Tickets, church and date
Tromsø midnight concert tickets
Which church the concert is in, what the ticket includes, how it compares with booking direct, and how to choose a night for the Tromsø Cathedral concert.
Reserve a place in the yellow church ↗Quick answer
Book the Midnight Concert ticket for Tromsø Cathedral, the yellow wooden church in the city centre, not the white Arctic Cathedral across the bridge. It covers admission and a concert of about half an hour with folk tunes, psalms and Sámi music. Choose a night from the calendar, which lists each start time, and keep your confirmation handy. Until 24 hours before the concert, a GetYourGuide booking can be cancelled at no charge.
Three ways to hear a concert in a Tromsø church
| This ticket | Organiser's site | Arctic Cathedral | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Church | Tromsø Cathedral | Tromsø Cathedral | Arctic Cathedral |
| Side of town | City centre | City centre | Across the bridge |
| Booked via | GetYourGuide | Best Arctic | Its own calendar |
| Cancelling | Free to 24 hours before | Organiser's terms | That church's terms |
| Best for | Pay later, free cancelling | Booking at source | A different programme |
Which church the concert is in
The Midnight Concert is held in Tromsø Cathedral, a yellow wooden church in the middle of the city on Tromsøya island. The white, angular church that appears on most Tromsø postcards is a different building: the Arctic Cathedral, on the mainland side of the Tromsø Bridge. Both hold concerts, and the names are easy to mix up, so check which one your ticket names. The address is Kirkegata 7, in the city centre. If your route to the church takes you over the bridge, you are heading to the wrong one. The cathedral stands in a park, so look for the yellow timber walls and the tower rather than for a sign.
Read next: Tromsø Cathedral or Arctic?
What the ticket covers
The ticket covers admission to Tromsø Cathedral and the concert itself, which lasts about 30 minutes. Transport, food and drink are extra and not part of the ticket. The church opens only shortly before the concert starts, so there is nothing to gain by arriving early, and you show your ticket at the entrance. Children must be at least 8 years old. Wheelchair access is available, and Visit Tromsø lists the concert as family-friendly and very easy to attend.
- Included: cathedral admission and the concert
- Not included: transport, food and drinks
- Minimum age: 8 years
- Length: about 30 minutes
A concert with two decades behind it
The Midnight Concerts are run by Best Arctic, a company with its office in Tromsø, and Visit Tromsø says they have been running for more than two decades. That is useful to know before you buy. This is a long-running event, not a one-off: a short programme of music from the region, performed by professional musicians, inside the city's own cathedral. You are buying an established evening in the city's cathedral, and the concerts have a track record that a new show would not.
What you will hear
The programme draws on psalms, folk tunes, traditional songs from Northern Norway and Sámi music, played and sung by professional musicians. Some pieces set folk melodies in classical arrangements. The line-up and the music change from concert to concert, so no set list is promised for your night. Expect a small ensemble with a singer at the front of a wooden church, not an orchestra. If a Sámi piece is sung, the guide to joik explains what you are hearing. The room itself, a large timber church, is part of what the evening offers.
Read next: Joik and Sámi music in Tromsø
GetYourGuide or the organiser's own site
Best Arctic sells tickets on its own site as well, and both routes lead to the same church. The difference is in the terms. GetYourGuide lets you drop the booking for nothing right up to the day before the concert, and it lets you reserve now and settle the bill later. Tickets from the organiser's site follow its own conditions, which you should read at checkout. Pick the route whose cancellation rule suits your trip. If your plans are firm, either works; if they are not, free cancellation removes the risk of holding a night early.
How the booking works
The mechanics are short. Open the booking calendar, pick the date, and set the number of travellers. Choose to reserve now and pay later if you want to hold the date without paying today, or pay immediately if you prefer to have it settled. You receive a confirmation that shows the start time for your date. On the night, show that confirmation or ticket at the entrance of the cathedral. Save the confirmation on your phone before you leave the hotel, so you are not searching for it outdoors.
Choosing a night
Open the calendar and look at which nights are on sale and what start time each one carries; that is better than relying on a guidebook. Visit Tromsø describes the concerts as nightly, but the calendar has the final word. The concert is late in the evening, which makes it an easy fit for a night when you are already in the city centre. If you are flying in or out that day, leave a generous margin and keep the cancellation window in mind. The light outside changes with the season, as the guide to the midnight sun explains.
Read next: Midnight sun or polar night?
Is half an hour enough?
It is a short concert, and it is best booked as one: a quiet half hour in a wooden church that has stood since the 1860s, with a few musicians close enough that you hear the room as well as the songs. If you want a longer concert, this is not it. Think of it as an addition to a dinner or a walk through the city centre, not as the whole evening. The building is a large part of the draw, and the practical guide describes what the interior looks like.
Read next: Tromsø Cathedral concert guide
Families, groups and access
Children can come from the age of 8, so younger children cannot join. Visit Tromsø lists wheelchair access for the concert, but check with the organiser how you reach your seat if you need a step-free route, since the building dates from the 1860s. For a group, book everyone together and make sure the whole party can reach the confirmation. Visit Tromsø also lists the concert as family-friendly, which makes it a workable short outing for families with children of the right age.
Before and after the concert
Because the concert is short and late, plan the rest of the night around it. The cathedral stands in a park in the middle of Tromsø, so it fits a dinner earlier in the city centre followed by a short walk. Airport buses run into the city centre, so even an arrival day can include the concert if your flight lands in good time. Whatever you plan, check the way back to your hotel before you go, because you will be leaving late. If you want a drink afterwards, book any meal separately and earlier in the evening, because the concert is not part of a dinner and the ticket includes no food.
Who this isn't for
If you want a long concert, a sit-down dinner or a guided tour of the church's history, this ticket is not the right one. Children under 8 cannot attend. Anyone hoping to hear one particular piece, such as a specific joik or hymn, should know that the programme changes between concerts. And if you have already booked the white Arctic Cathedral across the bridge, your plans will not match this ticket, so check the church named on your confirmation. A visitor who only wants to see the inside of the church in daylight should check the parish's own opening information instead, because this ticket is for the evening concert.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Midnight Concert in the Arctic Cathedral?
No. It is in Tromsø Cathedral, the yellow wooden church in the city centre. The white Arctic Cathedral is across the Tromsø Bridge and is a separate church.
How long is the Midnight Concert in Tromsø?
About 30 minutes. The church opens only shortly before the concert, so there is nothing to gain by queuing early, and the start time for your night is printed on your confirmation. Allow extra time to walk to Kirkegata 7 from wherever you are staying.
What music is played at the concert?
Psalms, folk tunes, traditional songs from Northern Norway and Sámi music, performed by professional musicians. The programme varies, so no set list is promised.
Can children go to the Midnight Concert?
Children must be at least 8 years old. Younger children cannot attend. Visit Tromsø also lists the concert as family-friendly, so it can work as a short outing for families with older children.
Can I cancel my ticket?
Yes. With GetYourGuide you may cancel until 24 hours before the concert and be refunded in full, and paying can wait until later. A ticket from the organiser follows its own conditions.
Are food and transport included?
No. The ticket covers admission to the cathedral and the concert only. Transport, food and drinks are not included, so book any dinner separately and plan your own way to the church and back.
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