What’s On and Where to Go in Stockholm: January

The holidays are over and we’re all a bit exhausted but still, is sitting on the sofa really an option when there are so many interesting things to do in Stockholm?

There are plenty of things to do in our vibrant city, from museum exhibitions to Opera to design during the month of January. Here’s our guide to some of the best on offer: 

Blackboard: Teaching and Learning from Art

This exhibition from the always inspiring Artipelag has been running since October and will wrap up on the 19th of January so you’ve just got enough time to sneak in a visit. The exhibition takes a look at the blackboard’s development from a pedagogical tool to it’s role in art.  Absolutely fascinating with lots of food for thought. Until 19 January.

La Bohème Opera Vega

The beloved tale of love, loss and grinding poverty will be performed by Opera Vega, premiering 6 January for a limited run at Teater Pero.  The opera is sung in Swedish but the tale is universal so don’t let any lack of language skills stop you from experiencing this rare treat. Eight performances from 6 January.

Formex

Have a yen for Nordic interior design? Then this is the place for you. Held annually at Stockholm’s Mässan in Alvjö, Formex is open over four days and features hundreds of vendors and exhibitors, both home-grown and international, as well as visitors from all over the world. 15-18 January.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

Sweden’s fashion reputation has long been along the lines of a cool, clean sensibility with little frou frou but a visit to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week will quickly dispel that view. Lina Michal won Vogue’s New Designer of the Year 2013 with a collection that was anything but restrained, and a visit to Fashion Week will make it abundantly clear that there is no longer any ‘Swedish aesthetic’ – Swedish designers all have individual voices and aren’t afraid to stand up and shout.  January 27-29

Disney on Ice: Worlds of Fantasy

You can’t go wrong with a Disney spectacular on ice.  This annual extravaganza at the Ericson Globe Arena has shows several times each day during its run and it’s very popular so make sure you book ahead.  2 – 6 January

Liljevalchs – The Spring Salon

The annual Spring Salon at Liljevalchs on Djurgården is a hotly anticipate event for art lovers. Artists from across the spectrum send in their latest and hopefully most interesting work and a jury chooses the best of the lot for this large exhibition. It’s a rare opportunity to see established artists alongside new visionaries. 24 January – 23 March

Legally Blonde: The musical

Staged at the fabulously elegant Maximteatern at Karlaplan on Östermalm, the show about blonde, lovelorn Elle’s transformation from airhead to brainiac is fun, frothy and packed with great tunes. A fun evening at the theatre might be just the ticket to stave off those winter blues.   11-19 January

Regina Spaghetti Opera

Vau’Du’Vill is the name of the game and it promises to be enormous fun. It’s a play on words in Swedish, of course, and the show is in Swedish but since it’s all about song don’t let that stop you from enjoying the latest from the always fabulous Spaghetti Opera. 9-25 January

Nathalia Edenmont ‘Only Me’

Fotografiska may be the big player on Stockholm’s photography scene but Sven-Harry’s Art Museum on Vasastan has an exhibition opening on 17 January that highlights the work of the thought-provoking photographer Nathalia Edenmont. In this exhibition Edenmont explores themes such as cultural norms, conformity, and the suppression of the individual. 17 January

Hallwyl House

Entering this amazing museum just around the corner from Normalmstorg is like stepping back in time. The former winter home of the outrageously rich Count and Countess Von Hallwyl, the home was designed by the same architect behind Nordiska Museet. The home was extremely modern for its time and when the couple bequeathed the house and its contents to the Swedish state nearly 100 years ago they had one stipulation: that it remain essentially unchanged. Why visit in winter?  As you spend a delightful afternoon exploring this extraordinary home you’ll enjoy the central heating that the Countess insisted on installing at great cost and to much amazement at that time.

Do you have more ideas on what to do during January?  Tell us about it in the comments below or head on over to our forums!

Judi Lembke

Judi Lembke is an experienced  editor and writer who, when she’s not shackled to her computer, enjoys reading, cooking and sometimes watching embarrassingly bad reality TV.  Judi also works with communications and thinks coming up with clever ideas is about as much fun as one can have without taking off one’s clothes.