Scandinavian Culture Calendar: October 2026
By Karl Batterbee
The Swedish-Ukrainian’s tour of the Nordics in October and November will probably be the last opportunity to see the future megastar in venues this size. Photo: Press image
There are still plenty of reasons to venture outside in October, mingling with fellow culture cravers at jazz festivals, photography festivals and film festivals. Plus, Scandipop superstars are playing all across the Nordics, and a famous Transylvanian count returns to the stage for a performance with some bite!
Olga Myko (30 October – 7 November)
Just a year ago, Olga Myko played the Debaser Alternative concert series with only two released songs to her name. Now, she returns to the iconic Debaser venue in Stockholm as a Grammy-nominated artist with more than 66 million streams behind her and a new EP How Dare You Tryna Love Me? under her belt. The Debaser date is one of five on a Nordic tour that also sees the Swedish-Ukrainian singer play to audiences in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Oslo and Gothenburg. And this might well be the last time she plays at venues this size, so catch her before she goes arena-sized!
Various cities across the Nordics
Stockholm Jazz Festival (9 – 18 October)
This cultural behemoth has brough musical magic to Swedes since 1980, making it one of the country’s oldest festivals of its kind. Spread across historic stages and cultural centres all over Stockholm – from the inner city to the suburbs – the festival regularly hosts some of the jazz world’s biggest and most innovative acts. Featuring live music in concert halls, museums, clubs, churches and basement venues, the programme spans from Vallentuna in the north to Huddinge in the south, and from Saltsjöbaden in the east to Ekerö in the west. The 2026 edition includes everything from jazz-themed life drawing, film screenings and children’s performances to free concerts, late-night jam sessions, and morning music. Get yourself down to one of the venues and witness something new!
Various locations across Stockholm
Now well into its fifth decade, Stockholm Jazz Festival takes over venues all across the Swedish capital for ten days of live music. Photo: Stockholm Jazz Festival
Oslo Negativ Photography Festival (10 – 25 October)
The largest photo festival in Norway is taking over the National Gallery throughout October. For three weekends, more than 2,000 square metres, spread across three floors, will be filled with documentary, art, reportage and fashion photography from home and abroad. The audience can meet photographers, gallery owners, photography schools, and institutions and experience workshops, lectures, darkroom activities, photography book workshops and a café. The theme of the 2026 festival is ‘Passion’ and for the first time, the old Munch room will open for photography. The festival makes its sixth outing in 2026, having attracted over 10,000 visitors last year.
National Gallery, Oslo
The Oslo Negativ photography festival is happening for a sixth time in 2026, having attracted over 10,000 visitors last year. Photo: Helle Frogner
Cinemaissí: Latin American Film Festival (14 – 18 October)
For over two decades, Cinemaissí has provided a dedicated platform for Latin American cinema in Finland, with arthouse films and works that present the audience with social, political and cultural questions. Founded in 2005, it’s the oldest Latin American film festival in the Nordic region. Through film screenings, conversations, and other encounters, the 2026 edition aims to offer a platform for the exhibition of Latin American culture, politics and society, showcasing contemporary films from Latin America and the Caribbean by both emerging and renowned directors. For five days in October, film fanatics are invited to five cinemas across the Finnish capital to enjoy a glimpse into some fresh points of view.
Various cinemas across Helsinki
Following the release of the long-awaited album Sexistential, Robyn returns to Stockholm for a hometown show at her biggest headline venue to date – 3Arena. Photo: Press image
Robyn (17 October)
Robyn is one of the most influential pop artists of her generation; a Swedish talent who has set musical trends across the globe for decades. Following the release of the long-awaited album Sexistential, she returns to Stockholm for a hometown show at 3Arena. This gig is going to be the biggest headline concert she’s given in her 30-year career, and no doubt the feeling of love she’ll be receiving back from the audience will be magical. The show is a well-honed one, too; it comes off the back of a European tour she’s just completed, as well as a support slot she gave on Harry Styles’ recent residency in Amsterdam.
3Arena, Stockholm
Swedish superstar Benjamin Ingrosso debuts his What Happens Next? tour across Finland, Norway and Sweden. Photo: Press image
Benjamin Ingrosso – What Happens Next? (23 October to 15 November)
Former Scan Magazine cover star Benjamin Ingrosso is about to embark on a tour of the Nordics, hitting arenas across Finland, Norway and Sweden. Titled the What Happens Next? tour, it’s set to be the closing chapter of the recent imperial phase he’s enjoyed both commercially and critically, while welcoming in the new music that will open his much-anticipated next chapter. The Swedish superstar has already teased that new music will be arriving in early October, so fans coming along to see these shows will be getting a first glimpse of something that the rest of the world will no doubt be queueing up to see next year.
Various arenas across Finland, Norway and Sweden
Dracula (30 October – 18 November)
The world’s most famous horror story returns to the ballet stage, just in time for Halloween. Krzysztof Pastor’s choreography based around the tale of the Transylvanian count was immensely popular in its premiere season in 2024 and is now being revived by popular demand. The chilling music by Polish composer Wojciech Kilar serves as the foundation for the ballet score, and was also heard in the Oscar-winning film Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Francis Ford Coppola. For the Helsinki stage, the score has been complemented with additional compositions from Kilar. Dracula, inspired by the historical figure of 15th century Count of Wallachia, Vlad the Impaler, has become a classic in popular culture. The Finnish National Opera and Ballet run will be the latest of countless stage adaptations of the haunting story since its publication in 1897.
Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Helsinki
The world’s most famous horror story returns to the ballet stage in Helsinki, just in time for Halloween! Photo: The Finnish National Opera and Ballet
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