Stockholm Events and Festivals

Swedish Sport Gala: held annually at the city’s Globe Arena, the Swedish Sport Gala has been called the ‘Oscars of the sporting world’. Those achieving significant successes in their respective sporting fields are presented with these much coveted awards at a ceremony attended by thousands and also screened live on national television.

Walpurgis Night at Skansen: the arrival of spring is celebrated by Stockholm residents at the Skansen open-air museum and at various venues across the city. Bonfires are lit and live music is played while visitors enjoy food, drink and general festive activity.

Gärdesloppet: an annual event that sees classic cars from a variety of eras assembled to take part in a fun packed rally where winning is often secondary to just finishing.

Archipelago Boat Day: this is an exciting boat parade that travels between Stockholm and Vaxholm and is accompanied by activities such as dancing and live music performances.

Midsummer's Eve Celebrations: this date is celebrated across Sweden to mark what used to be a highly important fertility festival. Ancient rites are still performed and include dancing around the maypole in traditional costume.

Stockholm Jazz Festival: held on Skeppsholmen Island, the Stockholm Jazz Festival sees five days of jazz and music related events which include performances by internationally acclaimed musicians. Past festivals have been graced by the likes of Stan Getz, Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder and Dizzy Gillespie

The Cultural Festival of Stockholm: this annual event is a chance to catch the best of the city’s cultural scene with a programme featuring music, international theatre, dance performances, art and storytelling.

Baltic Sea Festival: this is held not only in Stockholm but also in Helsinki, Turku and Gdansk and is a music-based event that sees a week of concerts, seminars and orchestral performances. A varied program includes interpretations of the works of famous composers such as Mozart and Mahler. Performances by choirs and solo singers are also invariably part of the agenda.

Stockholm Yoga Festival: enthusiasts of the ancient Indian practice of yoga will find this event of great interest. Like-minded persons assemble to contribute to a program of discussion, practice and workshops intended to increase awareness and promote existing and new yogic concepts.

Annual Museum Night: on the first of the month, many of the city’s most significant cultural institutions open their doors until 01:00 for the annual museum night. Each individual museum presents its own program which includes events such as readings, discussions, visits from artists and other prolific figures and performance art.

Stockholm International Film Festival: For 11 days, the city’s cinemas dedicate themselves to the screening of international film and documentary creations from both independent and big name directors from around the world. Various genres are represented and the events program is divided accordingly.

Stockholm International Horse Show: held in the first week of the month at the Stockholm Globe Arena, the Stockholm International Horse Show sees a variety of equine-related events over its three-day period. Horse lovers will revel in presentations of various horse and pony breeds such as Shetlands and Swedish Ardennes as well as a variety of riding displays.