Events and festivals in Tromsø, winter 2026/27

Tromsø fills its darkest weeks with festivals. Between the Christmas lights in November and the long, bright days of April, the city hosts Norway's largest film festival, a week of Sámi culture with reindeer racing in the streets, a marathon that starts under the Christmas lights and a music festival that turns 40 in 2027. Some dates for 2026/27 are already official. Others follow a usual pattern but have not been announced, and we mark them as such.

Winter calendar 2026/27

“Official” means the organiser has published the date for this season. “Usual period” means the event normally falls at this time, but the exact dates for 2026/27 were not out when we checked in October 2026.

Tromsø International Film Festival

TIFF, founded in 1991, is Norway's largest film festival. In 2027 it runs from 18 to 24 January, a week of films in cinemas and online. Screenings take place across central Tromsø, at Aurora Kino Fokus and Verdensteatret, the city's cinematheque, and according to Visit Tromsø also at Tromsø Kulturhus, Studenthuset Driv, Hålogaland Teater and the open-air winter cinema on Stortorget. The festival week falls just after the end of the polar night, when the sun is back above the horizon.

Polar Night Half Marathon

On Saturday 9 January 2027 the Midnight Sun Marathon Foundation holds its winter race. There are four distances: a full marathon, the Polar Night Half Marathon, a 10 km race (Mørketidsmila) and a 5 km run (Mørketidstrimmen). Visit Tromsø describes the start under the Christmas lights and a course through the city in the blue Arctic light of the weeks before the sun returns.

Soldagen, the return of the sun

The sun has been below the horizon since late November, and it rises again around 15 January. Because of the mountains, it is usually not visible from central Tromsø until later in January, and on 21 January Tromsø celebrates the day the sun is back. People eat “solboller”, sweet sun buns, in workplaces and kindergartens. In 2024 the Arctic University Museum marked the day with a sun concert, children's activities, sun buns and cocoa, and UiT suggested going to Telegrafbukta on the southern tip of the island between 11:00 and 12:30 to catch the light. The programme for 21 January 2027, a Thursday, has not been published.

Sámi Week and the reindeer racing championship

Samisk uke, Sámi Week, has been organised every year since 2004 by the Midnight Sun Marathon Foundation. In 2027 it runs from 31 January to 7 February, around Sámi National Day on 6 February. The programme includes lectures, concerts, lasso throwing, a traditional market and a cultural programme around town. In 2025 the Arctic University Museum hosted an evening celebration of the national day.

The week ends with the Norwegian Championship in reindeer racing, which draws thousands of spectators to the city centre. Reindeer race head to head in heats and a final on a 201-metre sprint course. In Visit Tromsø's description, the lasso throwing is on the Saturday and the reindeer racing on the Sunday, through Storgata. In 2025 the programme placed the race in Grønnegata. For 2027 neither the day nor the street has been announced officially, so check the programme on msm.no before you plan your day around it.

Reindeer sledding and Sámi camp visits outside the city are compared on tromso-reindeer.com.

Nordlysfestivalen, the Northern Lights Festival

Despite the name, Nordlysfestivalen is about music. It is the oldest festival still running in Tromsø and celebrates 40 years in 2027, from 11 to 20 February. The programme spreads over ten days and several venues in the city. For 2027 it lists, among others, Mozart's Requiem, a jazz concert with Kurt Elling and Tromsø Big Band, a quiz concert, dance and family events. Visit Tromsø still describes the festival as falling at the end of January or start of February in general terms; for 2027 the organiser's own dates apply.

Concerts in the Arctic Cathedral

The Arctic Cathedral in Tromsdalen runs its own concert calendar. In October and November 2026, Aurora Tunes offers a half-hour organ concert on most Fridays at 17:30. December has Christmas concerts, and on 31 December 2026 there is a New Year concert at 21:00. In winter 2025/26 a series of half-hour organ concerts called Returning Light ran from January to March, but dates for 2027 have not been published. The official calendar is on ishavskatedralen.no. Our Christmas and New Year page lists the December concerts.

Christmas and New Year

From mid-November the city is decorated with lights, small Christmas markets open in November and December, and on the first Sunday of Advent the large Christmas tree in the centre is lit. Many shops close on the public holidays and reopen on 27 December. The Christmas in Tromsø page has the market dates from last season, opening hours over the holidays and where to watch the New Year fireworks.

Easter 2027

Visit Tromsø notes that Easter usually falls in April and sometimes in March. In 2027 it is early: Maundy Thursday is 25 March, Good Friday 26 March, Easter Sunday 28 March and Easter Monday 29 March. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are public holidays in Norway, and most shops are closed on them. On Easter Saturday, which is not a public holiday, these shops have to close by 16:00.

Smaller festivals through the season

Visit Tromsø lists several more recurring events. The dates for 2026/27 were not available when we checked, so treat the months as a guide.

• Arctic Pride, Tromsø's pride festival, in mid-November.
• Ordkalotten, the international literature festival, in November.
• Arctic Snowshoe Race in March.
• Spis Uka, a food festival, at the end of March or start of April.
• Stumfilmdager, the Silent Film Days, in April.
• Vårscenefest, a spring festival, in April.

If your trip overlaps with TIFF, Sámi Week or Nordlysfestivalen, book your accommodation early and read our guide to the best time to visit for the light and weather in each month.