This Week in Scandinavia · 27 October–2 November 2026
This Week in Scandinavia — 27 October–2 November
The light is doing something extraordinary across Scandinavia right now — that low, amber-gold slant of late October that turns every cobblestone and copper roof into something worth stopping for. The cities are leaning into the dark with their own kind of flair: dinosaurs beneath Stockholm, 20,000 pumpkins in Tivoli's gardens and fires in Malmö's Folkets Park. This is the week the season turns.
The week ahead
Stockholm · Skeppsholmen · Daily, 10:00–20:00
Dinos Experience — Bergrummet
Step into the rock chambers beneath Skeppsholmen for an atmospheric dinosaur outing. Dinos Experience uses animatronic dinosaurs with immersive sound, light, scent and movement in a 2,500-square-metre underground setting. If you are still hungry for prehistory, Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs is also on at Elverket this autumn.
Stockholm · Södermalm · Reopened 23 October
Söderhallarna returns
After three years of renovation, Söderhallarna has reopened by Medborgarplatsen. Its return is deliberately staged: Köttkompaniet, Sjömatbaren and Kajsas Fisk are among the first names welcoming visitors, with more food, drink and culture to follow through autumn and into 2027. It feels like the kind of small civic celebration that matters deeply to a neighbourhood.
Malmö · Folkets Park · 26–31 October
Skräckveckan — Horror Week
Folkets Park turns delightfully spooky for the autumn break, with magic, creative workshops and a VR rollercoaster for families. On Friday 30 October, Pangea Scenkonst brings a fire show and the park hosts an all-ages All Saints' rave. See the official programme for times and details.
Göteborg · Wednesday 28 October · 11:00–17:00
Día de Muertos — Museum of World Culture
The Museum of World Culture welcomes visitors to a warm Día de Muertos celebration, organised with the Mexican Association of Gothenburg. Expect crafts, workshops, performances and film for all ages, including Mexican paper flowers inspired by cempasúchil. For another seasonal outing, Universeum's Halloween programme continues through Sunday.
Copenhagen · Tivoli Gardens · Final weekend, 31 October–1 November
Halloween in Tivoli
Tivoli's Halloween season closes on Sunday, 1 November. The Gardens are filled with more than 20,000 pumpkins, while Villa Vendetta and The Haunted House offer a darker detour. On Sunday, families can come in costume, with face painting and a children's Halloween Hunt from 11:00 to 16:00, while supplies last.
Humlebæk · Louisiana Museum of Modern Art · Through 18 April 2027
Tracey Emin: A Second Life
Louisiana's major autumn exhibition traces almost 40 years of Tracey Emin's practice through painting, drawing, sculpture, textile, film and installation. The museum's setting on the Øresund coast is reason enough to make the train journey from Copenhagen; this is a show that gives you a reason to stay for hours.
Stockholm · Swedish History Museum · Permanent exhibition
The Viking World
At the Swedish History Museum, The Viking World offers an immersive journey through the Viking Age. The museum describes it as the world's largest Viking exhibition, with 2,500 original objects, interactive displays and a virtual-reality glimpse of a 12th-century stave church. It is permanent, so there is no rush — only a very good reason to go.
Hidden gem of the week
Arctic Festival — Nordatlantens Brygge, Copenhagen
On 31 October and 1 November, Arctic Festival brings the North Atlantic and Arctic into the heart of Copenhagen at Nordatlantens Brygge and Det Arktiske Hus. The programme moves between talks, exhibitions, art, history, culture and family activities, with perspectives connected to Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and the wider Arctic. Admission is free, although some events may have limited capacity.
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Marina Abramović: Seven Deaths — Cisternerne, Copenhagen
If I could send every one of you somewhere this week, it would be to Cisternerne in Frederiksberg. Marina Abramović's Seven Deaths is a cinematic opera installation that unfolds through seven films in the art space's dark, subterranean chambers. It closes on 30 November, so book ahead, go on a weekday if you can and leave time to sit with it afterwards.
Late October in Scandinavia is one of my favourite times of year — the cities feel more themselves somehow, less performed and more lived-in. I hope something in this week's edition gives you a reason to explore, whether you are already here or planning your next visit.
Warmly,
Gabrielle
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