The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Scandinavian music in 2018. (Go to last year in Scandinavian music or next year in Scandinavian music.)
Events
January
12
Norwegian singer Sigrid is named winner of the BBC's "Sound of 2018" award. The 22nd Folklandia Cruise starts in Helsinki, Finland, running until 13 January. 13 – Composer Paavo Heininen, considered by many to be Finland's most influential musician, celebrates his 80th birthday with a concert at the Järvenpää Hall, Helsinki. 19 – The 37th annual Djangofestival starts in Oslo, Norway, to run until 20 January. 28 – Jazz guitarist Gustav Lundgren and his trio perform a tribute to Django Reinhardt at Stockholm Concert Hall, featuring Aurélien Trigo and Antoine Boyer. 30 – Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen is awarded the Léonie Sonning Music Prize 2019.
February
10 – The 38th Dansk Melodi Grand Prix is won by "Higher Ground", performed by Rasmussen. 14 – Norwegian singer Sigrid wins Best New Artist at the NME Awards ceremony. 22 – It is announced that Agnes Obel has signed to Deutsche Grammophon, who will have a joint arrangement with Blue Note for North American releases.
March
3 – At Söngvakeppnin 2018, Ari Ólafsson is selected to represent Iceland in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Heim". After winning the context, Ólafsson is criticised on social media for crying on hearing the result. 7 – Fifteen-year-old cellist Birgitta Elisa Oftestad wins the Virtuos 2018 competition and is named Norway's representative at the Eurovision Young Musicians 2018 contest. 9 – Finnish band Nightwish begins a nine-month world tour titled Decades: World Tour, accompanying a new 2CD compilation called Decades. 10 – The final of Melodifestivalen 2018 takes place in Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden. 12 – The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, under Hannu Lintu, begins a week-long series of concerts in Germany. 25 Swedish House Mafia unexpectedly reunite for a performance at the 20th Anniversary of Ultra Music Festival in Miami, United States. Greenlandic singer Nive Nielsen stars as "Lady Silence" in a new US horror series, The Terror, her first international TV role.
April
27 – ABBA announce that they have recorded some new songs, the first since 1983.
May
8 – In semi-final 1 of the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, Iceland's entry is eliminated, but Finland's Saara Aalto finishes 10th and makes it to the final. 10 – In semi-final 2 of the Eurovision Song Contest, Norway's entry finishes in first place, Sweden 2nd and Denmark 5th; all three countries make it to the final. 12 – In the Eurovision final, held in Lisbon, Sweden does best of the Scandinavian countries, finishing in 7th place. 23 - The Bergen International Festival opens in Bergen, Norway, running until 6 June. Guest performers include Meow Meow, Selene Muñoz and Helsinki Songs.
June
6 – The 26th Sweden Rock Festival opens in Norje, running until 9 June. The Quill are forced to withdraw the day before the festival begins, because lead singer Magnus Ekwall is recovering from emergency surgery.
July
3 – The organizers confirm that the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, normally held after the awards ceremony in Oslo, will not take place in 2018. 4 – The 19th Folk music festival of Siglufjordur opens in Siglufjordur, Iceland, running until 8 July. 5 – Gregory Porter guest stars at the 2018 Kongsberg Jazzfestival in Norway. 27 – The Uppsala Reggae Festival opens in Sweden, running until 28 July, headlined by Jimmy Cliff.
September
5 – The Copenhagen World Music Festival opens, running until 9 September. 6 – The Lahti Sibelius Festival opens, running until 9 September.
November
7 – The Iceland Airwaves music festival opens, running until 10 November. Guests include Blood_Orange, Cashmere Cat and Stella Donnelly.
December
6 – Icelandic Music Day is celebrated.
Albums released
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Film and television scores
Films
On Her Shoulders (United States), music by Patrick Jonsson
Ravens (Sweden), music by Peter von Poehl
Television
Trapped (Iceland), music by Jóhann Jóhannsson with Hildur Gudnadóttir and Rutger Hoedemaekers