Tromsø northern lights season 2026-27

When does the 2026-27 northern lights season start and end in Tromsø?

The lights can be seen from late August to early April, and organised tours run from September to early April.

Those are the dates Visit Tromsø gives, and they match what UiT The Arctic University of Norway says about the midnight sun: from around mid April to the start of September the sky never gets dark enough. Inside the season, what changes is the length of the night. We calculated the hours of nautical darkness (sun at least 12 degrees below the horizon) for the 15th of each month in Tromsø centre.

More darkness is not automatically better. December gives you sixteen hours to work with, but the days are blue twilight and the coast is often cloudy. Our pick is February: long nights, the sun back for daytime plans, and colder, steadier weather inland.

When do the chase tours run this winter?

Most chase operators run nightly from September or October to March or early April. Chasing Lights runs its minibus chase from September to early April and its big bus from October to March.

The Chasing Lights minibus page gives the season as "September to Early April", with pickup at 17:20, moved to 18:20 in early September and April when it gets dark later. Its big bus runs October to March, so a September or early April visit narrows your choice. Both run in all weather and return between midnight and 03:00, according to the listings.

If you land in late August, the sky can already be dark enough around midnight, but most tours have not started. From mid September everything on our price comparison is running, from Northern Horizon at $109 to Greenlander at $318.

When is the full moon in winter 2026-27?

Full moons fall on 26 October, 24 November, 24 December, 22 January, 21 February and 22 March. New moons, the darkest skies, are on 9 November, 9 December, 7 January, 6 February and 8 March.

NOAA notes that a full moon reduces how bright the aurora looks. It does not switch it off. A strong display still shows clearly under a full moon, and the moonlight on snow makes for better landscape photos. A faint arc is another story: on those nights a bright moon can wash it out.

If you can only choose one week, aim for the days around a new moon. If your dates are fixed, don't worry about it. Cloud cover decides far more nights than the moon. Dates below are from the U.S. Naval Observatory, converted to Norwegian time.

Which events fill Tromsø this winter?

The Tromsø International Film Festival runs 18 to 24 January 2027 and the Northern Lights Festival 11 to 20 February 2027. The town also celebrates the sun's return on 21 January.

The Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF) fills the cinemas in the third week of January. The Northern Lights Festival, a ten-day music and culture festival that started in 1988, runs from 11 to 20 February. Despite the name it is concerts, not a sky show.

Book early for both weeks, and for Christmas to New Year. Our polar night post covers 21 January, when the town eats sun buns to welcome the light back.

How far ahead should you book a northern lights chase for 2026-27?

Two to four weeks ahead in most months, longer for Christmas, mid January and February. Book the first night of your stay.

Visit Tromsø warns that popular departures and smaller tours can sell out in the busiest months. The small groups go first: Greenlander takes eight guests, the minibus chase fifteen. With room for up to 50, the big bus makes a good backup.

Book early and keep it flexible. Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before, except Greenlander, which is non-refundable. Put the chase on your first evening. If the sky stays shut, you still have nights left to try again, and nobody refunds a cloudy night: see what happens if you see no lights.

Our top pick for a first chase: up to 15 guests, a photographer guide, a warm meal, and a suit and boots for the night.

★ 4.9 · 5 to 9 hours · from $257

Explore the minibus chase → Tour details

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