Arctic Cathedral vs Tromsø Cathedral: What's the Difference?
Arctic Cathedral or Tromsø Cathedral: a 1965 parish church across the bridge and an 1861 wooden cathedral in the centre, which concerts are where, and which to visit.
They are two different churches about 20 minutes’ walk apart. The Arctic Cathedral is Tromsdalen Church, a white, triangular parish church of 1965 on the mainland side of the Tromsø Bridge; Tromsø Cathedral (Tromsø domkirke) is the yellow wooden church of 1861 in the city centre, the cathedral of the diocese. Visit the Arctic Cathedral for the building and its glass; go to Tromsø Cathedral in the evening for the 23:00 Midnight Concert. That concert is Best Arctic’s, from $32 a person, rated 4.8 from 2,094 reviews (checked October 2026).
Side by side
| Arctic Cathedral | Tromsø Cathedral | |
|---|---|---|
| Other names | Tromsdalen Church, Ishavskatedralen | Tromsø domkirke |
| Where | Hans Nilsens vei 41, Tromsdalen, across the bridge | Kirkegata 7, city centre |
| Built | 1965, architect Jan Inge Hovig | 1861, architect Christian Heinrich Grosch |
| Material | Concrete panels clad in aluminium | Wood |
| Look | White and triangular, a glass front with a cross | Yellow, Gothic Revival |
| Role | Parish church of Tromsøysund | Cathedral of the diocese of Nord-Hålogaland |
| Visiting | NOK 90 at the door, 10:00 to 17:00 most days | See the church’s own opening times |
| Evening concerts | Its own: organ, choirs, Christmas and New Year | The Midnight Concert at 23:00 (Best Arctic) |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways for Tromsø Cathedral.
Arctic Cathedral from its own website; Tromsø Cathedral from the Midnight Concert’s listing and Visit Tromsø, with the architect and the diocese from Wikipedia’s article on the church; read in October 2026.
Why visitors mix them up
The Arctic Cathedral is not a cathedral in the church’s sense: it is the parish church of Tromsdalen, and “cathedral” is a nickname for its shape, Ishavskatedralen, the Arctic Ocean Cathedral. Tromsø’s actual cathedral is the wooden church in the centre. Both hold concerts, and for years the Arctic Cathedral held its own 23:00 Midnight Sun Concerts in summer; the 23:00 Midnight Concert sold in 2026 is in Tromsø Cathedral. Its own listing on GetYourGuide warns that it is in “the yellow wooden church in the city centre”, “not the white triangle Arctic Cathedral over the bridge”, and two of the few low ratings among its newest 350 reviews came from guests who went to the wrong one.
Which to visit
For the building, the Arctic Cathedral. It is the landmark you see across the strait: the stepped panels, the cross in the glass front, and Victor Sparre’s glass wall behind the altar. It is open in the day for NOK 90 and makes a short trip over the bridge, with the Fjellheisen cable car ten minutes’ walk beyond it. The traveler’s guide covers a visit.
For an evening, Tromsø Cathedral. It is in the centre, among the restaurants and hotels, and the Midnight Concert there runs every night at 23:00 for half an hour. Visit Tromsø describes it as Northern Europe’s largest wooden cathedral.
With time for both, walk them in one afternoon and evening: the Arctic Cathedral before 17:00, dinner in town, and the concert at 23:00.
Check dates for the Midnight Concert →
Midnight Concert
Folk tunes, psalms and Sami music in the wooden cathedral in the centre. From age 8.
Check dates →Walking Tour to the Cathedral
Starts at Tromsø Cathedral, walks the centre, then takes the bus over the bridge to the Arctic Cathedral, entry included.
See the walking tour →Christmas Concert
Jardar Johansen's Julefred, 20 to 22 December: Christmas songs with his daughters and a band.
See the Christmas concert →Prices and ratings from GetYourGuide (checked October 2026); operators change prices, so treat them as a guide, not a quote.
The concert schedule lists what is on in each church, and getting there covers the bridge, the buses and the walk.
Arctic Cathedral facts from its own website; Tromsø Cathedral’s address, the concert and its warning from the Midnight Concert’s GetYourGuide listing (read in US dollars on 29 October 2026) and Visit Tromsø; Tromsø Cathedral’s date, architect and diocese from Wikipedia.
An Evening Inside Tromsø Cathedral
Best Arctic's Midnight Concert in Tromsø Cathedral, the yellow wooden church at Kirkegata 7: doors at 22:30, 30 minutes of folk tunes, psalms and Sami music from 23:00, entry included. From age 8. On GetYourGuide in October 2026, free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check Dates