Copenhagen’s Winter Culture Calendar

Rather than slowing down for winter, Copenhagen’s museums and galleries turn up the cultural heat. This season’s exhibitions explore surrealism and themes like nature, technology, and personal identity. Visitors can immerse themselves in expressive installations, rethink architecture’s relationship with the environment, and reflect on the emotional side of machines.

Beyond the city’s winter exhibitions, there’s another reason to visit Copenhagen’s arts and culture institutions in the winter. These warm, beautiful and well lit spaces are home to extensive collections, welcoming and well-regarded cafés and restaurants, curated design and book shops, and even indoor gardens. For shopping, design, lunch and nature experiences, they’re a one-stop shop.

These are our picks for the best winter exhibitions to visit this year:

Visitors at Designmuseum Denmark can explore the LABORATORIUM series, where designers and artists reveal the creative processes behind their work. From November 6th 2025 to January 4th 2026, LABORATORIUM – Claydies invites you into the playful world of ceramic duo Karen Kjældgård-Larsen and Tine Broksø, who transform everyday objects into witty and thought-provoking artworks. From January 16th to May 17th 2026, LABORATORIUM – Foersom & Hiort-Lorentzen reveals how the iconic furniture of design legends Johannes Foersom and Peter Hiort-Lorentzen is conceived, from initial sketches to finished pieces. 

Every other Thursday from January to March, DINE & DESIGN invites you to community dining with plant-based twists on Danish classics. Share long-table meals for 140 DKK per adult (half price for children under ten) and connect over food in a museum setting.

This winter at The National Gallery of Denmark or SMK, visitors can step into the subconscious with Surreal on Paper, an exhibition exploring how drawing became the Surrealists’ gateway to dreams, instincts, and imagination. 

Emerging in France in the 1920s as a response to the horrors of World War I, the Surrealist movement sought a radical new beginning. Drawing became a central tool in this pursuit, unlocking creativity and reshaping how we think about art.

The exhibition features over 100 drawings by key Surrealist artists, including Salvador Dalí, André Masson, and Méret Oppenheim.  

 Danish Architecture Center - DAC invites visitors on a sensory journey into the future of architecture in their winter-exhibition Age of Nature. The museum explores the shifting relationship between humans and the natural world and how we can work with nature – rather than against. From mushroom towers and AI-generated forests to facades designed as ecosystems, the exhibition presents ideas for how architecture can support both human life and biodiversity. 

Copenhagen Contemporary presents Soft Robots: The Art of Digital Breathing, an exhibition exploring the evolving relationship between humans and machines. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale, the exhibition asks: can machines possess soul? And what does it mean to be human in a world shaped by seductive, intelligent systems? Featuring works by 15 international artists and artist duos, it invites visitors to reflect on technology’s emotional and spiritual dimensions. 

At Ordrupgaard, visitors are invited to explore the hidden stories of houseplants in PLANT FEVER: THE WORLD ON THE WINDOWSILL. In collaboration with The Hirschsprung Collection, this dual exhibition traces how exotic plants entered Danish homes in the 19th century, becoming everyday companions and artistic motifs. Featuring works by artists such as Anna Ancher, Christen Købke, and P.S. Krøyer, alongside contemporary pieces by Camilla Berner, Jesper Christiansen, and Randi & Katrine, the exhibition reveals how plants reflect colonial histories, cultural exchange, and our evolving relationship with nature.

When visiting Ordrupgaard, go for a walk around their sculpture park. Free and open daily, the Art Park turns a walk in the woods into a journey. 

This winter, ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art presents GODDAMIT. The artist, Kenneth Rasmussen, transforms mental clutter into healing art. Plastic-bag jungles hang from the ceiling, ceramic creatures roam the floor, and massive linoleum prints burst with surreal detail. Drawing from his life as a person with special needs, Rasmussen’s expressive universe blends humor, tenderness, and social critique.

While visiting ARKEN, don’t miss ALL WALKS OF LIFE, the largest solo exhibition to date by Danish artist Frederik Næblerød. Known for his raw, energetic style, Næblerød fills the museum with vibrant paintings, ceramics, and large-scale installations.  

This winter, Nikolaj Kunsthal presents two exhibitions exploring artistic exchange and personal expression.

Copenhagen–Berlin: Gateway to the World highlights nine Danish artists who lived and worked in Berlin from the 1990s onward, drawn by the city’s raw energy and global outlook. Through painting, sculpture, sound, and installation, the exhibition reflects on how Berlin shaped their practices and continues to inspire creative dialogue between the two capitals.

Meanwhile, BOOGIE by Danish-Turkish artist Evren Tekinoktay transforms the former church into a vibrant, sensuous universe. With neon lights, tapestries, collages, and fragrance, Tekinoktay’s works explore intuition, identity, and emotion through recurring symbolic motifs. 

Further opportunities to feed your mind and follow your interests are available all over Copenhagen, from Viking history at the National Museum of Denmark to the Danish and French art collections at The National Gallery of Denmark. As the reigning World Capital of Architecture, Copenhagen’s buildings are a feast for the eyes and the mind too: Grundtvig’s Church is one of the city’s most awe-inspiring buildings, along with the beautiful Rosenborg Castle, home to the crown jewels. The city’s Round Tower has an observatory at the top and hosts winter stargazing sessions through its telescope every Tuesday and Wednesday evening. 

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