Festivals and Events
-
Christmas Markets
Several locations around the city including Skansen, Gamla Stan and Djurgården.
-
Swedish Sports Gala
Annual event at the city’s Globe Arena.
http://www.globearenas.se -
Stockholm Furniture Fair
Pioneering designs at the impressive International Fairs Centre.
http://www.stockholmfurniturefair.com -
Wilderness Fair
Celebrating the Nordic love of everything outdoors. Also at the Fairs Centre.
http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Event____1535... -
Walpurgis Night
Celebrates the arrival of spring with bonfires and choral singers.
-
Tjejtrampet
Thousands of women cyclists race through the streets of the city.
-
Restaurangernas Dag
Stockholm’s restaurants set up tables in central Kungstradgarden and offer food, drinks and entertainment.
-
Stockholm Jazz Festival
One of Europe’s premier jazz events.
http://www.stockholmjazz.com -
Stockholm Pride
Gay and lesbian event held in early August.
http://www.stockholmpride.org -
Lidingöloppet
The world’s largest cross-country race with 25-30,000 competitors.
http://www.lidingoloppet.se -
Stockholm Open
A major tennis tournament attracting world-class players.
http://www.stockholmopen.se -
International Film Festival
Top international actors and directors converge on Stockholm for an important celebration of cinema.
http://www.filmfestivalen.se -
Nobel Prize Day
The ceremony is at the Stockholm Concert House, but it’s strictly by invitation only!
http://www.nobelprize.org
Theatre, Cinema and Opera
Stockholm is a theatre city with outstanding dance, opera and music performances. Operas are usually performed in their original language, while theatre performances are invariably in Swedish. Ticket sales are handled by the tourist office at Sweden House or you can buy direct at Biljett-Direkt (www.ticnet.se). Tickets generally aren’t cheap and are often sold out, especially for Saturday shows, but you can occasionally get good value, last-minute deals. These are some of the main venues:
- Konserthuset – features classical concerts including performances by the Royal Philharmonic. www.konserthuset.se
- Operan – the place to go for opera and ballet. www.operan.se
- Folkoperan – stages unconventional productions of opera and modern ballet. www.folkoperan.se
- Dramaten – the Royal Theatre, staging a range of plays in fantastic Art Nouveau surroundings. www.dramaten.se
For an overview, pick up the free Teater Guide from tourist offices.
One of the reasons why Scandinavians speak such good English is because films are seldom dubbed but shown in the original English language with subtitles. Only those aimed at very young audiences will have Swedish voices added. Swedish movie theatres mainly feature the latest in big-name international films, but they also mix in some classics, art films and Swedish titles. At most cinemas, ticket prices vary with the time of the day and the day of the week.
Museums and Galleries
Swedes really know how to set up a museum and Stockholm has around 70 of the finest. Many contain world-class treasures and most are loaded with atmosphere. Best of all, several of them are free of charge. Most have self-guided tours in English. Stockholm has ten Royal castles in and around the city, including the vast Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) and the World Heritage-listed Drottningholm. The Djurgården houses the outdoor museum Skansen and the Vasa Ship Museum (details under &ls
quo;Top Spots’). Sweden’s largest art museum is the Nationalmuseum. It contains art and sculpture from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. www.nationalmuseum.se
The national historical collection is at the Historiska Museet. It covers 10,000 years of Swedish history and culture. www.historiska.se
Among the other museums on offer is the Musikmuseet (www.musikmuseet.se) where hands-on displays let you try musical instruments or pretend you’re in Abba!
For Children
Children have a special status in Stockholm, and the city is particularly well adapted to the needs of the entire family. Restaurants, museums, hotels, department stores and other facilities offer special options and attractions for the children, which makes the experiences more enjoyable for every family member. Many are located on the island of Djurgården, the royal park. These include Junibacken, where the little ones can come face-to-face with many of the beloved characters from the storyworld of Astrid Lindgren such as Pippi Longstocking, Emil in Lönneberga and Karlsson on the Roof.
There is also the Aquaria Water Museum, home to fish and other marine life from all the oceans of the world, and the open air museum Skansen, with its zoo and amusement park, Gröna Lund. Then there’s Kulturhuset, The Culture House, in the city centre, with libraries, theatres, exhibitions, workshops and play areas for children; most of these are free. All over the city, visitors can find numerous parks and green areas, playgrounds, swimming and sports facilities for children of all ages.
Information for the current month is included in the event calendar What´s On which you can find at tourist offices. Useful addresses and opening hours can also be found there. Many museums have special exhibitions for children and activities at weekends and during school holidays. You may also find newspapers´ event calendars useful.
