Scandinavian Culture Calendar: May 2026
By Karl Batterbee
Norwegian twins Marcus & Martinus are staging two of their biggest shows to date this summer, in Oslo and Stockholm. Photo: Tove Floss
It’s going to be a May filled with music, as some of the biggest local and international names head out to see audiences across Scandinavia. And the biggest music stage of them all – the Eurovision Song Contest – will be finding its 70th winner, with the Nordic nations once again taking all of the pre-Contest hype and headlines.
Marcus & Martinus – The Room (8 and 9 May)
The Norwegian twins have come a long way since their debut in 2012, when they were just ten years old. Now, with a 14-year career to look back on and celebrate, the duo perform two of their biggest shows to date. On 8 and 9 May they’ll perform at the Unity Arena in Oslo and the Avicii Arena in Stockholm, respectively. This comes off the back of a European tour, during which they promoted songs from their latest album, The Room, as well as plenty of classics and fan favourites. Longtime followers of the pair will know that they can expect more than just vocals at these shows, with some mind-blowing choreography and spectacular lighting displays on offer, too. Their music suits large-scale settings like this best of all.
Oslo, Stockholm
The Hard Cut exhibition in Helsinki promises to offer viewers something extraordinary. Marlon Wobst, Kanal. Photo: Eric Tschernow
Hard Cut (until 17 May)
Helsinki Contemporary has organised the presentation of a selection of paintings by Jon Koko (Sweden), Marie Rud Rosenzweig (Denmark) and Marlon Wobst (Germany), in the brand-new group exhibition Hard Cut. All three artists construct multi-layered paintings that play with the flatness of the picture plane in distinctive ways. Each explores the human condition through depictions of landscapes, objects or architecture, in styles that verge on abstraction; resulting in a unique experience for each viewer. The exhibition is running until the middle of May, so if you’re in the Finnish capital, this is your chance to see something special.
Helsinki
The 70th Eurovision Song Contest (12 – 16 May)
The Nordic nations are once again creating all the headlines when it comes to the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be coming to us live from Vienna in Austria for its 70th edition in May. The bookies have an overwhelming favourite to win the competition in 2026, and that’s Finland. The country will be represented by Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen, with their song Liekinheitin. Already a huge number one at home for them (on both the singles chart and the radio airplay chart), the song has taken on a life of its own internationally, too, despite being performed in Finnish. Pete’s rock vocals merged with strings by classical violinist Linda is striking a chord with many, and bookies aren’t offering odds any higher than 2.5/1.
Next most-favoured is Denmark, who hasn’t been seen in the upper echelons of the pre-Contest betting odds for many years. Responsible for the hype is Søren Torpegaard Lund and his atmospheric pop bop in Danish, Før Vi Går Hjem. His performance at Denmark’s Melodi Grand Prix (which he won) in February seems to have sealed the deal for many, with his glass-box staging bringing some fresh visuals to the art of the pop performance. It’s likely to make an even bigger impact with some Eurovision-sized budget behind it.
Søren Torpegaard Lund has taken Denmark to the top of the pre-Contest Eurovision betting odds for the first time in many years. Photo: Nikolaj Thaning Rentzmann
Also in the Top 10 of the bookies odds is Sweden, who currently holds the record for most Eurovision Song Contest victories with Ireland; both countries are on seven wins apiece. For the 2026 Contest, the Swedes are sending My System, a raved-up banger that’s bathed in laser lights during its performance. The song has spent two months at number one in Sweden and seems like an obvious lock-in to take over the charts of Europe later in the summer (and not least the dance floors).
If pre-Contest hype is to be believed, it looks very likely that Eurovision Song Contest fans will be heading to the Nordics next May, with the winner of this year’s edition getting to host the show in 2027.
FELICIA will represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest after spending two months at number one back home, with My System. Photo: Ninja Hanna
Olivia Dean – The Art of Loving (14 – 17 May)
British soul artist Olivia Dean is currently on her biggest tour to date, which included four sold-out nights at the O2 Arena in London, and she’s arriving to the Nordics this month! She’ll play Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm on 14, 16 and 17 May, respectively, where she’ll no doubt further cement her status as one of the most captivating voices in neo-soul and pop. Following the success of her albums Messy and The Art of Loving, Olivia Dean has become a permanent fixture in the Top 10 of the charts across the globe. Once audiences in Europe get to see her, the artist will be commencing a much-anticipated tour of the US throughout the summer.
Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm
Following four sold-out shows at the O2 Arena in London, one of the biggest popstars in the world right now is coming to the Nordics in May. Photo: Press image
Film Stills by Malla Hukkanen (throughout May)
Film still photographs, colloquially known as simply stills, are not freeze frames from the film reel, but rather photographers’ reinterpretations of scenes. The still photographer steps in with their camera once the scene has been shot, with the goal of capturing the atmosphere of the scene (and at times of the entire film) into a single image. Marja-Leena “Malla” Hukkanen has photographed film stills for more than four decades and is one of the few Finnish photographers who have devoted their entire career to film still photography. This brand-new exhibition presents Hukkanen’s series Shadows in Paradise, based on Aki Kaurismäki’s films. Also on display are stills and behind-the-scenes photos from films selected by Hukkanen herself from across her career.
Helsinki
Malla Hukkanen will showcase her extensive career in film still photography via a brand-new exhibition in the Finnish capital this summer. Kauas pilvet karkaavat, 1996 / ohj. Aki Kaurismäki, Sputnik oy
Newkid at Stockholm Under Stjärnorna (27 May)
Get ready for a magical early summer evening when Newkid brings his music to Stockholm Under Stjärnorna, as the iconic rooftop location is transformed into the city’s hottest live stage. With a voice that cuts deep and an energy that’s been proven to be contagious, Newkid has cemented his place as a big star on the Swedish pop scene. Now he’s taking his biggest hits high above the Swedish capital up for an exclusive open-air gig. Later in the summer, the venue will also host shows by Fanny Avone, Rymdpojken, Myra Granberg and Jubël.
Stockholm
One of Sweden’s most popular live performers, Newkid will take the stage at an iconic Stockholm venue in May. Photo: Press image
SHARE
Requests to commercially license our content for republishing are now being processed through PLSclear. Please visit www.plsclear.com to complete your permission request. You can search PLSclear by title, ISBN/ISSN, author, or keyword.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Receive our monthly newsletter by email
