Sweden has a strong amateur arts culture for children, teens and adults, supported by study associations and municipal culture schools. You don’t need experience or Swedish fluency to participate.
Activities like theatre, choir, dance, hip-hop, music and improv are widely available and are one of the easiest ways for internationals — including families — to build friendships, confidence and a sense of belonging.
Moving to a new country can be exciting — but it can also be lonely, isolating and mentally exhausting. Many internationals in Sweden discover that making Swedish friends takes time, especially outside work.
One of the most powerful shortcuts into Swedish social life is amateur arts. This can’t be overstated.
Choirs, theatre groups, dance communities, improv clubs, film collectives and creative workshops are everywhere — and they are designed for beginners and hobbyists.
This is not about becoming a professional artist. Rather, it's about belonging, wellbeing and community which when combined, is a very uplifting energy source.
Importantly, this ecosystem is not just for adults. Across the country, arts participation is part of growing up and lifelong learning. Children often begin in municipal culture schools, teenagers continue through youth programmes and study associations, and adults join hobby groups or return to creative interests later in life.
Swedes often build friendships through structured group activities, not spontaneous socialising.
Joining an arts group gives you:
Research consistently shows that singing, dancing and performing in groups reduces stress, anxiety and loneliness. For newcomers, this impact can be huge.
Many internationals say joining a choir, improv class or dance group was the moment Sweden finally started to feel like home.
Most activities are run through:
Key things internationals love:
You usually don’t need to audition. Showing up is enough.
Common themes from international communities:
Many internationals regret not joining earlier.
Sweden has a strong hip-hop and street culture scene, and it is one of the most accessible entry points into arts participation for internationals.
These spaces are often:
You don’t need experience or perfect Swedish — just curiosity and willingness to show up.
A major driver of Sweden’s grassroots arts scene is the study association system.
One of the most influential organisations is NBV.
NBV plays a huge role in making arts participation accessible — especially for newcomers and people without formal arts education.
Across Sweden, and particularly in Gothenburg, Stockholm and Malmö, NBV supports:
NBV workshops and events are a great way for internationals to discover Swedish hobby culture.
Gothenburg's hip-hop scene, vs Stockholm for example, is more participation heavy — it's more community focused.
NBV has had a particularly strong influence in Gothenburg, helping support long-running hip-hop workshops, community spaces and events across the west coast.
Regular activities often include:
These spaces are designed to be affordable, welcoming and beginner-friendly.
For some internationals, hip-hop communities become a first step into Swedish social life.
Most municipalities offer Kulturskolan, which is the main entry point into the arts for children.
Typical activities include:
These classes are:
For teenagers, social life often shifts toward:
These spaces focus less on formal teaching and more on:
Many teens discover lifelong hobbies here.
Study associations such as NBV also run youth-focused programmes, including:
These activities are often low-cost or free and are designed to be inclusive and accessible.
Stockholm — Sweden’s capital and mind-blowingly beautiful city — has the largest hobby arts scene in Sweden and a strong international community.
Popular organisations include:
Improv is especially popular among internationals because language barriers matter less and social bonding happens quickly.
Stockholm has hundreds of choirs, many open to beginners.
Common options include:
Choir culture is huge in Sweden. Many internationals join with zero singing experience.
Popular for newcomers:
Many dance communities organise social events and festivals, making them powerful friendship networks.
Gothenburg has one of Sweden’s most accessible and community-driven arts cultures.
A standout organisation is House of Possibilitas.
They run inclusive theatre and performance workshops focused on accessibility, creativity and community participation.
Well-known groups include:
GEST is a major gateway for internationals who want to act in English.
Gothenburg has a strong choir tradition with many beginner-friendly groups and international members.
Many internationals say choirs in Gothenburg are particularly welcoming and social.
Malmö’s arts scene is known for being international, experimental and informal.
Popular spaces include:
The Malmö scene is often described as easy to enter and very inclusive.
Strong communities include:
Many internationals describe Malmö’s arts scene as relaxed and beginner-friendly.
If you don’t live in Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö, the arts scene can feel hidden at first — but it absolutely exists everywhere. The key is knowing where to look.
Start here:
Use Google with terms like:
Many amateur arts groups only publish in Swedish.
Search: “[municipality] kultur fritid”.
You’ll often find:
In smaller towns, most arts groups organise through Facebook.
Search for:
Many internationals say their first choir, band or theatre group came from Facebook.
Libraries and “kulturhus” often host:
Try hashtags like:
Small-town arts scenes often live on social media more than websites.
Outside the big cities the arts scene is smaller, but often more open and welcoming. Once you join one group, word-of-mouth quickly leads to others.
Start simple:
☐ Search your city + choir / improv / theatre / dance
☐ Check study associations and cultural centres
☐ Reach out, join local Facebook groups
☐ Try a beginner workshop or open class
☐ Go alone if you have to — many others will too
↗︎ Stockholm International Improv Theatre (SIIT)
↗︎ Teaterverket (courses + community theatre)
↗︎ Kulturama (huge performing arts school for adults)
↗︎ Balettakademien Stockholm (dance courses for adults)
↗︎ Stockholm Singers (English-speaking choir)
↗︎ Parkteatern (free outdoor theatre in summer)
↗︎ Konträr (experimental theatre & performance venue)
↗︎ House of Possibilitas (inclusive performing arts community)
↗︎ Gothenburg English Studio Theatre (GEST)
↗︎ Balettakademien Gothenburg (dance courses)
↗︎ Folkteatern Gothenburg (community workshops & events)
↗︎ NBV West Sweden (arts & music activities)
↗︎ PotatoPotato Performing Arts (courses, workshops, experimental theatre)
↗︎ Inkonst (performing arts venue & workshops)
↗︎ Malmö Sommarscen (free outdoor summer performances)
↗︎ Malmö Opera Community & events
↗︎ Stockholm International Choir
↗︎ Immanuel International Choir - Immanuel Church
↗︎ Stockholm Singers (English-speaking choir)
↗︎ Meetup (search “choir”, “improv”, “jam session”)
↗︎ Bandfinder (find musicians in Sweden)
No. Many groups run in English or are beginner-friendly.
No. People of all ages participate.
Most children start around age 6–8, once they are in primary school.
Almost never. Beginners are expected.
No — many participants join solo.
Usually very affordable compared with private classes.
Yes. Many internationals say hobby groups became their first social network in Sweden.