Berwaldhallen
Swedish Radio's concert hall since 1979
A modern concert hall with a rich history
In 1966, Swedish Radio approached the then Minister of Communications Olof Palme with a request for its own concert hall and rehearsal rooms for the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. After a number of courtships of several ministers, the Swedish Building Agency was finally commissioned to carry out the "Large Music Studio" project in December 1971.
The building was designed by architects Erik Ahnborg and Sune Lindström at the Vattenbyggnadsbyrån in Stockholm. Berwaldhallen was inaugurated in the autumn of 1979, but major protests were raised before construction; the building was not to be too visible above ground level. Therefore, the concert hall was nestled into the granite rock by two-thirds below ground level.
Originally, there were two name suggestions for the hall. The other suggestion was the Jenny Lind hall, after the famous opera singer. Two years after its inauguration, the concert hall was awarded the prestigious Europa Nostra 1981 Diploma of Merit architectural prize “for a remarkably sensitively designed concert hall”.
During the inauguration concert on 30 November 1979, Franz Berwald’s Sinfonie singulière, Sven-Erik Bäck’s commissioned work At the Outermost Edge of the Sea and Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique were performed. Conductor was Herbert Blomstedt, who also conducted the anniversary concert 30 years later.
One concert stage, many possibilities
Berwaldhallen is the home stage for the two ensembles, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Swedish Radio Choir, both of which are among the best in Europe in their respective fields. Through tours and performances around the world, they have also become important ambassadors for Swedish music and culture abroad. Around 100 concerts are given annually – in Berwaldhallen and on tours, and every summer the Baltic Sea Festival is arranged here. All concerts are broadcast on Swedish Radio, most of them on P2, and around and outside Europe via the EBU, the European Broadcasting Union.
Berwaldhallen is also a popular concert stage for external organizers, and in addition to our own concerts and events, a large number of concerts, general meetings and other productions take place in Berwaldhallen every year. The concert hall has a maximum capacity of 1,304 seats, of which six are wheelchair spaces.
A Blast of Excitement!
Idea becomes reality with the "sweet music of the first explosions", and Berwaldhallen, one of Stockholm's most iconic concert halls, grows out of the rock.
Berwaldhallen’s story
Image and sculpture in Berwaldhallen
The multi-artist Hans Viksten expressed himself in various ways, including through painting, articles, books, music, and art films. Viksten's most famous work is the monumental work Musikmagi in Berwaldhallen.
Read about the art
Tickets!
Find out which concerts are coming up and purchase your ticket for a wonderful experience!
The Swedish Radio Choir - A part of Swedish Radio since 1925
The Swedish Radio Choir was founded in 1925, the same year as the Swedish Radio. The choir still operates with its 32 professional singers according to the original idea: to let the whole country enjoy high-quality music.
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
One of Europe's foremost and most versatile orchestras.Known as the Radio Symphonics in everyday speech, the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra has left a major mark on the music world.