Last updated: 7 November, 2026
Stockholm’s 2027 calendar has a few fixed points that locals plan their year around: cream buns (semlor) in February, bonfires on the last night of April, and candlelit Lucia processions in the darkest week of December. Around them come festivals, races and fairs whose dates shift a little each year. This guide starts with what is still on in the last weeks of 2026, then takes you through 2027 month by month.
Still to come in 2026
If you’re visiting before the year is out, Stockholm’s season of lights and Christmas markets is just getting started. Here are the dates for the rest of 2026. The events return in 2027, so you’ll find more about each one under November and December below.
- Stockholm International Film Festival: 11–22 November
- Christmas markets: 8 November to 23 December (opening dates vary by market)
- Black Friday: Friday 27 November
- DreamHack Stockholm: 27–29 November
- Nobel Week Lights: 5–13 December
- Nobel Prize Concert: Tuesday 8 December
- Nobel Prize Award Ceremony: Thursday 10 December
- Lucia: Sunday 13 December
- Christmas Eve: Thursday 24 December
- New Year’s Eve: Thursday 31 December
For more ideas on what to do in Stockholm in winter, see our Stockholm winter guide.
2027 at a glance
These dates are confirmed or fixed by the calendar, plus the usual windows for the two biggest summer festivals:
- Stockholm Design Week: 8–14 February
- Fat Tuesday (semla day): Tuesday 9 February
- Melodifestivalen final (Sweden’s Eurovision selection): Saturday 13 March
- Easter weekend: 26–29 March
- Market Art Fair (contemporary art): 22–25 April
- Walpurgis Night (spring bonfires): Friday 30 April
- Stockholm Marathon: Saturday 29 May
- National Day: Sunday 6 June
- Midsummer Eve: Friday 25 June
- Crown Princess Victoria’s 50th birthday: Wednesday 14 July
- Stockholm Pride: late July to early August, 2027 dates not yet announced
- Stockholm Culture Festival (free, city-wide): mid-August, 2027 dates not yet announced
- Eric Ericson Award (choral conducting competition): 20–23 October
- All Saints’ Day (candlelit cemeteries): Saturday 6 November
- Nobel Prize Award Ceremony: Friday 10 December
- Lucia (candlelit processions): Monday 13 December
Where an organizer has confirmed a 2027 date, we give it. Where they haven’t yet, we say so and give the window the event has used in recent years, so you can still plan around it. We update the page as new dates are announced.
January
January is Stockholm’s quietest month for visitors, and often its first properly wintry one. December tends to be gray and wet; January is when snow is most likely to settle. The outdoor rink in Kungsträdgården is open, the post-Christmas sales (mellandagsrea) run well into the month, and the museums that were packed over the holidays have room again.
New Year’s Day and Epiphany
When: Friday 1 January and Wednesday 6 January (both public holidays)
New Year’s Day (Nyårsdagen) starts late. Many restaurants and smaller shops open in the afternoon or stay closed all day. Epiphany (Trettondedag jul) is also a public holiday, so expect holiday opening hours. Christmas doesn’t officially end until Knut’s Day (Tjugondag Knut) on January 13, when Swedish families take down the tree.
Winter sales
When: From 27 December into January
Where: Department stores and shopping streets in the city center
The post-Christmas sales (mellandagsrea) start right after Christmas and run well into January at NK, Åhléns City and the chain stores along Drottninggatan. If you’re after Swedish design, this is when homeware shops discount last season’s stock. See our shopping and markets guide for where to start.
Ice skating in Kungsträdgården
When: Usually late autumn to early March, weather permitting
Where: Kungsträdgården
The outdoor rink in Kungsträdgården sits between the department stores and the water, with skate rental on site. It’s busiest after school and on weekend afternoons; weekday mornings are the quiet window. If you’ve never skated, this is a more forgiving place to try than the natural ice on the lakes, which locals only head out on with ice picks and local knowledge.
February
February is usually Stockholm’s coldest month. Most days hover around freezing, but a cold spell can bring -10°C (14°F) or lower, and pavements turn icy, so pack shoes with grip. It is also semla season. The semla officially belongs to Fat Tuesday, but bakeries sell these cardamom buns filled with almond paste and whipped cream from early January, often until Easter, along with vegan, chocolate and other new versions each year. Comparing them café by café is how many Stockholmers get through a cold afternoon.
Stockholm Design Week and Stockholm Furniture Fair
When: Design Week 8–14 February; Furniture Fair 9–12 February
Where: Showrooms, galleries and shops across the city; the fair is at Stockholmsmässan in Älvsjö
Website: stockholmdesignweek.com
The furniture fair returns in 2027 after skipping 2026, and from now on it runs every second year. Design Week runs alongside it, with open showrooms, product launches and talks spread across the city. The fair is built for the trade: architects, buyers and press. Design Week is where curious visitors fit in, since most showroom events are open to anyone who walks in.
Who it’s for: anyone interested in Scandinavian furniture and interiors. Who it isn’t for: visitors hoping for a public design festival with a single site and a ticket; Design Week is spread out and you’ll need the official app or program to plan a route.
Fat Tuesday (Fettisdagen)
When: Tuesday 9 February
Where: Bakeries and cafés all over the city
Bakeries have sold semlor since early January, but Fettisdagen is the day queues form on the pavement. Expect to pay around 50–70 SEK at a city-center bakery. Some locals eat theirs in a bowl of warm milk, the older way. See our guide to Stockholm bakeries for where we go.
Valentine’s Day (Alla hjärtans dag)
When: Sunday 14 February
Valentine’s Day arrived in Sweden in the 1960s and stays low-key: flowers, a dinner out, cards between friends as often as couples. In 2027 it falls on a Sunday, so if you want a table at a popular restaurant that weekend, book ahead.
Liljevalchs Spring Salon (Vårsalongen)
When: Opens mid-February; usually runs into early May
Where: Liljevalchs konsthall, Djurgården
Website: liljevalchs.se
The Spring Salon has opened Stockholm’s art year for more than a century. A jury picks the works from thousands of anonymous applications, so established artists hang next to first-timers and the price tags range just as widely. Singer Veronica Maggio sits on the 2027 jury. Read our guide to Liljevalchs.
March
March is Stockholm’s prequel to spring. The trees are still bare and the evenings cold, but the light is coming back: by the end of the month, once the clocks go forward, the sun sets after 19:00. Three dates shape the month: the winter school break (sportlov) in week 9, when families fill the museums; the Melodifestivalen final, Sweden’s selection for Eurovision; and the long Easter weekend. If you’re traveling without children, the weeks between the school break and Easter are the quietest.
Winter school break (sportlov)
When: 1–5 March (week 9)
Stockholm’s schools take their winter sports break in week 9. Many families head north to the ski resorts, but those who stay fill the child-friendly museums. If you’re visiting that week, book timed tickets for places like Junibacken and the Vasa Museum, and arrive at opening. Without children, this is a week to skip those museums, or save them for later in the month.
Melodifestivalen final
When: Saturday 13 March
Where: Strawberry Arena, Solna (about 10 minutes by commuter train from Stockholm City to Solna station)
Website: svt.se/melodifestivalen
Melodifestivalen is Sweden’s selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, and the final is one of the most-watched TV broadcasts of the Swedish year. Five heats tour other Swedish cities from 6 February before the final at Strawberry Arena. The dress rehearsals earlier in the weekend are ticketed too. Without a ticket, look for bars that show the final on big screens. The winner goes on to Eurovision in Burgas, Bulgaria, in May.
Who it’s for: Eurovision fans, and anyone curious about how seriously Sweden takes pop. Who it isn’t for: people expecting a festival atmosphere around the city; outside the arena, most Swedes watch it at home.
Waffle Day (Våffeldagen)
When: Thursday 25 March
The name started as a mishearing. March 25 is Lady Day (Vårfrudagen), which sounds close to “våffeldagen” when said quickly. Cafés serve waffles with whipped cream and jam, and many homes do the same.
Easter (Påsk)
When: Good Friday 26 March to Easter Monday 29 March
Easter comes early in 2027, so expect bare trees and cold evenings rather than spring flowers. On Easter Eve (Påskafton), children dress up as Easter witches with painted cheeks and headscarves and go door to door for sweets. Homes and shop windows fill with birch twigs decorated with colored feathers (påskris). Easter Eve dinner is herring, salmon, eggs and Jansson’s temptation, much like a smaller Christmas table. Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are public holidays, and Systembolaget, the state alcohol shop, is closed all four days.
April
April in Stockholm is a tug-of-war between winter and spring. Venues reopen and the days are noticeably longer, but one week can bring a sudden snowfall and the next a few days warm enough for locals to leave their coats at home. That makes it the hardest month to pack for: bring layers and keep a warm coat. If you’re only here for a few days, choose your end of the month. Mid- to late April is usually when the cherry trees in Kungsträdgården flower; the last week brings the opening of Gröna Lund and the Walpurgis Night bonfires.
Stockholm International Film Festival Junior and Berwaldhallen SCORE
When: Spring; 2027 dates not yet announced
Where: Bio Skandia and other cinemas (Junior); Berwaldhallen (SCORE)
Two smaller dates for specific audiences. Stockholm Film Festival Junior screens films for ages 6 to 19 across the city’s cinemas. SCORE is Berwaldhallen’s annual video game music concert, with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra playing scores from well-known games; it’s broadcast on Sveriges Radio P2 for those who can’t get a ticket.
Cherry blossoms in Kungsträdgården
When: Usually the second half of April
Where: Kungsträdgården
The rows of Japanese cherry trees in Kungsträdgården turn the park pink for a week to 10 days, depending on the weather. On sunny weekend afternoons it gets crowded enough that photos without strangers in them take patience. Go early on a weekday morning, when the light comes in low over Jakobs kyrka and the paths are mostly empty.
Stockholm Culture Night (Kulturnatt Stockholm)
When: A Saturday in April; 2027 date not yet announced (2026: 18 April)
Where: Museums, galleries, theaters and libraries across the city
Website: kulturnattstockholm.se
For one evening, from 18:00 to midnight, Stockholm’s cultural venues open for free with special programs. 2026 set a record with 236 participating venues. Some places on Skeppsholmen stay open later. A few events need advance booking because of limited seats, so check the program a week ahead.
Market Art Fair, Supermarket and Stockholm Art Week
When: Market Art Fair and Supermarket 22–25 April; Stockholm Art Week dates not yet announced, usually the same week
Where: Market Art Fair at Magasin 9, Frihamnen; galleries and museums across the city
Website: marketartfair.com
Market Art Fair is the Nordic region’s main contemporary art fair. It opens to the public on April 24–25; the first two days are for invited guests. Supermarket, held the same days, is its artist-run counterpart: smaller spaces, more experimental work, fewer price lists. Stockholm Art Week ties both together with gallery openings and talks around the city.
Who it’s for: collectors and anyone who wants to see what Nordic galleries are showing right now. Who it isn’t for: visitors looking for the big museum names; for that, Moderna Museet and Nationalmuseum are open all year.
Gröna Lund opens for the season
When: Late April; 2027 date not yet announced (2026: 25 April)
Where: Gröna Lund, Djurgården
Website: gronalund.com
Stockholm’s amusement park has operated on Djurgården since 1883 and closes over winter. 2027 brings two new roller coasters, Fenix and Vildare Musen, and SCORE!, an interactive dark ride built for 205 million SEK. New attractions don’t always open on day one, so check which rides are running if you’re visiting in the first weeks. The summer concert series, Grönan Live, has already booked Take That for 22 June. Read our guide to Gröna Lund.
Walpurgis Night (Valborg)
When: Friday 30 April
Where: Parks across the city; Skansen hosts the most traditional celebration
Valborg marks the end of winter. As it gets dark, people gather around bonfires, male-voice choirs sing spring songs, and someone gives a short speech welcoming the season. Skansen has the most traditional bonfire, and if you haven’t been to Skansen before, this is the evening we’d choose; neighborhood parks have smaller ones. Dress for winter, not spring: once the sun goes down, standing by a bonfire on 30 April gets cold fast. Read our Valborg guide for where to go.
May
April hints at spring; May delivers it. Outdoor café terraces (uteserveringar) open along the sidewalks, and Stockholmers take every sunny hour they can get, often sitting outside in sunglasses and a light jacket. Offices rush to finish projects before the summer holidays, and boats go back in the water. This is when you can start exploring the archipelago by SL commuter ferry or Waxholmsbolaget boat, before the summer crowds. Dress lighter by the end of the month, but bring a sweater for the evenings.
May Day
When: Saturday 1 May (public holiday)
May Day is the traditional day for labor movement marches, with political parties and unions marching through the city center to rallies. In 2027 it falls on a Saturday, so most shops keep normal Saturday hours.
Ascension Day (Kristi himmelsfärdsdag)
When: Thursday 6 May (public holiday)
Ascension Day is a Thursday holiday, and many Swedes take Friday off too, turning it into a four-day weekend. The city empties a little while archipelago hostels and summer houses fill up, so book ferries and accommodation outside Stockholm early.
Stockholm Marathon
When: Saturday 29 May
Where: Start and finish at Stockholm Stadion, the 1912 Olympic Stadium
Price: Entry from 1,295–1,995 SEK depending on when you register
Website: stockholmmarathon.se
The course runs from Östermalm through Vasastan and Kungsholmen, past City Hall, through Gamla Stan and around Djurgården and Södermalm before finishing inside the old Olympic stadium. The weather is hard to call: some years the race is run in heat, others in cold rain. It isn’t flat: the bridges and hills add up to around 180 m (591 feet) of climbing. 21,000 places for 2027 sold in two weeks when registration opened. If you’re not running, note that roads across the center close for most of the day, so plan taxis and buses around the course map.
June
June brings summer, though not always summer weather. Hot days alternate with cool ones and the evenings stay chilly, so pack a jacket. The light is the draw: around Midsummer the sun sets after 22:00 and it never gets fully dark. Summer venues are open, and the archipelago boats switch to their summer timetables. Plan around the month’s two holidays, which work the opposite way to what you might expect: National Day is low-key, while Midsummer empties the city.
Swedish National Day
When: Sunday 6 June
Where: Skansen and the Royal Palace
Sweden’s National Day marks the election of Gustav Vasa as king in 1523 and the 1809 constitution. It has only been a public holiday since 2005, and celebrations are modest compared with other countries’ national days. The main event is at Skansen, where the royal family arrives by horse-drawn carriage for speeches, music and flag ceremonies. The Royal Palace has traditionally offered free entry on the day. Because it falls on a Sunday in 2027, there’s no extra day off.
Rosendal Garden Party
When: Expected 11–13 June (not yet confirmed by the organizer)
Where: Rosendal, Djurgården
Website: rosendal.com
A three-day outdoor festival in the gardens around Rosendal on Djurgården. Each evening has its own headliner; in 2026 that meant TLC, Faithless and David Byrne. The food is as much of a draw as the music, with stalls from Stockholm restaurants rather than standard festival vans.
Who it’s for: festival-goers who want one evening outdoors without camping or long transfers. Who it isn’t for: anyone on a tight budget; day tickets and food prices are priced for Djurgården.
Midsummer (Midsommar)
When: Midsummer Eve Friday 25 June; Midsummer Day Saturday 26 June
Where: Skansen, and anywhere with a maypole
Midsummer Eve is the most important day in the Swedish summer. Families raise a maypole decorated with leaves and flowers, dance around it singing songs about little frogs, and eat pickled herring, new potatoes and strawberries. Most Stockholmers leave for the countryside or the archipelago, so the city goes quiet: many shops, restaurants and attractions close on the Eve. If you don’t have a Swedish friend with a summer house, we recommend Skansen’s three-day celebration: with much of the city closed, it’s the easiest way to take part. It is also the most crowded.
Allsång på Skansen
When: Tuesday evenings from late June to August; 2027 dates not yet announced
Where: Solliden stage, Skansen
A live sing-along broadcast on Swedish TV every summer Tuesday, with well-known Swedish artists and lyrics on big screens. You need a Skansen ticket to get in, and the best spots are taken hours before the 20:00 broadcast. You won’t know most of the songs, but you’ll see a side of Swedish summer that tourist programs miss.
July
July is high season. Many Stockholmers leave for their summer houses, but visitors more than fill the gap. Attractions, museums and archipelago boats all run their full summer schedules, parks fill with people sunbathing and swimming, and the terraces stay busy into the light evenings. Some smaller, independent restaurants close for a few weeks, but most places stay open. Expect peak hotel prices, and book popular sights ahead.
Crown Princess Victoria turns 50
When: Wednesday 14 July
Victoria’s birthday (Victoriadagen) is usually celebrated on Öland, where the royal family spends the summer. For her 40th in 2017, the celebrations started in Stockholm with a carriage procession through the city. The Royal Court hasn’t announced plans for the 50th yet. We’ll add them here when it does.
Street Food Festival (Streetfoodfestivalen)
When: Late July; 2027 dates not yet announced (2026: 23–25 July)
Where: Norra Hammarbyhamnen and Anna Lindhs park, Södermalm
Website: streetfoodfestivalen.se
Around 80 food trucks line the waterfront at Norra Hammarbyhamnen for three days, with a bar area in Anna Lindhs park. Entry is free; you pay per dish. The festival also hosts the Swedish street food championship. The nearest metro is Skanstull.
Stockholm Pride
When: Late July to early August; 2027 dates not yet announced (2026: 27 July–1 August)
Where: Pride District at Slakthusområdet; Pride House; the parade through central Stockholm
Website: stockholmpride.org
Stockholm Pride is the largest Pride festival in the Nordic countries. Pride House runs debates, workshops and author talks with free entry. Pride District, the ticketed festival area with stages, bars and food, moved to Slakthusområdet in 2026. The parade on the final Saturday is the center of the week: in 2026 it ran about 4.5 km (3 miles) from Norr Mälarstrand to Slussplan and took around two hours to pass. Watching it is free.
August
August starts as high summer and ends with the first signs of autumn. By the last week, crowds thin, the evenings are dark again and the city slows a little. Warm weather often holds, so the archipelago is still worth the trip. Locals are back from their holidays, which means you share the city with Stockholmers as well as other visitors. Late August brings the first apples and the start of mushroom season in the forests around the city. In mid-August, the Stockholm Culture Festival puts five days of free stages across the city center.
Crayfish parties (Kräftskiva)
When: August
August is crayfish season. Swedes hold kräftskivor outdoors with paper lanterns, silly hats, drinking songs and piles of crayfish boiled with dill and eaten cold. Most are private parties at home or in summer houses. If you aren’t invited to one, several restaurants run crayfish menus through the month.
Stockholm Culture Festival (Kulturfestivalen)
When: Mid-August; 2027 dates not yet announced (2026: 12–16 August)
Where: Central Stockholm, including Kungsträdgården, Sergels torg and the waterfront around Gamla Stan
Website: kulturfestivalen.stockholm.se
Five days of free concerts, dance, theatre, art and workshops across the city center, run by the City of Stockholm. More than a million visits are counted each year. In 2026 the festival added stages on Slottsbacken, at Slussen and along Skeppsbrokajen. You can’t book anything; you walk between stages and stop where something catches you.
Midnattsloppet
When: Expected Saturday 14 August (not yet confirmed by the organizer)
Where: Södermalm
Website: midnattsloppet.com
The Midnight Run has looped around Södermalm since 1982. Around 35,000 runners take part across 5 km, 10 km and 21 km (3, 6 and 13 miles), with an evening start, torches, samba bands and a masquerade class for runners in costume. Even if you don’t run, the streets of Södermalm fill with spectators and turn into a street party for the night.
Stockholm Half Marathon
When: Late August; 2027 date not yet announced (2026: 29 August)
Where: Start and finish between the Royal Palace, the Parliament building and the Opera
Website: stockholmhalfmarathon.se
A 21.1 km (13 miles) course past Karlberg Palace, City Hall, the Parliament and the Royal Palace. It’s faster than the full marathon, which makes it popular with runners chasing a personal best.
Baltic Sea Festival
When: Late August to early September; 2027 dates not yet announced
Where: Berwaldhallen
Website: berwaldhallen.se
Berwaldhallen opens its autumn season with orchestras, conductors and soloists from around the Baltic Sea, paired with talks by researchers working on the sea’s environmental problems.
September
September belongs half to summer and half to autumn. The first week or two often stay warm, and it’s the last chance for archipelago trips before many island cafés and summer venues close for the season. By the second half of the month the days are shorter, the air is cooler and the first leaves turn. It’s harvest season: apples at the markets, and mushrooms in the forests around the city, which Sweden’s right of public access (allemansrätten) lets anyone pick. Bring a warm sweater.
Lidingöloppet
When: Last weekend of September; expected 24–26 September (not yet confirmed by the organizer)
Where: Lidingö, about 20 minutes from the city center
Website: lidingoloppet.se
Lidingöloppet has held the Guinness record as the world’s largest cross-country race since 1982. The main race covers 30 km (19 miles) of forest trails and hills on the island of Lidingö, with 15 km (9 miles), junior and children’s races across the weekend. Spectators line the steepest climbs with cowbells and coffee.
Autumn markets
When: September and October
Where: Skansen and other venues
Harvest and autumn markets sell apples, preserves, crafts and cured meats from producers around Sweden. See our guide to autumn markets in Stockholm for this year’s dates.
October
October is when Stockholm moves indoors. The days shorten quickly, the trees in the parks turn yellow and red, and terraces give way to candlelit cafés and heavier food. The calendar follows: the Nobel Prize announcements in the first half of the month, the Stockholm Jazz Festival in clubs and concert halls, and Halloween at the end.
Nobel Prize announcements
When: Expected 4–11 October (the Nobel Foundation publishes the schedule in February)
Where: Karolinska Institutet in Solna, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Swedish Academy in Gamla Stan
Website: nobelprize.org
One prize is announced each weekday, starting with medicine and ending with economics; the peace prize is announced in Oslo. The press conferences are for accredited journalists, but every announcement is streamed live. The literature prize is read out at the Stock Exchange Building on Stortorget, which also houses the Nobel Prize Museum.
Cinnamon Bun Day (Kanelbullens dag)
When: Monday 4 October
A national day for the cinnamon bun, set up in 1999 by the Home Baking Council. Bakeries pile them high, supermarkets sell them by the bag, and offices fill with the smell of cardamom. In 2027 it is expected to fall on the same day as the first Nobel announcement.
Nobel Calling
When: Around the Nobel announcements; 2027 dates not yet announced
Where: Venues across Stockholm, organized by the Nobel Prize Museum
A week of lectures, lab visits, exhibitions and talks with researchers, timed to the announcements. Many events are free and in English.
Stockholm Jazz Festival
When: October; 2027 dates not yet announced (2026: 9–18 October)
Where: Around 50 venues, from Fasching and Konserthuset to smaller clubs
Website: stockholmjazz.se
The festival moved from July to October in 2013 and now runs indoors for 10 days. The program mixes international names with Swedish musicians, and the smaller club gigs are often where you’ll find the most interesting sets.
Eric Ericson Award
When: 20–23 October; final at Berwaldhallen
Where: Berwaldhallen and other Stockholm venues
Website: berwaldhallen.se/en/eric-ericson-award
An international competition for choral conductors under 36, held every three years in memory of the Swedish conductor Eric Ericson. 2027 is its sixth edition. The finalists conduct the Swedish Radio Choir in a final concert at Berwaldhallen.
Halloween
When: Sunday 31 October; Gröna Lund’s Halloween season starts earlier in October
Halloween is a newer arrival in Sweden, but it has stuck. Gröna Lund reopens for its Halloween season with haunted houses and fire shows, and many museums run family events. Read our complete guide to Halloween in Stockholm.
November
November is often Stockholm’s grayest month. The clocks go back an hour at the end of October, the sun sets before 16:00 for most of the month, and the weather turns cold. Stockholm spends it indoors: at the Stockholm International Film Festival, at DreamHack and in cafés and restaurants. From mid-November restaurants start serving julbord, the Christmas buffet, and the first Christmas markets open at the end of the month.
Autumn school break (höstlov)
When: 1–5 November (week 44)
Stockholm’s schools close for a week, and museums and attractions run family programs. Expect busier mornings at child-friendly sights.
All Saints’ Day (Alla helgons dag)
When: Saturday 6 November
Where: Skogskyrkogården and cemeteries across the city
All Saints’ Day falls on the Saturday between 31 October and 6 November, so in 2027 it isn’t on Halloween. Families visit graves to light candles, and after dark Skogskyrkogården, the UNESCO-listed Woodland Cemetery in the south of the city, fills with thousands of small flames. We go after 17:00, when it’s fully dark, and dress warmly. Visitors are welcome, but this is a day of remembrance for the people around you: keep voices low and use the paths.
Stockholm Open (ATP tennis)
When: November; 2027 dates not yet announced (2026: 8–14 November)
Where: Kungliga tennishallen, Östermalm
The world’s oldest indoor ATP tournament, played in a hall built for tennis. Björn Borg, John McEnroe and Roger Federer have all won it. It moved from October to November in 2026.
Stockholm International Film Festival
When: November; 2027 dates not yet announced (2026: 11–22 November)
Where: Bio Skandia and cinemas around the city
Website: stockholmfilmfestival.se
More than 130 premieres from around the world, red-carpet screenings and Face2Face conversations with directors and actors. Bio Skandia, a 1920s cinema on Drottninggatan, is the festival hub.
Black Friday and Black Week
When: Friday 26 November, with sales running the week around it
Black Friday arrived from the US and has grown into a week of sales in Sweden. Discounts are real on electronics and clothing; on smaller design brands, less so.
DreamHack Stockholm
When: Late November; 2027 dates not yet announced (2026: 27–29 November)
Where: Stockholmsmässan, Älvsjö
Website: dreamhack.com/stockholm
A gaming festival with esports finals, a large expo, free-to-play areas and creator stages. DreamHack moved from Jönköping to Stockholm in 2024 and drew more than 52,000 visitors that first year.
Christmas markets open
When: From late November; the first Sunday of Advent is 28 November
Where: Stortorget in Gamla Stan, Skansen and other venues
Stockholm’s Christmas markets open around the first Sunday of Advent and sell glögg, roasted almonds, smoked sausage, candles and crafts. Read our Christmas market guide for this year’s dates and opening hours.
December
December is Stockholm’s second high season, after summer. Christmas lights go up across the city from late November, markets fill the squares, and locals pack restaurants for julbord with colleagues and friends, so book tables and hotels early. If you’re hoping for snow, adjust your expectations: December is more often cold, wet and gray, and snow that falls tends to melt. January and February are the better bet. If we had to pick two things to plan a December trip around, it would be Lucia and Nobel Week Lights.
Sweden International Horse Show
When: Late November or early December; 2027 dates not yet announced (2026: 3–6 December)
Where: Strawberry Arena, Solna
Website: horseshow.se
Four days of international competition in show jumping, eventing, four-in-hand driving and tölt, with show numbers between events and a large equestrian fair.
Nobel Week Lights
When: Early December; 2027 dates not yet announced (2025: 6–14 December)
Where: Outdoor sites in the city center and Tensta
Website: nobelprizemuseum.se/en/nobel-week-lights
A free light art festival where each installation is inspired by a Nobel Prize-awarded discovery or body of work. The artworks are lit from 16:00 to 22:00, which in December means fully dark. In 2025 the festival ran free guided tours in 10 languages, including English.
Nobel Week
When: Nobel Prize Concert Wednesday 8 December; Nobel Prize Award Ceremony Friday 10 December
Where: Konserthuset Stockholm, Hötorget
Website: nobelprize.org
The prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and economics are presented by the King at Konserthuset on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death; the peace prize is presented in Oslo the same day. The ceremony and the banquet at City Hall are invitation only, but both are broadcast on SVT. The Nobel Prize Concert, with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, is the part of the week you can buy a ticket for. Nobel Week Dialogue, a free day of talks with laureates, alternates between Stockholm and Gothenburg; check nobelprize.org for the 2027 city.
Lucia
When: Monday 13 December
Where: Churches, concert halls, Skansen and schools across the city
A procession in white gowns, led by Lucia with a crown of candles in her hair, singing in the dark. Concerts run for several days around 13 December in churches and concert halls, and the most popular sell out weeks ahead. Saffron buns (lussekatter) and glögg come with the season. Read our guide to Lucia concerts in Stockholm.
Christmas Eve (Julafton)
When: Friday 24 December
Christmas Eve is the main day of Swedish Christmas. Families gather for the julbord, a buffet of herring, salmon, ham, meatballs and Jansson’s temptation, and at 15:00 much of the country watches Donald Duck’s Christmas special (Kalle Anka) on SVT1. Most shops close by early afternoon. Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and Boxing Day on a Sunday, so the city stays quiet for three days.
New Year’s Eve (Nyårsafton)
When: Friday 31 December
Where: Skansen, Södermalm’s viewpoints and the waterfront
At midnight, Skansen hosts the reading of “Ring, klocka, ring”, the Swedish version of Tennyson’s “Ring Out, Wild Bells”, broadcast live on SVT. For views of the fireworks over the water, locals head to Monteliusvägen, Fjällgatan and Skinnarviksberget on Södermalm. Fireworks are let off all over the city, not from one official display, so the sky fills from every direction. Public transport is packed after midnight, and taxis are hard to find, so plan your way home before you leave. Read our guide to celebrating New Year in Stockohlm.
For more ideas, see our guides to spring, summer, autumn and winter in Stockholm.
Swedish public holidays in 2027
On public holidays, many shops and restaurants keep Sunday hours or close, and public transport runs a holiday timetable.
- New Year’s Day: Friday 1 January
- Epiphany: Wednesday 6 January
- Good Friday: 26 March
- Easter Sunday and Easter Monday: 28 and 29 March
- May Day: Saturday 1 May
- Ascension Day: Thursday 6 May
- Whit Sunday: 16 May
- National Day: Sunday 6 June
- Midsummer Day: Saturday 26 June
- All Saints’ Day: Saturday 6 November
- Christmas Day and Boxing Day: 25 and 26 December
Midsummer Eve (25 June), Christmas Eve (24 December) and New Year’s Eve (31 December) aren’t official public holidays, but most businesses treat them as if they were.
Frequently asked questions
Most organizers publish next year’s dates over the winter and spring. The Nobel Foundation sets the announcement schedule in February, and summer festivals usually confirm dates and line-ups between January and April. We update this page as dates come in.
Stockholm Culture Night, Stockholm Culture Festival, Nobel Week Lights, the Pride Parade and Pride House, the Street Food Festival (entry only) and the cherry blossoms in Kungsträdgården are all free. So is watching the Marathon, Midnattsloppet and Lidingöloppet from the roadside.
Weekends with large events fill first: the Marathon, Pride week, the Culture Festival and nights with stadium concerts. December weekends also book up early because of Christmas markets and Christmas dinners. Midsummer is the exception: hotels have rooms because locals leave town, but many restaurants close too.
Many shops, restaurants and smaller museums close or shut early, and Systembolaget is closed. Larger attractions such as Skansen stay open on Midsummer Eve. Check opening hours for each place before you go.
