Crispy leaves rustle at our feet and the first fresher winds are announcing that winter is coming soon. Life starts retracting indoors, but not only homewards… This is also a time for indoor music and film festivals, dining out at cozy restaurants or attending fairs like the Baking and Chocolate Fair. Oh yes, this is also the time we like to dress up like ghosts and pumpkins and go trick-or-treating. Let us guide you to some of this months event highlights, things to see and do in Stockholm.
Every event is linked to a page with more detailed info, just click on the title!
SEASONAL CELEBRATIONS
Halloween at Gröna Lund 2019
The entire amusement park with attractions is open, where the smaller kiddies area is adapted for younger visitors with pumpkins, witches, ghosts and children’s performances every day. In the greater area the more courageous visitors will be able, among other things, to take part in the haunted ship that returns and you will get to meet a mysterious sect.
When: 18-20 October, 25 October – 3 November
Where: Gröna Lund
Cost: 399SEK – 430SEk
MUSIC
Stockholm Jazz Festival
One of Sweden’s oldest festivals and one of Stockholm’s biggest events. Now in 2019 the festival is back on 11-20 October – and bigger than ever, spreading jazz on over 60 venues around Stockholm.
When: 11-20 October
Where: Different venues in Stockholm
Cost: Price of tickets varies per concert.
Ariana Grande @ Globen
When: 7 October
Where: Globen
Cost: 675SEK – 875SEK
Chromatics w/ Desire @ Berns
When: 5 October
Where: Berns
Cost: 370SEK
Cher @ Friends Arena
When: 17 October
Where: Friends Arena
Cost: 2375SEK – 3400SEK
Michael Bublé @ Globen
When: 23 October
Where: Globen
Cost: 650SEK – 1450SEK
UB40 @ Berns
When: 27 October
Where: Berns
Cost: 570SEK
Eros Ramazzotti @ Globen
When: 30 October
Where: Globen
Cost: 437SEK – 775SEK
ART
Affordable Art Fair
When: 10-13 October
Where: Nacka Strandsmässan
Cost: 95SEK – 350SEK
Opening Reception: Peter Blake
When: 3 October
Where: Wetterling Gallery
Cost: FREE
Opening: Anna Camner / Toni R. Toivonen / Ann-Sofie Claesson
When: 3 October
Where: Wetterling Gallery
Cost: FREE
Iranian Film Festival 2019
When: 12-13 October
Where: Biograf Skandia
Cost: 120SEK – 295SEK
FOOD AND DRINK
Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival 2019
When: 3-5 October
Where: Nacka Strandsmässan
Cost: 250SEK
Bak- & Chokladfestivalen – The Bake & Chocolate Festival
When: 10-13 October
Where: Stockholmsmässan
Cost: 93SEK – 390 SEK
Chelas – There’s a New Mexican in Town
Located at the trendy Hornstull neighbourhood of Södermalm, at Verkstadsgatan 4, you’ll find Chelas, Stockholm’s newest Mexican restaurant. Chelas opened its doors in July of 2019. The name comes from the Mexican slang word for beers and a phrase the Mexicans use when they want to socialise with friends and family: “Saca las chelas”. Literally translated it means “Bring out the beers”, but it can actually be better interpreted as “Let’s have some beers and hang out”.
The wine culture in Sweden is expanding, especially with the increase of vineyards in Skåne in the south of the country. In fact, 42% of all alcohol sales in Sweden consist of wine, and this is very different from brännvin, the traditional Swedish drink that translates as burn-wine. You can of course buy wine from the state owned Systembolaget. However, the only other place that you can buy wine and enjoy a glass is in licenced restaurants and bars that serve food. There are some great restaurants in Stockholm that unite their food and wine menu in perfect harmony, taking equal consideration to both.
Find out more about upcoming events in our Events Calendar.
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Stockholm International Film Festival
Gustav Adolfs torg 22, 111 52 Stockholm, Swedenhe festival is brimming with excitement, presenting 130 films from 50 countries, 13 of which are international Academy Award submissions. The program also features a selection of films for digital screenings via Festival on Demand, which you can enjoy from the comfort of your own living groom wherever you may be.
The festival will take place between the 9th and 20th of November, and the inaugural film will be Sweden’s own Academy Award submission, and winner of Best Screenplay and The François Chalais Prize at Cannes; Boy from Heaven by Tarik Saleh.
“This year’s filmfest is characterised by a large selection of exciting films from all over the world. It will be an unforgettable festival with a perfect mix of fascinating debutants and legendary masters,” says Beatrice Karlsson, Program Director.
In the cover of this year’s festival program, also the cover of this article, is the poster of the film Nightsiren by Tereza Nvotová, a visually striking Czech/Slovak witch-thriller in modern vintage. Nightsiren is one of the big surprises of the year and a must for fans of cinematic folktales. You will find it as part of the Twilight Zone section of the festival, the section for the fans of thrillers and horror films.
The festival’s halfway point will be marked by Bones and All, a story of first love, which features Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet, the former of whom received the Marcello Mastroianni award for Best Young Actor or Actress at Venice Film Festival; Luca Guadagnino, the film’s director also won the Silver Lion for Best Director at Venice.
Other big titles screening at this year’s festival are films like The Woman King by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Living by Oliver Hermanus, Call Jane by Phyllis Nagy, The Banshees of Inisherin by Martin McDonagh, Decision to Leave by Park Chan-Wook, and Master Gardener by Paul Schrader.
Stockholm Film Festival presents as always, new talents, and more than a third of the program consists of debuting filmmakers. The program features, among others, Lullaby by Spanish director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, who is primed to be Spain’s new star filmmaker as forecasted by auteur legend Pedro Almodóvar; British-Australian Frances O’Connor with costume drama Emily, depicting Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë; and Mexican-Bolivian director Natalia López, who was awarded a Silver Bear for Robe of Gems at Berlin Film Festival.
In collaboration with Nikon, the festival is launching a short film competition; Nikon Short Award. The award was established to encourage aspiring filmmakers to create the best possible short film with a maximum runtime of only 60 seconds.
The winning submission will be screened at the festival and the filmmaker will be awarded with an exclusive camera kit. In collaboration with Kosta Boda, the winner will also receive a festival figurine exclusively designed by artist Markus Åkesson.
The Focus Country of the year is Ukraine.The program features a strong set of Ukrainian titles, to highlight Ukraine as a country with a flourishing film industry – but more importantly to support the Ukrainian film workers who are in the midst of war. Six Ukrainian films will be screened and the program will feature digital interviews with Ukrainian filmmakers, Works in Progress, and panel discussions.
The Ukrainian films which the festival has chosen to leverage are Rising Fury, Freedom on Fire, Mariupolis 2, The Kiev Trial, How is Katia?, Butterfly Vision and Ukraine’s Academy Award submission Klondike.
This year’s Spotlight is “Coming of age”. Stockholm Film Festival gathers every year talked-about movies and debuts from all over the world that provide new perspectives, new cinematic approaches. This year this comes with a clear desire to illuminate and stage the young people’s view of the world, in topics such as society, family and climate.
Stockholm Visionary Award 2022 is awarded to the multi award winning British director Sam Mendes, who is visiting Stockholm for the Nordic premiere of his film, Empire of Light, at the festival. He will be making an appearance at Skandia to receive his Bronze Horse and participate in a Face2Face moderated by film critic Jakob Åsell on Friday, November 11th at 6pm.
The 2022 prestigious Stockholm Achievement Award will honour film and theatre actor Fares Fares for his long-standing dedication to the film industry. He has since his debut on the big screen at the cusp of the millennium become one of Sweden’s most beloved actors. In conjunction with the festival’s opening film Boy from Heaven on the 9th of November, Fares will receive the award. Fares Fares will also makes his directorial debut With A Day and A Half for Netflix where he also will play a role.
This year Stockholm Film Festival is showing no less than 13 Academy Award submission for 2023:
- Boy From Heaven (Sweden) – Wednesday November 9th 18:00
- Klondike (Ukraine) – Wednesday November 9th 18:00
- Plan 75 (Japan) – Wednesday November 9th 18:00
- Holy Spider (Denmark) – Wednesday November 15th 18:00
- Eternal Spring (Canada) – Thursday November 10th 18:00
- Decision to Leave (South Korea) – Monday November 14th 18:00
- Beautiful Beings(Iceland) – Thursday November 10th 18:00
- Saint Omer (France) – Wednesday November 9th 18:00
- Alma Viva (Portugal) – Friday November 11th 12:30
- World War III (Iran) – Thursday November 10th 14:45
- The Quite Girl (Ireland) – Thursday November 10th 10:45
- The King of the World (Columbia) – Wednesday November 9th 18:40
- Nostalgia (Italy) – Thursday November 10th 14:30
Find your tickets to Stockholm International Film Festival 2022 here.
