Scandinavian Culture Calendar: October 2025
By Karl Batterbee
The British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor will visit Denmark, Sweden and Norway in October as part of her Europe and North America tour. Press image
From a festival of jazz in Stockholm and a festival of liquorice in Helsinki, to pop divas, disco queens and Finnish rockers… The Nordics have plenty to entice audiences with throughout October and beyond. Here is Scan Magazine’s pick of the bunch.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor (3, 4 and 5 October)
With her mix of glittering disco, pop and ‘80s synth sounds, Sophie Ellis-Bextor became a global name in the early 2000s – and she’s continued to reinvent herself ever since. Her Kitchen Disco live streams were a light relief during the lockdown era of COVID, and they led to her securing a regular disco show on BBC Radio 2. An appearance of her signature hit Murder on the Dancefloor during the iconic final scene of the film Saltburn led to the classic becoming a chart smash all over again, over two decades on from its original release. Now, she’s capitalising on her resurgence in popularity and heading out on tour across Europe and North America, with three Scandinavian dates in October. Copenhagen (3 October), Stockholm (4 October), Oslo (5 October)
One of Finland’s biggest music exports of all time, The Rasmus are touring across Finland in October before heading out across the rest of the world. Photo: Venla Shalin
The Rasmus (3 – 18 October)
From Lahti to Helsinki, The Rasmus will spend October finishing off their tour of Finland before heading out on a string of dates across Europe, the Middle East, South America and Australia. The Finnish rockers are calling it the Weirdo Tour and it’s to celebrate their 30th anniversary. If you’ve listened to any of their albums, you’ll know to expect a kaleidoscopic collage of heavy guitars set against futuristic electronics, as well as pop hooks that find their way into the heart of any music fan. It’s no surprise that they’ve become one of Finland’s biggest music exports, selling millions of records worldwide and winning award after award. You can find the full tour schedule on the band’s website. Various dates throughout Finland
Immanuel Wilkins. Photo: Leo Ahmed
Stockholm Jazz Festival 2025 (10 – 18 October)
Stockholm Jazz Festival is one of Sweden’s largest and longest-running festivals – a living testament to the breadth, power and unifying spirit of jazz. Each year, the festival brings together over 30,000 visitors during a week filled with concerts, encounters and musical discoveries – as jazz rhythms seep into every corner of the city. Since 2012, the festival has taken the shape of an indoor city-wide celebration, letting jazz resonate across more than 70 venues – from concert halls to basements, museums, bookstores, bars and cultural centres. The programme features around 300 acts from around the world, showcasing everything from international legends to the next generation of voices. If you’re in the Swedish capital this October, allow yourself to become immersed in jazz!. Stockholm, Sweden
See Copenhagen like never before, in an access-all-areas fashion, during Culture Night. Photo: Maria Sattrup
Culture Night (10 October)
Copenhagen’s annual Culture Night offers children and adults hundreds of cultural events in just one night. People are invited to experience Copenhagen in a different light and see places they would not normally get access to, when museums, churches, exhibition halls, art galleries, humanitarian organisations, political and cultural institutions open their doors to their secret rooms, basements, towers and special events on this one night only. And even if you simply wish to take a stroll around the city’s streets, Culture Night puts Copenhagen in a beautiful light. There are hundreds of events for all ages, so you can bring the whole family along. Copenhagen, Denmark
Children aged six and above are invited to enjoy opera stories told in a unique way, until early November. Photo: Kungliga Operan / Annelie Carlström
Opera for Children: Sleeping Awake (11 October – 9 November)
A popular opera event in a unique format, Kungliga Operan’s Unga Operan has been introducing young audiences to the genre for some time now. Their latest cultural offering for the kiddies has been called a musical combination of Tchaikovsky and Tom & Jerry! Sleeping Awake (Sova Vaken) is the story of Gun, her cat Majs and what happens when Gun’s parents sud- denly decide to separate. It’s a story of divorce told from the child’s point of view, the production is all about feeling alone and afraid of the unknown, but finding unexpected comfort in a singing cat. The show is recommended for children above the age of six.. Stockholm, Sweden
Before an extensive tour of her native Finland, Erika Vikman is heading out on a European leg, with a stop in Stockholm. Photo: Alma-Bengtsson / EBU
Erika Vikman (12 October – 12 December)
Finnish pop superstar Erika Vikman has taken Europe by storm following her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in May. With the smash hit ICH KOMME, she hasn’t just conquered the charts – she has also secured her place as one of the Nordic region’s biggest and most exciting pop artists right now. This autumn, she’s embarking on her first solo European tour, and Stockholm is on the agenda in October. She’ll follow that by commencing an extensive tour of her native Finland throughout November and December… Think of it as a victory lap, of sorts! Stockholm (12 October), Finland (November / December)
Licorice Festival 2025 (25 – 26 October)
You’ve probably got a pretty good idea of what you can expect at the Liquorice Festival! However, visitors will discover ways to experience liquorice they might never have imagined. Sweet, salty, with chocolate and used as a spice in cooking or baking, this fair is all about offering, tasting, learning and discovering. It’s called ‘the black gold’ for a reason, and here you’ll be amazed at just how versatile it is, as you discover new favourite recipes and flavour combinations. Many of the top producers of liquorice will be in attendance and serving up samples of their newest creations… You certainly won’t be leaving here hungry! . Helsinki, Finland
You know exactly what you can expect from the 2025 edition of the Licorice Festival, happening in late October. Photo: Licorice and Salmiakki Festival
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