6th Feb - 12th Feb 2023

Sami Week in Tromsø

Sami is the name of the indigenous people of Sápmi, which refers to the Arctic regions of Scandinavia. The Sami Week in Tromsø is an annual festival held in connection to the Sami National Day on February 6th. The Sami Week program is a lively and interesting mix of various cultural happenings, such as exhibitions of Sami art and handcrafts, lectures, seminars and concerts.

During the weekend the Main Square is where it’s happening. Get a real taste of the Arctic at the Arctic Market where several Sami vendors sell traditional garments, handicraft and food. On Saturday the scene is set for the thrilling Norwegian Championship in Lasso Throwing.  Sunday is the spectacular and very popular Norwegian Championship in Reindeer Racing . Reindeer sprinting through Tromsø City Center truly is a sight to behold! Bring out those big lenses and dial your shutter speed because the chances of great action shots are very high!

The Sami Week in Tromsø is a unique display of the fusion of modern city life and traditional Sami values, all wrapped up together in picturesque Tromsø¸ during a few intense winter days. We hope to see you there!

Information related to the race

About Tromsø

Where should I stay during my visit in Tromsø?

Visit Tromsø lists most of the  hotels, Apartments, camping sites and other accomodation info HERE. Please note that even though almost all the hotels are located in the city centre, you should always check the location before booking. The hotels in the city centre are all within walking distance from the start- and finish-area of Midnight Sun Marathon, Polar Night Halfmarathon and the reindeer racing and lassothrowing during Samí Week.

We have a partnership with Thon Hotel & Scandic Hotel, please contact us on info@msm.no for information about prices & how to book

How can I travel around Tromsø and the city center?

At  Troms Fylkestrafikk you will find info about tickets and bus routes in Tromsø. You can buy single tickets, tickets for 24hours, 7 days or 30 days within a specific area.

How can I travel to Tromsø?

If you are travelling from outside Norway to Tromsø, you have to fly to Oslo and take a connecting flight to Tromsø. The flight time from Tromsø to Oslo is approximately 2 hours and there are several daily flights.

If you wish to travel by sea, the Coastal steamer Hurtigruten arrives in Tromsø daily, and travelling within the region you can board the express boats from Harstad and Finnsnes. There are also bus Connections from the surrounding cities, such as Narvik, Bardufoss and Alta. Se more info about travelling within Troms region at the regional traffic site, Tromskortet.

Best Arctic offer the following trips to Tromsø by bus;
Arctic Route from Rovaniemi https://bestarctic.com/thearcticroute/tromso-rovaniemi-rovaniemi-tromso/
Arctic Route from Narvik https://bestarctic.com/thearcticroute/tromso-narvik-narvik-tromso/

What should I do or see when visiting Tromsø?

We have a partnership with Best Arctic. You can find & book a selection of activities with them here: Best Arctic

Visit Tromsø has info on all activities, attractions, accomodation, restaurants/cafes and shopping. Visit their homepage HERE. You can also download their app, Tromsø Official City App, so you can access all the information while you are on the go!

How far is it from the airport to the city center?

Tromsø is a small island, measuring ca 10km from north to south. The airport (Langnes) is located at the island itself, and with the airport Shuttlebus or taxi, it takes 10-15min to get to the city centre (some more during rush hour) . The airport Shuttlebus also stops outside most of the city hotels. Ask the driver and he will tell you which stop to get off at. All the city hotels are located in the city centre within walking distance from each other. You can book the Aiport Express bus here and use the code MSM2023.

Reindeer race

Where can I buy tickets to watch NC in reindeer racing?

You can buy tickets for the reindeer race at the Arctic market at Stortorget (main square) the day before the race. We also sell tickets at the arena on race day, but we advise you to purchase you tickets in advance to avoid queuing. You can pay by card, cash or by VIPPS (Norwegian app).

Ticket prices: Adults: NOK 200,-// Children (until 16 years): free

How fast can the reindeers sprint?

These reindeer are trained for this purpose, and can reach a top speed up to 60km/hour. Often it is such a close race between the two reindeers racing against each other, that we have to the use finish photo who takes  2000 pictures per second to find out who the winner is! The sprint distance in reindeer racing is 201 meters, and the official world record of 14,96 seconds is held by Anders Nils K. Eira from Karasjok.

About Sami week

Where can I find photos from Sami week?

We publish reminders about the different events at Sami week throughout the week on our Facebook-page. There we also publish photos from the NC in lassoing and reindeer racing, the days after the event took place. Follow our Facebook-page to get the latest updates:)

What can I find at the Samí market?

Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of February we arrange a Samí market at the town square (Stortorget) in the middle of Tromsø city center.  Experience Sami Food, reindeermeat, and sami arts and Crafts based on natural materials- traditional duodji.  You can find woolen socks, mittens, traditional sami footwear, leather hats and so on.

Can I participate in the programme at Samí week?

Samí  week is open to everyone, and we try to create an offer for all agegroups. If you are curious about Samí culture and traditions, this is the perfect opportunity to learn more!

Other events:

Partner: