoming one of Hungary's and Eastern Europe's most prominent contemporary artists. Ooooooooo-pus (November 9 – April 20, 2025, Moderna Museet) is the first exhibition in the Nordic region to present a large overview of her body of work.
- A beloved Christmas tradition is back in 2024: the Gingerbread House competitive exhibition (November 29 - January 12, 2025, ArkDes). See, and smell the fragrance, of innovative gingerbread houses built by children and adults; amateurs and professionals.
- The turn of the previous century, 1800 to 1900, was an exciting time for Stockholm. New Stockholm (November 30 - August 30, 2026, The City Museum of Stockholm) shows how Stockholm transitioned from a small archipelago town to a modern city through never-before-seen objects, photos, and eyewitness accounts.
- Witches (December 5 - May 11, 2025, The Swedish History Museum) examines a dark chapter in Swedish history. Who were the women accused of witchcraft, and why were they burned at the stake? The exhibition illustrates how mean-spirited gossip was distorted into facts with horrific consequences.
Museum highlights in Stockholm
February
Stockholm Design Week 2025 February 3-9
Stockholm Design Week puts the spotlight on Stockholm's design scene. It's a week filled with inspiring design events and happenings spread around Stockholm's galleries, showrooms, museums, and cultural institutions. One of the most significant events during the week is the annual Stockholm Furniture Fair at Stockholmsmässan, where you'll discover all the latest trends and news in Scandinavian design.
Fat Tuesday (The day of the semla) February 4
The beloved semla is a traditional pastry from the Nordic and Baltic regions. It's served during the winter months, until "Fat Tuesday" (Shrove Tuesday), at the beginning of Lent, which is on February 4 this year. A classic Swedish semla is a cardamon spiced-wheat bun, stuffed with whipped cream and sweet almond paste.
Semlor can be found at virtually every café and bakery in Stockholm. But in recent years several bakeries have experimented with the recipe, coming up with innovative takes on the cherished treat. Read our guide to learn where you'll find the best semlor in Stockholm.
Winter break February 24 – 28
The last week of February/first week in March gives the children of Stockholm a break from school with a half-term holiday (known as "Sportlov", literally Sports Holiday). The idea is to give kids a chance to get some days off and spend some time on Stockholm's slopes or ice-covered lakes, while there's still snow left. Besides lots of outdoor activities – like ice skating, skiing, and sledding – many museums and attractions host special winter-break events and workshops. Check out our guide for more inspiration on how to get a family-friendly winter break.
