Stockholm City Hall turns 100 years
Publish date: 1 January 2023
Since 1923, the characteristic brown brick building, and its tower with the three crowns, have looked out over Stockholm from Kungsholmen. Here's how the anniversary will be celebrated.
For Stockholm and Stockholmers, the City Hall is an essential landmark with many functions. It's an integral part of Stockholm's skyline, a tourist attraction, and a place of love where countless Stockholmers have tied the knot with their significant other.
Primarily it's a political office building, though, where the Stockholm City Council convenes every third Monday. The City Executive Office, the city's central management, has offices here and about 300 people call the City Hall their place of work.
The City Hall is also used for events and entertainment. Most notably, the annual Nobel banquet in the grandiose Blå Hallen (literally meaning "the blue hall"). But over a year it also hosts various state luncheons and dinners, as well as being the venue for the citizenship ceremony.
2023 is not just any year in City Hall's history as the iconic building turns 100 years old. During the jubilee year, a long line of activities will be hosted, both in City Hall and in other places around the city. The celebrations will intensify in the days surrounding the birthday on June 23. Here are a couple of examples of how you can join in on the festivities.
Guided tours in the building every weekday
During the tour, you'll experience the building’s grand ambiance and walk through its impressive banquet halls. The tour covers subjects such as history, politics, architecture, and of course the Nobel Prize banquet. Summer visitors also have the chance to climb the City Hall's 106-meter-tall tower and experience a marvelous panoramic view over Stockholm.
Stockholm culture night in the City Hall April 22
This year's Stockholm Culture Night is a proper celebration of City Hall. The banquet halls are open all night, filled with live music, guided tours, fashion shows, performance arts, and much more. The tower will be open for those wanting to enjoy the breathtaking view.
City Hall Regatta June 16-18
When City Hall was inaugurated in 1923, a regatta was hosted in the waters surrounding the building. One hundred years later, the regatta gets a fashionable reboot. Get a taste of history as vintage wooden boats race just as they did one hundred years ago. There will also be exciting sprint racing with modern sports boats and activities by and on the water for visitors of all ages.
"We How Built the City Hall" January 21 - November 5, Stockholm City Museum
The Stockholm City Museum at Slussen highlights the anniversary with the retrospective exhibition "We Who Built the City Hall". See how the building took shape through pictures and eyewitness accounts, and meet the people who took part in its creation. From architects and city planners to interior decorators and carpenters.
This guide is under review. More events will be added at a future date.