31 things to do in Stockholm in October

Hofesh Shechter has choreographed ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ on Broadway and now leads one of the world’s most acclaimed dance companies, based in England. Now he’s back at Dansens Hus with ‘Theatre of Dreams’, a work exploring dreams, fears and desires, featuring 13 dancers and live music composed by Shechter himself.

The work premiered in Paris in 2024 and was nominated for an Olivier Award the following year.

Dansens Hus, Main Stage, Barnhusgatan 12–14. 19.00, also October 2–4. Tickets: SEK 498 via Dansens Hus.

Theme nights are everywhere these days. This autumn alone, Debaser is hosting a noughties night, a ‘Twilight’ rave on Halloween and, back in September, even a ‘Shrek’ rave. It seems a band, a film or a decade is a surer way to fill a dancefloor than simply letting a DJ loose.

Kent is an obvious choice. The band called it quits in 2016, returned for six nights at 3Arena in March 2025, and this year their album ‘Verkligen’ turns 30. From 23.00 to 03.00, expect songs from across their catalogue, from the noisy guitars of their early years to the arena-sized choruses that came later. Expect a singalong.

Debaser Strand, Hornstulls strand 4. 23.00–03.00. SEK 100 early bird, SEK 175 on the door. Tickets via Debaser.

Fotografiska’s ‘Harder Better Faster Stronger – Are Men Ok?’ is all about masculinity. Thirty artists from around the world present photography, film and sculpture, covering everything from looksmaxxing and bar fights to parental leave and wrestling. Herb Ritts’s 1978 portrait of a young Richard Gere hangs in the same exhibition as Johan Bävman’s photograph of a father with his baby.

If you want to get a head start, the opening party takes place the night before, on Friday October 2. From 14.00 on Saturday, you can also hear from some of the artists in a panel discussion.

Fotografiska, Stadsgårdshamnen 22. ‘Harder Better Faster Stronger – Are Men OK?’ runs October 3–February 7. Open daily 10.00–23.00. Admission SEK 195.

Around 100 buildings and places across Stockholm open up for free tours on the first weekend of October, and Sunday is your last chance to take a look. This year’s theme is ‘Our Shared City’, and Sunday’s programme reflects it. Four co-housing developments open their doors, including Färdknäppen and Sjöfarten in Hammarby sjöstad. If you’re after something more unusual, you can step inside the world’s oldest indoor tennis hall, explore the decommissioned reactor hall at KTH Royal Institute of Technology or visit the Nordic region’s only working silk-weaving mill.

Many tours require booking, so check the programme before you go.

Various locations across Greater Stockholm. Friday October 2–Sunday October 4. Free, some tours require advance booking. Programme at openhousestockholm.com.

Sofia Coppola’s debut film ‘The Virgin Suicides’ follows five sisters kept shut away by their strict parents, and the neighbourhood boys who can’t stop thinking about them. A young Kirsten Dunst stars, with a soundtrack by French duo Air.

Bio Rio is screening it just once, on a Monday when most of Stockholm is taking things slow anyway.

Bio Rio, Hornstulls strand 3. Film starts at 18.00. Tickets: SEK 190 via Bio Rio.

‘Heading for the Sea!’ explores the era when sea bathing became fashionable. In the late nineteenth century, seaside resorts sprang up along Europe’s coasts, and artists followed. Monet and Degas painted in Normandy, the Skagen painters in Denmark, while Zorn, Munch and Sigrid Hjertén also feature.

The exhibition grew out of a research project on German seaside resorts and spans the 1870s to 1945. It presents the beach both as a holiday idyll and a place of crowds and confrontation.

Nationalmuseum, Södra Blasieholmshamnen 2. Until February 7. Tuesday–Sunday 11.00–17.00, Thursday 11.00–20.00, closed Mondays. Admission SEK 160.

Engla Li made her debut last November with ‘Slussen’, an indie-pop song about a messy night out around Slussen that makes no attempt to romanticise Stockholm. She has since released ‘Havet’.

Now she’s playing cocktail bar Americain as part of Haymarket Live, the hotel’s new series bringing ten new Swedish artists to the stage over ten Wednesdays. 

You can find the full autumn line-up in Time Out’s piece on Haymarket Live.

Americain, Haymarket by Scandic, Hötorget 13–15. 21.00–22.00. Free entry.

Copenhagen trio Farveblind mix techno, breakbeat, industrial and post-punk, earning a reputation as an explosive live act with shows at festivals including Roskilde and Reeperbahn. Their debut album ‘Micro Pleasures’ arrived in May, mixed by Gustav Brunn, who has also worked with Viagra Boys and Yung Lean. Guests on the record include Elliphant and Django Django.

Hus 7, Styckmästargatan 10, Slakthusområdet. Doors 19.00, show around 20.00. Tickets from SEK 225 via Billetto. Free entry for members.

In December, Leeds band Yard Act took to the stage at Avicii Arena supporting The Hives, at what became the Swedish band’s biggest ever show on home soil. Now they’re back for a headline show of their own, on a much smaller scale.

They’re bringing with them their third album, ‘You’re Gonna Need a Little Music’, released in July and their best yet. Singer James Smith has described the first two records as ‘laptop albums’. This time, the band wrote around 50 songs together in the same room and kept 11, including ‘Empty Pledges’, one of the summer’s biggest post-punk belters.

Kägelbanan, Södra Teatern, Mosebacke torg 1–3. Tickets: SEK 365 via Södra Teatern.

Two days after this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature is announced, you can see a musical about the man behind the prize. ‘Mr. Dynamite – the Man Behind the Nobel Prize’ is written by Andreas Boonstra, with music by Jan-Erik Sääf, and explores the battles behind the creation of the prize.

The idea came from Jonas Nerbe, who also stars in the show. It has its world premiere the Wednesday before and runs until November 15, before heading out on tour in the spring.

Ö2 Scenkonst (the former Boulevardteatern), Götgatan 73. 19.00. Tickets from SEK 150 via Nortic.

Yung Lean has spent the past ten years painting, making collages and building sculptures, mostly for himself. ‘Collected Works 2016–2026’ is his first exhibition, and most of the work has never been shown before. He has transformed the space himself into a series of different environments. There’s also a new short film starring Yung Lean, about two lovers travelling the back roads of the Swedish countryside.

After Sunday, a selection of the works, mainly the sculptures, will be auctioned through Bukowskis.

Gasverket, Torsgatan 22. Tuesday–Sunday 12.00–19.00, until October 11. Free entry.

Stockholm Jazz Festival runs from October 9–18, with gigs across the city. Time Out’s pick is Monday night at Fasching, where Norwegian saxophonist Hanna Paulsberg and her quartet take on ‘Belonging’, Keith Jarrett’s 1974 ECM Records classic. Their performance of the album at Oslo Jazz Festival sold out.

Fasching, Kungsgatan 63. Doors 18.00, show 20.00. Standing tickets SEK 250. Tickets via Fasching.

Sweden have played at every Women’s World Cup since the first in 1991, but their route to Brazil 2027 goes through the play-offs. First up are Lithuania. After the away leg on October 9, the tie will be decided at Strawberry Arena on October 13, with the winners facing either Czechia or Scotland in the next round.

On paper, Sweden are clear favourites, but the squad is thinner than usual. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Kosovare Asllani are both out with ACL injuries, while Fridolina Rolfö is expecting a baby.

Strawberry Arena, Solna. Kick-off 19.00. Tickets SEK 109–399 via Svensk Fotboll.

Stockholm Film Festival runs from November 11–22, but the celebrations start early with a party to mark the programme launch. The night kicks off on Pelago’s rooftop before moving downstairs to Café Klotet. Mahlet Keleme, aka The Supercat From Addis, takes over the decks with jazz, R&B, hip hop and soul, with a particular focus on music from Ethiopia.

The first guests through the door will get a limited-edition tote bag.

Pelago and Café Klotet, Urvädersgränd 15A. From 18.00. Free entry.

For one night only, restaurant G.A.T. is moving into Sturehof’s upstairs dining rooms. There’ll be a four-course dinner, cocktails from the drinks trolley and DJ Storkn. At 22.00, dinner gives way to a party, and everyone’s welcome, whether you’ve booked a table or not.

Sturehof, Stureplan 2. Dinner from 19.00, party 22.00–00.00. The party is open to everyone. Dinner reservations via Sturehof.

For the first time, Gröna Lund is throwing a Halloween night just for adults. ‘Midnight Circus’ is strictly 20-plus, with haunted houses and rides joined by DJ stages, pop-up bars, food and drinks. Gröna Lund is billing it as ‘Sweden’s biggest Halloween party’.

Tickets are limited and must be booked in advance.

Gröna Lund, Djurgården. 18.30–00.00. Age limit 20. Tickets SEK 495, dinner packages from SEK 699, via Gröna Lund.

It’s been seven years since Robyn last played Stockholm. Now she’s returning for her biggest headline show ever, and her first stadium gig, at 3Arena. The original plan was for three nights at Avicii Arena in July, but those were swapped for one huge hometown show in October.

She’ll be bringing ‘Sexistential’, an album with songs about having sex during IVF treatment, dating in your forties and choosing to become a single mother. Smerz and Becky and the Birds are supporting.

3Arena, Johanneshov. 19.00. Tickets from SEK 695 via 3Arena.

Twenty-five years after the Reese Witherspoon film, ‘Legally Blonde – The Musical’ has just had its Swedish premiere at Södra Teatern. Lovisa Lekfalk stars as Elle Woods, with a cast made up largely of young musical theatre performers, several of them fresh out of drama school. The show is performed in Swedish.

It’s also the first step in Södra Teatern’s plan to become an Off-Broadway-style musical theatre, with smaller productions and cheaper tickets. If you’re under 25, youth tickets start at SEK 195.

Södra Teatern, Mosebacke torg 1–3. 14.00, weekends until November 22. Tickets from SEK 195 via Södra Teatern.

A lavish wedding that ends with the destruction of Earth. Lars von Trier’s modern cult classic ‘Melancholia’ was practically made to become an opera, and Mikael Karlsson’s adaptation earned rave reviews when it premiered in 2023. Now it’s back, with the Royal Swedish Orchestra, synthesisers and Anne Sofie von Otter as the bitter mother.

Monday is the final performance. It’s also the Royal Swedish Opera’s last autumn in its historic home before the company moves out for renovations.

Royal Swedish Opera, Gustav Adolfs torg 2. 19.00 (approx. three hours including interval). Sung in English with Swedish surtitles. Tickets from SEK 65 via Royal Swedish Opera.

British band Placebo, one of the coolest acts of the ’90s, are turning 30 and celebrating with songs from their first two albums, ‘Placebo’ and ‘Without You I’m Nothing’, the records that gave us hits including ‘Nancy Boy’ and ‘Every You Every Me’. Some of the songs haven’t been played live in more than 20 years, and in June the band also released ‘Placebo RE’, a newly recorded version of their debut album.

The band also have a Swedish connection. Bassist Stefan Olsdal was born in Gothenburg and attended boarding school in Sigtuna, where he played in a band with Placebo’s original drummer Robert Schultzberg.

Annexet, Globentorget 2. Doors 18.30. Show starts 19.30. Tickets from SEK 800 via Live Nation.

Karl Lagerfeld was first up in 2004. Since then, H&M has teamed up with names including Stella McCartney, Maison Martin Margiela, Kenzo and Sonia Rykiel, bringing designer pieces that would normally cost a fortune into regular H&M stores, with queues outside to match.

Now, 30 of those collaborations are being shown together for the first time, inside Sven-Harrys’ golden building in Vasaparken.

Sven-Harrys Art Museum, Eastmansvägen 10–12. Until April 4. Tuesday–Friday 10.00–18.00 (Thursday until 20.00), Saturday–Sunday 11.00–17.00, closed Mondays. Tickets SEK 180 via Sven-Harrys.

It’s been 50 years since Stevie Wonder released ‘Songs in the Key of Life’, the album that gave us ‘Sir Duke’, ‘I Wish’ and ‘Isn’t She Lovely’. On his anniversary tour, the 76-year-old legend is playing the record in full, from start to finish.

3Arena, Johanneshov. Doors 18.00, show around 20.00. Tickets from SEK 770 (plus booking fee) via Live Nation.

After three years behind hoardings, Söderhallarna at Medborgarplatsen is reopening. First up is the food hall, with Köttkompaniet, Sjömatbaren, cheese specialist Affinage and Pärlans Konfektyr among the traders. Restaurants opening include SIN Ramen, Kajsas Fisk, Asian bistro Zazha and Swedish-Danish beer café Kafé Søder.

We’re most curious about Bouillon, a bistro inspired by the nineteenth-century French tradition of serving affordable food in grand surroundings.

Söderhallarna, Medborgarplatsen. Opens Friday October 23. Read more in Time Out’s guide to the new Söderhallarna.

Natural wine festival Avskalat is back for its eighth year, once again at Brygghuset near Odenplan. You can taste organic and biodynamic wines and craft cider, and chat to importers including Rekovin, Backyard Wines and Kulturvin. There’ll also be food and snacks from the likes of Arla Unika and Muscadet.

Brygghuset, Norrtullsgatan 12N. First session 12.00–16.00, second session 17.00–21.00. Tickets from SEK 200 via Nortic.

Ulriksdal’s autumn market turns 30 this year, and as usual the palace grounds will be filled with crafts and delicacies from local producers. Over the weekend, you can also explore the palace at your own pace and see Queen Christina’s coronation carriage in the stables.

On Sunday, Confidencen, Sweden’s oldest Rococo theatre, opens its doors for three short opera concerts, each lasting half an hour. The programme includes music by Mozart, Bizet and Verdi.

Ulriksdal Palace grounds, Solna. 11.00–16.00. Free entry to the market. Opera concerts at 12.00, 13.30 and 15.00, tickets from SEK 120 via Nortic.

The rock caverns beneath Skeppsholmen have some new residents: 26 full-size animatronic dinosaurs, two complete skeletons and three skulls. They’re surrounded by a prehistoric landscape filled with 2,000 plants, water, wind, sounds and smells. ‘Dino Experience’ is the brainchild of a team including Janne Broman, one of the founders of Fotografiska.

It’s the autumn break, so expect plenty of families. Time slots are limited, so it’s worth booking ahead.

Dinos Experience, Bergrummet, Svensksundsvägen 5, Skeppsholmen. Open daily 10.00–20.00. Admission SEK 195, children aged 12 and under SEK 145. Tickets via Dinos.

Jonathan Demme’s 1984 film ‘Stop Making Sense’ is often hailed as the greatest concert film ever made. Talking Heads build the show piece by piece, from David Byrne alone with a tape recorder to the full band, and then there’s that big suit.

Bio Rio, Hornstulls strand 3. Film starts at 18.00. Tickets SEK 190 via Bio Rio.

Lars Lerin’s watercolours have never been this big. In ‘Det mörka ljuset’, his paintings are projected across the walls and floors, alongside archive footage, music and narration by Lerin himself. The journey takes you from his childhood in Munkfors via the Lofoten Islands to Syria and India, exploring loneliness, shame, addiction and finding light in the darkness.

The work was created by documentary filmmaker Sara Broos, who has spent a year working on the project.

Elverket, Linnégatan 69. Tuesday–Sunday 10.00–20.00, until January 10. Admission SEK 250. Tickets via Elverket.

Catch an English-language stand-up night with Curated Comedy Nights at ComedyNation Mariatorget on Södermalm. Expect a fast-paced evening of sharp comedy from acts including Peter Lisinski, Dr. Zero and Cami Vee.

Pitcher’s Mariatorget. Every Thursday from 18.00. Shows run for two hours. Book your tickets in advance.

The winter edition of Comic Con Stockholm is the biggest in the Nordics and runs for three days. This year’s guests include Ben Barnes, known for ‘Narnia’ and ‘Shadow and Bone’, and Troy Baker, the voice of Joel in ‘The Last of Us’ video game. Alongside the guest appearances, there’ll be stage shows, panels and an entire exhibition hall packed with exhibitors.

Stockholmsmässan, Mässvägen 1, Älvsjö. Friday October 30, 10.00–19.00, runs until November 1. Day tickets from SEK 385, children aged 4–12 from SEK 275, via Comic Con Stockholm.

Shockholm bills itself as the biggest Halloween parade in the Nordics, and anyone can join in, for free and without signing up. There’ll be a costume competition for several age groups, before the spooky parade sets off from Sergels torg at 19.00.

If you want to keep going once the families have headed home, Kollektivet Livet is hosting its Halloween EMO Club for the fourth year running. Cover band Pink-182 kicks things off with a marathon of hits, followed by emo and pop-punk on one dancefloor and metalcore on another. There’s also emo karaoke and Guitar Hero.

Shockholm: Sergels torg. 17.00–21.00, parade starts at 19.00. Free. More at shockholm.se.

Halloween EMO Club: Kollektivet Livet, Stadsgårdsterminalen. Doors 20.00. Tickets from SEK 135 via Nortic.