Scandinavian Culture Calendar: February 2025

By Karl Batterbee

From documentary to design and from light festivals to song festivals… the Nordic nations have got their own traditions for lighting up the month of February!

Copenhagen Light Festival (31 January to 23 February)

In February, Denmark’s capital is, for the seventh year running, all set to be blessed with some truly stunning light installations. For over three weeks, the city and harbour will be lit up, offering locals and tourists extraordinary light experiences all the way from Nordhavn to Ørestad. Copenhagen Light Festival will take over beautiful old buildings, architectural squares, the city’s canals and plenty of other spaces besides. If you fancy taking a trip to see what’s in store for the 2025 edition of the festival, you can choose to either experience the many light installations by yourself or join one of the festival’s guided tours by Segway, canal boat, kayak, or by taking a regular guided walk.

Copenhagen, Denmark

www.copenhagenlightfestival.org

Stockholm Design Week (3 to 9 February)

Stockholm Design Week is once again inviting one and all to a city buzzing with events, exhibitions and open show rooms. The popular staple of Swedish culture is by now renowned for welcoming professionals, industry insiders and the public to participate in design events and product launches in the city – to meet, mingle and network. The aim of Stockholm Design Week in 2025 is the same as it has always been: to push the Scandinavian design industry forward and to engage both professionals and enthusiasts alike in the wonderful world of design. This is where design enthusiasts meet to exchange new ideas, create new connections and get inspired.

Stockholm, Sweden

www.stockholmdesignweek.com

Scandinavian Culture Calendar: February 2025

The film Wisdom of Happiness is on the programme for DocPoint 2025. Photo: Das Kollektiv GmbH

DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival (4 to 9 February)

DocPoint has become a highlight in the cultural calendar of Finland, bringing the most remarkable festival hits and more experimental gems to local audiences. Founded in 2001, DocPoint is the only festival in Finland solely dedicated to non-fiction films. Once a year it screens more than a hundred of the best and most talked-about documentary films from all over the world, as well as Finland, across the cinemas of Helsinki. Since its inception, the festival has aimed to broaden the understanding of its audiences as to what’s happening in the world, to discuss and engage with the state of humanity and the environment, and to feature varied ways of telling stories and interpreting the world through non-fiction filmmaking. As a result, it’s become an unmissable event inside and outside Finland’s creative community.

Helsinki, Finland

www.docpointfestival.fi/en

From Moomin to Chop Chop (15 February to 17 August)

In a joyful and extensive new exhibition, Prince Eugen’s Waldemarsudde is high lighting four of the Nordic region’s most prominent children’s book illustrators: Tove Jansson, Ilon Wikland, Pija Linden baum and Linda Bondestam. The carefully curated presentation of their iconic works offers a unique insight into the creative process, and how these artists come up with so many beloved characters and fascinating fairytales. Anyone attending will get the opportunity to experience more of the Moomin family, Ronja the Robber’s Daughter, Bridget and the Grey Wolves, and the robot Chop Chop, among other Nordic childhood favourites.

Stockholm, Sweden

www.waldemarsudde.se

Ilon Wikland, Madicken och Junibackens Pims, Photo: Göteborgs konstmuseum / Hossein Sehatlou. © Design Ilon Wikland AB. Madicken: TM and © The Astrid Lindgren Company

Nordic Eurovision national finals

The Eurovision Song Contest doesn’t happen until May, but all throughout February it’s time for the five Nordic nations to find their entries, and to get engrossed in their own song competitions in the process.

Eurovision pre-selections take over primetime Saturday-night television this month, and all five arena-scale events are open to the public too, so anyone can go along and watch the competitions unfold. Here’s a run-through of what’s happening when and where:

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu

Finland’s Eurovision pre-selection hap pens on Saturday 8 February at the Nokia Arena in Tampere. Inside the country’s largest venue, a ticket to the show will also get you into the all-nighter after-party, as well as a pre-party to get attendees warmed up for the evening.

Wig Wam represented Norway at Eurovision in 2005, and are competing for the honour once more in 2025. Photo: Julia Marie Naglestad/NRK

Melodi Grand Prix

Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix is happening one week later on Saturday 15 February, at the Oslo Spektrum arena in the capital. Amongst the lineup of artists competing, guests can look forward to seeing Melodi Grand Prix 2005 winners Wig Wam and Eurovision 1985 winners Bobbysocks!

Bobbysocks are celebrating 40 years since they won the Eurovision Song Contest for Norway in 1985. They take part in Melodi Grand Prix again this year. Photo: Julia Marie Naglestad/NRK

Melodifestivalen

One night isn’t enough for the Swedes… Their Eurovision pre-selection takes place over six weeks; every Saturday night in February and the first two Saturdays in March. And wherever you are in the country, chances are there’s an event happening near you on one of the six nights. For Melodifestivalen 2025, the competition goes on tour to Luleå, Gothenburg, Västerås, Malmö, Jönköping and Stockholm.

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix

The Boxen Arena in Herning plays host to Denmark’s Eurovision pre-selection on Saturday 1 March. And there’s more at stake than most for the Danes… Denmark now holds the unwanted record for having the longest non-qualification streak at the Eurovision Song Contest. The country hasn’t qualified for the Eurovision Grand Final since 2019.

Söngvakeppnin

After two semi-finals earlier in the month, Iceland chooses its Eurovision entry at the Söngvakeppnin final on Saturday 22 February. As Iceland is without an arena, the big event is happening at RVK Studios, but anyone can buy a ticket and attend the glittering show.