The Best Christmas Lights In Sweden

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Are you looking for the best Christmas lights in Sweden? Then Stockholm is the place to be!

The Swedish capital, Stockholm, goes all out on its Christmas light displays and I’d say they are some of the most festive lights that I’ve ever seen.

When I visited Stockholm during the winter season I really enjoyed wandering the city after dark, with a hot drink in hand, admiring all the festive displays.

It’s super easy to do a self-guided walking tour of the lights and I’ve provided a map below to make it even easier!

If you are visiting Stockholm during winter or spending Christmas in Stockholm, then you definitely don’t want to miss these top spots for Christmas lights.

So, grab your warmest coat, and let’s explore the best Christmas lights in Sweden!

🎄 For a magical experience I recommend this Christmas tour with a local in Stockholm, you’ll get to see the beauty of Stockholm’s Christmas lights from a local’s perspective, learn about Swedish Christmas traditions, and experience Stockholm’s Christmas markets. 

Hi, I’m JJ!

I’m a travel blogger with a passion for unique travel destinations, discovering hidden gems, and adventurous solo travel.

I visited Sweden over the festive period and absolutely loved the gorgeous Christmas lights in Stockholm 🎄

I hope you enjoy my free guides and travel tips! If so, please consider supporting my work 💕

Are Christmas Lights Banned In Sweden?

No! Sweden has not banned Christmas lights.

For a while, there was a weird internet rumour going around that Christmas lights in Sweden were banned to avoid upsetting non-Christians. This was a really silly rumour and it couldn’t be further from the truth!

Sweden has lots of Christmas light displays all over the country and Stockholm in particular has some incredible Christmas lights, Christmas decor and Christmas decorations.

I loved wandering around after dark admiring all the festive twinkly lights in the capital city. My favourites were the enormous Christmas tree in Gamla Stan and the huge moose light installation in Berzelii Park.

How Sweden Celebrates Christmas

Swedish Christmas traditions share many beloved activities with the rest of Europe. Such as attending Christmas markets, celebrating advent, lighting Christmas candles, and enjoying lots of mulled wine!

In addition to the typical European traditions, Sweden has some unique and magical customs. One of the most special is Sankta Lucia Day on December 13th. This holiday has a parade with a girl chosen to wear a crown of real candles in her hair, leading a procession of white-clad girls and boys carrying candles. It’s truly a sight to see!

Another fun Swedish tradition is that Donald Duck cartoons are shown on the TV at 3pm every Christmas Eve, this is a tradition that has been going on since 1959!

💁🏻‍♀️JJ’s TOP TIP: When travelling around Christmas time, I always recommend learning how to say ‘Merry Christmas’ in the local language. People really appreciate it and it helps to spread Christmas cheer around the world! Merry Christmas in Swedish is ‘God Jul’ which is pronounced god yule.

Traditional Swedish Christmas Lights

There are some traditional Swedish Christmas lights that you will see in windows all over the city.

One that you will see everywhere is the Swedish Christmas Candlestick Bridge which is usually wooden and has seven candlesticks. I saw these everywhere and at first mistook them for Hanukkah menorahs, but on closer inspection, I realised that they are actually very different!

It’s a tradition to place electric candles in each of the candlesticks, one for each day of the week leading up to Christmas Eve. This creates a warm and cozy atmosphere on dark winter nights.

Another traditional Swedish Christmas light that I saw everywhere is the Swedish Christmas star, which is a paper star lantern that represents the Stars of Bethlehem. These are some of the most popular Scandinavian window lights, so you may have seen them before. I thought that these were really pretty.

Stockholm Christmas Lights

This year, Stockholm’s Christmas lights will illuminate the city on November 11th, 2023! At 4:30 p.m., the lights will be switched on simultaneously across more than 40 of the city’s central streets and squares, spreading the festive spirit throughout Stockholm.

The lights come on around 2pm every day and stay on until 10 or 11pm.

The lights stay up for the whole festive season and usually get taken down around mid-January. Visiting Stockholm at Christmas is a unique experience that I recommend. 

Walking Tour Of Stockholm Christmas Lights 

During winter in Stockholm, it gets dark really early. When I visited, the sun was setting around 3pm. So you will have plenty of time to admire the Christmas lights. I enjoyed wandering the streets just to look at all the lights.

It’s very easy to do a self-guided walking tour of the lights. You can download the official lights map here and I’ve also marked a few of my favourite Christmas light displays in Stockholm on the Google map below. 

A walking tour of the Christmas lights is one of the best things to do in Stockholm at Christmas. 

💁🏻‍♀️JJ’S TOP TIP: If you start to get cold, then I recommend that you pop into Coffee Stop for fika or a hot glass of Swedish glögg (mulled wine), you can get a cup to take away so that you can sip your warm glögg whilst you stroll through the streets admiring the lights. They also do a non-alcoholic version, which I loved!

Best spots to see Stockholm’s Christmas lights

The Old Town (Gamla Stan)

Start your walking tour at Gamla Stan (the old town) where you’ll find charming cobbled streets adorned with twinkling lights.

It truly feels like a winter wonderland and you’ll definitely want to snap some great pictures here.

As you wander through the streets, be sure to check out Stortorget Square, where the annual Christmas market takes place. There’s also a huge Christmas tree in the middle of the square which looks amazing in the snow.

Drottninggatan

Next up is Drottninggatan, one of Stockholm’s main shopping streets. Here you can find both traditional and modern Christmas displays adorning the streets.

Make sure to stop by NK (Nordiska Kompaniet) – Stockholm’s most famous department store, which has extravagant Christmas windows that are a must-see.

Kungsträdgården

Another highlight of Stockholm’s Christmas lights is Kungsträdgården, a beautiful park in the heart of the city. Here, you’ll find a large Christmas tree surrounded by sparkling lights and festive decorations.

This is also where you can find an ice skating rink so make sure to pack your skates for some extra fun! If you don’t have your own skates you can rent some for just 70 SEK (£5.22 GBP/$6.34).

Berzelii Park

This park is home to my personal favourite of Stockholm’s Christmas lights. The huge family of Moose!

Final Thoughts: Christmas Lights In Sweden

🎄 For a magical experience I recommend this Christmas tour with a local in Stockholm, you’ll get to see the beauty of Stockholm’s Christmas lights from a local’s perspective, learn about Swedish Christmas traditions, and experience Stockholm’s Christmas markets. 

I highly recommend visiting Stockholm in December and during the festive season to see the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations. It truly adds an extra magical touch to an already stunning city.

Whether you’re wandering through Gamla Stan, shopping on Drottninggatan, or ice skating in Kungsträdgården, you’re going to love seeing the best Christmas lights in Sweden!

For more winter fun check out my guide to Stockholm in the winter and if you want to see a natural lights display then check out this post about seeing the Northern Lights in Stockholm.