Christmas holidays in Stockholm 2026 – Skansen, skating and the New Year's Bell

Stockholm in December gets dark early but is full of light: Christmas lights along the streets, red stalls on Stortorget and an ice rink in the middle of the city. The Christmas holidays are three weeks long, and there is more to do than there are days. The challenge is rather to choose – and to know what closes before Christmas and what stays open between Christmas and New Year.

The whole Christmas calendar with Advent, Lucia and Saint Knut's Day is in Christmas with kids 2026. This page is about the holidays in Stockholm: the dates, the safe day trips, what is free and a plan for three weeks.

When are the 2026 Christmas holidays?

In Stockholm's municipal schools the last day of school is Friday 18 December 2026, and the spring term starts on Monday 11 January 2027. Independent schools set their own dates, so check with the school if your children go to one.

Christmas Eve is a Thursday and New Year's Eve is also a Thursday. Epiphany is Wednesday 6 January, and Saint Knut's Day – when the Christmas tree is taken out – comes after the holidays, on Wednesday 13 January.

Skansen – open every day

Skansen is Stockholm's Christmas holiday classic, and the good thing is that it is open every day of the year. The animals are outside in winter too, the old farmsteads have a Christmas atmosphere, and during December and early January the park is full of winter lights.

Remember that the Christmas market is something different from Skansen itself. In 2026 it is open Friday to Sunday from 27 November to 20 December – which means that the first weekend of the holidays is the last chance. After that Skansen is still open, but without the market stalls. On Christmas Eve the opening hours are shorter. More about the Christmas markets in Stockholm and the rest of the country is in Christmas markets in Sweden.

New Year's Eve at Skansen

On New Year's Eve, Skansen is open during the day and then again in the evening. At midnight the New Year's Bell is read – Tennyson's poem "Ring Out, Wild Bells" in Swedish translation – from the stage at Solliden, a tradition at Skansen since the 1890s that is broadcast live on Swedish television. With small children it is often easier to watch it on TV at home and visit Skansen during the day instead.

The Christmas market on Stortorget

The Christmas market on Stortorget in the Old Town is usually open every day until 23 December, and it is free to visit. Go on a weekday morning if you can – at weekends it gets crowded between the stalls. Combine it with a walk through the narrow lanes and a look at the Royal Palace.

Junibacken

Junibacken on Djurgården is built around Astrid Lindgren's books, and during the Christmas holidays there is usually theatre every day. The Story Train, which takes children through settings from the stories, is included in the entrance fee. It suits younger children best and is a good choice on a wet day. If you are on Djurgården anyway, you can combine it with Skansen on the same day, but expect a long day for the youngest.

Skating in Kungsträdgården – free

In the middle of the city, in Kungsträdgården, there is an artificially frozen ice rink that usually opens in November and stays open until March. If you have your own skates, skating is free. Skates can be hired on site, and children must wear a helmet. The evenings with the Christmas lights around the rink are lovely, but it is busiest after school and at weekends – the mornings during the holidays are the quietest.

Tips: Bring a thermos of glögg and gingerbread biscuits. A break on a bench by the ice means the youngest can manage another lap.

Natural ice on the lakes around Stockholm is tempting when it gets cold, but only go out on ice that is checked and cleared, and bring ice claws and an adult who knows ice safety. A child should never go out on unknown ice.

When it rains or is below freezing

Stockholm has many museums that work for children on a day when it is too wet or too cold to be outside for long – for example the Museum of Technology, the Swedish Museum of Natural History and the Vasa Museum. Check the opening hours around the holidays, as several are closed or have shorter hours on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. More ideas for days with children are in kid-friendly activities.

Out into the forest

It is easy to forget that Stockholm has large forests right on its doorstep. The Nacka nature reserve, with the outdoor centre Hellasgården, has walking paths and barbecue areas. A day in the Christmas holidays with a fire, Christmas sausage on skewers and mulled wine in the pot gives more Christmas spirit than another day in the city. When the snow comes, the children can build a snow lantern at the barbecue area, and when it is cold you can freeze ice ornaments to hang in the trees at home.

A plan for three weeks

• First weekend (19–20 December): the Skansen Christmas market, which has its last weekend.
• The week before Christmas (21–23 December): Stortorget one morning, skating in Kungsträdgården and Junibacken on a wet day.
• Christmas weekend (24–27 December): quiet days at home, and a trip to Skansen on Christmas Day or Boxing Day when the city is quiet.
• Between Christmas and New Year (28–30 December): a museum, the ice rink and a day in the forest with a fire.
• New Year (31 December–6 January): New Year's Eve at Skansen or at home with the New Year's Bell on TV, and then quiet days until Epiphany.
• Last week (7–10 January): crafts, sledging if it has snowed and rest before school starts.

Longing for real snow and mountains instead? Read about New Year in the mountains. And if you are going to the west coast over the holidays, there is Christmas holidays in Gothenburg.