Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Royal Djurgården

End the year 2025 in the most memorable way by spending the entire day at Royal Djurgården. Explore our open museums, enjoy a relaxing coffee break or lunch, experience a festive New Year’s prayer at Djurgården Church and eat a luxurious dinner in the evening at one of Djurgården’s many restaurants.

End your visit by toasting in the new year, either on the magical terrace at Hasselbacken or with the traditional New Year’s poem “Ring, Bells, Ring” with a magnificent view over Stockholm from Skansen. We have gathered some tips below to help you plan your New Year’s Eve here at Djurgården:

Photo: Anna Yu/Skansen

Create a New Year’s tradition by visiting museums together

Why not start a new tradition by bringing family and friends for a full day at one of the many open museums on New Year’s Eve? Kick off the celebration early at ABBA The Museum. Warm up for the evening by singing ABBA karaoke, become their fifth member and perform on stage together with ABBA and test your ABBA knowledge in the museum’s quiz. Nordiska museet is open all day and offers atmospheric tunes in the main hall, come by and listen to jazzy and classical music from the grand piano.

Take a trip back in time on New Year’s Eve. The Viking Museum is open from 10 am to 3 pm, where you can learn more about who the Vikings really were and why they became both famous and infamous worldwide. Don’t miss the opportunity to take a journey in the museum’s Viking adventure, Ragnfrid’s Saga, where you can travel back to the Viking Age. On New Year’s Eve, the Vasa Museum welcomes you between 10 am and 2.30 pm. Come by and experience Vasa, the world’s only preserved 17th-century ship, and gain a fascinating insight into Sweden’s history during this time.

For families with children, there are fun options on New Year’s Eve, such as the children’s theater “Pippi moves in” at Junibacken and their fantastic story train, where you can dive straight into Astrid Lindgren’s magical world.

With its 12,000 square meters, Tekniska museet has something for everyone curious. On New Year’s Eve, they are open from 10 am to 3 pm, and during the day, you can, among other things, you can join a guided tour of the model railway, see pop-up shows and experience space like never before. Step aboard the spacecraft Wisdome Stockholm, put on the 3D glasses, and get ready for an adventure through the Universe with a pilot and a navigator offering an amazing space show.

Take a break from museum visits and visit Djurgården Church, which holds a New Year’s prayer at 3 pm. Enjoy a quiet moment with prayer, music and atmospheric songs.

New Year’s Eve Dinner, entertainment and party

Hasselbacken is the obvious choice when it comes to festivities and New Year’s celebrations, and this year is no exception. This year, Hasselbacken celebrates New Year with both a luxurious 4-course New Year’s dinner and entertainment by The Jets. At midnight, raise a toast for 2026 at the terrace with a fantastic view of Stockholm’s inlet. If you just want to join the after-party, buy your ticket via the Hasselbacken website.

Hasselbacken

Skansen

For those who want to ring in the New Year with an unbeatable view of Stockholm, Skansen is the perfect choice. Skansen’s New Year’s celebration dates back to 1895 when the poem “New Years Bell” was first recited. The poem has become a Swedish tradition and is broadcasted every year on SVT, where the words “Ring, Bells, Ring” are something many associate with Skansen’s New Year’s celebration.

This year, actor and director Helena Bergström has been given the prestigious and time-honoured role of reading Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem The Bells of the New Year.

The New Year’s celebration is hosted by Linnea Wikblad and André Pops, with Johan Granström’s orchestra accompanying the evening’s performers. Featured artists include Tommy Körberg, Charlotte Perrelli, Greczula, Fanny Avonne, and Tensta Joyful Noise.

While waiting for midnight, you can enjoy two vibrant New Year’s concerts in Seglora Church at Skansen. Welcome by and listen to fiery baroque music, folk hymns and medieval ballads performed on 30 different instruments.

During the day at Skansen, there’s also a Christmas market with around 20 market stalls selling delicious food and drinks, delicacies, handicrafts, and design. Children can participate in traditional Christmas crafts, go on an exciting sound walk, follow Santa’s footsteps among Skansen’s houses and farms, and visit the animals at Lill-Skansen. Skansen-Aquarium is also open, where you can explore the exotic animals that lives there. If you’re brave enough, you can even pet a snake or a spider in their petting corner. It promises to be a day filled with fun and exciting experiences for the whole family!

Enjoy a New Year’s Eve Dinner Before Midnight

Ring in the new year with style by indulging in a New Year’s Eve dinner at one of Djurgården’s many restaurants. On this special evening, exclusive three- and four-course menus are offered. Of course, there are options to suit everyone, from meat and fish to vegetarian dishes. Here are some restaurant recommendations that serve fantastic New Year’s Eve dinners on New Year’s Eve here at Djurgården: Hasselbacken, Lilla Hasselbacken,  Wärdshuset Ulla Winbladh, Villa GodthemKonsthallen, Stora Gungan, Spritmuseum and Gubbhyllan

We are constantly updating with more New Year’s tips, so stay tuned!

This is open on Christmas and New Year´s Eve!

Royal Djurgården is open year-round – including during Christmas and New Year. On both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, there is a wide range of activities to enjoy, and many museums, restaurants, and cafés remain open.

Enjoy atmospheric piano music in the Grand Hall at Nordiska museet, where both jazz and classical tones fill the space. Stop by Restaurant Stockholm 1897 for a classic lunch or a cozy fika. Dance around the Christmas tree at Skansen and continue the evening with even more dancing at ABBA The Museum. Or enjoy a quiet moment at Djurgården Church, with prayer, music, and beautiful songs.

Royal Djurgården Visitor Center is open, and our knowledgeable visitor hosts are on hand to help guide you. You’ll find us just to the right of the Djurgården Bridge landing.

Here are the museums that are open:

Christmas Eve

ABBA the museum 10:00 – 15:00
Skansen 10:00 – 14:00
Skansen Aquarium  10:00 – 15:00
Nordiska museet 10:00-17:00 (Christmas concert between 11 am – 2 pm, free admission)
Tekniska museet 10:00-15:00
Djurgården Church  Christmas prayer at 15:00
Stromma: Multiple departures/tours

Restaurants and cafes open on Christmas Eve: Restauranger och caféer som har öppet på julafton: Villa Godthem, Restaurant Stockholm 1897, Hasselbackens restaurant. Also, the Nordic Museum restaurant and Krogen Stora Gungan at Skansen are  open.

New Year´s Eve

ABBA the museum 10:00 – 16:00
Skansen 10:00 -00:00 (The celebration on the Solliden stage, broadcasted on SVT, begins at 23:00)
Skansen Aquarium  10:00 – 15:00
Nordiska museet 10:00-17:00 (New Year´s concert between 11 am – 2 pm, free admission)
Tekniska museet 10:00-15:00
The Vasa Museum 10:00 – 15:00
Djurgården Church  New Year´s prayer at 15:00
Junibacken 10:00-15:00

 

Find out more about New Year’s Eve and book a New Year´s dinner at Royal Djurgården´s restaurants  here. 

Christmas Break at Djurgården

At Djurgården’s museums and attractions, a holiday break full of discoveries, play, and learning awaits. Here, children and adults can step straight into history, explore the secrets of nature, encounter art and technology, create, experiment, and play. From interactive experiments and imaginative exhibitions to classic cultural environments and grand museum experiences. On Djurgården, everything is gathered on one island, ready to turn each day into a new adventure guided by curiosity.

Nordiska museet 

During the Christmas break, the Nordic Museum transforms into a playful and exciting holiday destination for families. From December 20 to January 6, the museum is open every day and offers interactive missions where children and adults become time-traveling explorers of Nordic history.

You can help with the Christmas preparations on a 1890s farm in the Playhouse, step through the magical portal in the Time Vault to experience different eras, and together solve the case of the Marzipan Thief among historic candy figures. In addition, the museum’s classic exhibitions can be explored in a cozy environment adorned with a Christmas tree and decorations, with opportunities for fika, holiday cheer, and stories from the past.

Skansen 

Skansen transforms into a lively winter park for the whole family. You can play and craft at Bragehallen, listen to music and take audio-guided hunt for Santa´s tracks. The animal park is active and you can find out how Christmas has been celebrated throughout history.

Vrak – Museum of Wrecks  

VRAK – Museum of Wrecks invites you to a winter adventure beneath the sea. Here, you step straight into stories of dramatic shipwrecks, Vikings, trade, and life at sea – all brought to life through interactive environments, film, sound, and VR experiences.

Children and adults can explore the secrets of the wrecks together, try out creative activities, join family tours, and experience what it feels like to dive to the bottom of the Baltic Sea without getting wet.

Maritime Museum

During the holiday, the museum offers family tours and storytelling sessions, giving both young and old the chance to explore its fascinating objects and stories together. For the curious, there are holiday spy and treasure hunts that encourage activity and curiosity throughout the exhibitions, and the youngest children can immerse themselves in the Blubb play and discovery corner, exploring underwater worlds, submarines, and sunken treasures. Here, you’ll find activities that engage both heart and mind while learning more about humanity’s long relationship with the sea

The Viking Museum 

The Viking Museum becomes a living and mysterious world where the Vikings’ early winter traditions and trade take center stage. You are welcomed by the dramatic theme “Viking Yule and Trade”, inviting you and your family to explore the museum’s exhibitions and follow the exciting Trade Journey – an interactive family adventure where you experience what it was like to be a traveling merchant, ask questions to the Vikings themselves, and learn how goods, ideas, and knowledge were exchanged over a thousand years ago.

Every day during the holiday, guided tours are offered in Swedish and English, including special family tours that combine history with storytelling. For those seeking an extra experience, the week also features thematic events such as Midwinter Blót – a ceremonial tribute inspired by Viking traditions that provides a dramatic and atmospheric insight into how the gods were honored during midwinter.

ABBA The Museum 

During the Christmas holidays, four mischievous elves have hidden packages in the exhibitions at ABBA The Museum. Get Mum and Dad or a friend to help you find them! Join the dance school or create your own souvenir. You can also meet the legendary Owe Sandström, who designed ABBA’s stage costumes. Find more information on the website.

Junibacken 

Junibacken transforms into a magical winter oasis for the whole family, where imagination can run free. The entire house is dressed in festive holiday décor, and every day there are theatre performances inspired by beloved children’s books, with the special Christmas production Pettson Gets a Christmas Visit bringing laughter, warmth, and adventure for both young and old.

You can also board the magical Story Train, which glides through classic fairy-tale worlds, and explore playful exhibitions where children can discover, play, and create together. In Junibacken’s bookstore, the holiday reading corner offers books that spark a love of reading and winter imagination, while the café invites visitors to warm up and recharge between play and storytelling sessions.

The Vasa Museum 

At the Vasa Museum, you can experience a vivid and exciting world of history for the whole family. From December 26 to January 6, you can take a time-travel journey back to 17th-century Stockholm with the museum’s child-friendly audio guide The Boy and the Ship, following young Olof’s dreams of life aboard the mighty ship Vasa. Along the way, various hands-on activities and experiments spark curiosity about life on the ship and how the Vasa was built and sailed – or didn’t sail – away.

For younger children, there is the charming film Vasa the Pig, telling the adventures of the pig Lindbom aboard the ship, followed by a playful treasure hunt through the museum. For the whole family, a family trail guides you through the most fascinating parts of the exhibition at your own pace.

National Sport’s Museum 

In the workshop, children can create their own Christmas cards and decorations, and anyone who wants can enter a competition to design a holiday-themed hockey stick. In Little Sport Lab, there’s climbing, balance exercises, table tennis, and fun craft activities, while families can embark on the action-packed “Find the Sport” treasure hunt to earn their diploma. On the yard, there are daily throwing competitions at 2 p.m., and if there’s snow, extra winter activities will be added. The Silly Olympics run throughout the holiday, and in the café, there are hobby horses and hockey games for play when energy needs a boost.

National Museum of Science and Technologie 

Looking for exciting activities for kids in Stockholm during the Christmas holidays? Then the Tekniska museet is perfect. There’s a whole host of activities for kids of all ages to discover – from interactive exhibitions to creative workshops. The openinghours  10am – 9 pm is hard to beat!

The museum of Ethnography

At the Museum of Ethnography, the whole family can immerse themselves in the cultures and story worlds of the world. The museum is open for most of the holiday period and welcomes visitors with imaginative exhibitions and activities that spark curiosity and conversations about our shared human heritage.

Every day during the holiday, there are storytelling sessions where you and your children can enter the magical exhibition Worlds of Stories, where projections, interactive stations, and tales about characters like Tiddalik the Frog and the mythical Queen Arrawello bring the stories to life. In addition, you can explore the museum’s fascinating collections from around the globe, discover clues throughout the exhibitions, and let your imagination run free in the museum’s open and engaging spaces.

We update the list regularly with new information and Christmas break activities. Keep an eye on our website for additional news and updates!

Lucia Celebration

Skansens Lucia 2022 foto Sara Kollberg

The Magic of the Swedish Lucia Celebration

Every year on December 13th, Sweden lights up the winter darkness with the enchanting celebration of Lucia. Rooted in both ancient folklore and Christian tradition, Lucia has become one of the country’s most beloved cultural events symbolizing hope, light, and community during the darkest time of year.

Beyond the candles and songs, Lucia carries a deeper meaning for many. It is a reminder that even during the darkest days of winter, light returns—and that coming together to share warmth and tradition brings its own kind of brightnes.

Photo: Skansen

Lucia at Seglora Kyrka- Skansen

Experience a traditional and atmospheric Lucia procession in the beautiful Seglora Church. The first Lucia procession at Skansen was held as early as 1893! The concerts are approximately 25 minutes long. The concert is included in your ticket, but you need to reserve your spot the same day.

For more details click here

Lucia Concert in the Great Hall- Nordiska Museum

Be embraced by the magic of Christmas and the joy and mystery of music with the Adolf Fredrik music class and the Lux string quartet. The concert is held on the 12 and 13th of December.

You can pucrchase tickets for the concert here