Saint James’s Church aims to be a place that influences and contributes to change in both church and society. In the vibrant heart of the capital, the church is meant to be significant not only for the Church of Sweden but also for other civil society actors.
Monday: Closed
Tuesday–Thursday: 12:00–16:00
Friday: 12:00–18:00
Saturday–Sunday: Closed
If you are planning a visit, it is helpful to notify us in advance. During special events, we may need to close the church to visitors, even during the hours listed above. It also happens that we may be able to open outside these hours.
In 1989, Saint James’s Parish had 150 members, which was not enough to maintain its own parish and operations. The church was therefore merged with Storkyrkoförsamlingen and Saint Clare Parish into the Cathedral Parish of Stockholm. In 2019, Saint James’s Church, its churchyard, and the former parish house were sold to the Diocese of Stockholm.
With the Diocese as the owner, Saint James’s Church is no longer a parish church. This means that its activities differ from a parish’s ordinary use of a church building. There are no parish members here whose membership fees can contribute to activities or to the care and maintenance of the cultural heritage. At the same time, Saint James’s Church continues to be a consecrated sacred space, with the same sanctity as parish churches.
Saint James’s Church and churchyard have a history stretching back to the 14th century. During the Middle Ages, a leper hospital with a chapel and cemetery was established here to care for the poor. “Norra Förstaden” was then its own town with its own coat of arms and seal. The chapel was first built of wood and later of stone, but was eventually torn down by King Gustav Vasa in 1527 to supply material for Stockholm’s city wall.
In the 1580s, construction of the present church began under King John III. The architect was Willem Boy, who had come to Sweden from what is now Belgium—ironically on an earlier assignment from Gustav Vasa. After a long interruption, the church was consecrated on the first Sunday of Advent in 1643, with Queen Christina in attendance.
In the 1640s, Norrmalm received a new city plan, and several noble palaces began to be built where small wooden houses once stood. Saint James’s Church became the church of the nobility, which can still be seen today in the many grave slabs and heraldic funeral shields that adorn the floors and walls.
The building shows influences from late Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo architecture. It is characterized today by its red color, central tower, and sculpted sandstone portals—especially the southern portal from 1644. The church has undergone several renovations over the centuries, though the exterior has remained largely the same since the 18th century, except for the red color added during a 1960s restoration. The color was chosen to evoke the original brick church, which had been painted red with white joints.
Inside, the church has been remodeled multiple times during the 19th and 20th centuries. The interior is marked by high walls, pillars, and vaults from the original structure, a 1740s organ façade, stained glass windows from the 1890s, and an altarpiece from the 1930s renovation. Soon, the church’s interior will gain yet another layer of history.
You can read more about the history of Saint James’s Church here.
Saint James’s Church has a long history as a music venue. At its center stand the church’s distinguished organs and the significant organists who have served there. The organ is one of the most frequently heard and most appreciated in Sweden, renowned far beyond national borders for its magnificent sound, versatility, and successful interplay with the church’s acoustics. Thanks to its extensive concert tradition and the many organ students who have trained on it since the 1970s, it has been highly influential in the development of Swedish organ music.
The current gallery organ is one of the largest church organs in Sweden. It was built in 1976 by the Danish firm Marcussen & Søn behind the façade of Olof Hedlund’s 1746 organ. The organ is exemplary of its time, representing the so‑called eclectic organ type, intended to create a versatile instrument by combining the best features from different historical organ traditions. The organ at Saint James’s is unique in that it contains significant pipe material from all the organs that have stood behind Hedlund’s façade: in addition to Hedlund’s pipes from 1746, it includes pipes from instruments built by P. Z. Strand in 1840, P. L. Åkerman in 1862, E. A. Setterqvist in 1914, Åkerman & Lund in 1930, and Marcussen in 1976.
Some of Sweden’s greatest organists have served at this instrument since the 19th century. Gustaf Mankell and Wilhelm Heintze were among the few Swedish organists of their time with an international outlook, performing abroad and mastering the major continental concert repertoire. In the 20th century, Albert Lindström and Waldemar Åhlén were leading virtuosos in Swedish church music. Anders Bondeman, who served when the current organ was installed, became a major innovator of liturgical playing and improvisation—an art form he almost single‑handedly reintroduced in Sweden. For nearly four decades as professor of organ improvisation at the Royal College of Music, generations of organists have learned their craft at the organ in Saint James’s Church.
When Saint James’s Church was part of the Cathedral Parish, it hosted an extensive concert program. For example, weekly organ concerts were held every Friday at 17:00—known informally as “organ after‑work”—with around 100 visitors on average. These concerts attracted a diverse audience of all ages: devoted organ enthusiasts, casual visitors, and tourists.
The Friday afternoon organ concerts remain a living tradition, helping preserve both the material and immaterial cultural heritage of Saint James’s Church.
In spring 2026, the exhibition “Community Service and Worship” opens.
For centuries, the Church of Sweden has been an active force in society, with worship at its center. Churches have gathered people at all stages of life—joy, sorrow, hope, and despair—and remain open to all, regardless of background. Saint James’s Church is a public space that continues to influence both church and society and holds a rich cultural heritage. The church interior and its objects bear witness to people’s faith and the timeless spiritual search that defines humanity. They also reflect the role of churches in the societal development of Northern Europe. In a time of climate anxiety and societal change, the church’s commitment to creation is an essential foundation—a care that unites past and future.
Saint James’s Church was closed for renovation and maintenance during 2024–2025. Improvements included ventilation, water, sewage, and heating systems. A new accessibility ramp made the church more accessible to more visitors.
To create better conditions for gatherings, two new meeting rooms were built at the back of the north and south aisles. Both the meeting rooms and the main church hall were equipped with new, modern meeting technology, sound, and lighting.
Several pews were removed from the central nave and the north aisle. These new open areas can now be used flexibly and creatively for different activities. The north aisle also received additional exhibition cases to present Christian faith and ecclesiastical cultural heritage.
You can read more about the renovation project here.
Saint James's Church began construction in the 1580s, but due to various delays, it was not completed until approximately 60 years later and was inaugurated on the first Advent in 1643. Now, it is set to undergo interior renovation.