Best time to visit Gothenburg
The best time to visit Gothenburg is May, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Gothenburg, Vaestra Goetaland, Sweden
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.1 °C / 36 °F | -2.1 °C / 28 °F | 72 mm / 2.8 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 2.4 °C / 36 °F | -2.2 °C / 28 °F | 57 mm / 2.3 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 5.9 °C / 43 °F | -0.7 °C / 31 °F | 50 mm / 2 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 11.2 °C / 52 °F | 2.5 °C / 37 °F | 49 mm / 1.9 in | good month |
| May | 15.9 °C / 61 °F | 6.9 °C / 44 °F | 75 mm / 3 in | best month |
| June | 19.1 °C / 66 °F | 10.6 °C / 51 °F | 97 mm / 3.8 in | good month |
| July | 20.9 °C / 70 °F | 12.9 °C / 55 °F | 121 mm / 4.7 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 19.8 °C / 68 °F | 12.4 °C / 54 °F | 131 mm / 5.2 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 16.7 °C / 62 °F | 9.9 °C / 50 °F | 96 mm / 3.8 in | good month |
| October | 11.4 °C / 53 °F | 6 °C / 43 °F | 99 mm / 3.9 in | neither best nor good |
| November | 6.6 °C / 44 °F | 2.7 °C / 37 °F | 71 mm / 2.8 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 3.5 °C / 38 °F | -0.3 °C / 31 °F | 74 mm / 2.9 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May
- Good
- April, June, September
Only May is truly best -- mild, bright and dry -- while June and September are good despite afternoon showers; July and August, though the warmest and sunniest months, are undercut by heavy rain concentrated in the afternoon, and October through March are cold and dark.
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: precipitation 49 mm / 1.9 in, share of daylight that is sunny 75%, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, wet days 9.7 days, relative humidity 72%.
Against: feels like (high) 7.7 °C / 46 °F, average daily high 11.2 °C / 52 °F, average daily low 2.5 °C / 37 °F.
Also on: Allsvenskan football season, The Cortège (Walpurgis Night parade), Walpurgis Night bonfire in Slottsskogen.
May · best
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 75%, feels like (high) 13.6 °C / 56 °F, precipitation 75 mm / 3 in, average daily high 15.9 °C / 61 °F, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, wet days 11.5 days, average daily low 6.9 °C / 44 °F, relative humidity 72%.
Also on: Ale Vikingagård spring market, Allsvenskan football season, Göteborgsvarvet half marathon.
June · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 18 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 19.1 °C / 66 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 76%, average daily low 10.6 °C / 51 °F, relative humidity 74%.
Against: days with heavy rain 3.6 days, precipitation 97 mm / 3.8 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 52%, wet days 12.4 days.
Also on: Allsvenskan football season, Azalea bloom in Slottsskogen, West Pride.
Watch out for: Midsummer-to-July venue closures and exodus, Summer pickpocket risk.
September · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 15 °C / 59 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 67%, average daily high 16.7 °C / 62 °F, average daily low 9.9 °C / 50 °F.
Against: days with heavy rain 3.5 days, precipitation 96 mm / 3.8 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 50%, wet days 12.8 days, relative humidity 84%.
Also on: Allsvenskan football season.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Kongsberg, 256 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | -2.2 °C | -1.8 °C | 1.8 °C | 7.7 °C | 13.6 °C | 18 °C | 20.5 °C | 19.2 °C | 15 °C | 8.7 °C | 3.2 °C | -0.4 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 1.9 days | 1.1 days | 1.2 days | 0.9 days | 2.6 days | 3.6 days | 4.2 days | 4.9 days | 3.5 days | 2.8 days | 1.7 days | 1.9 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 6 pm | 4 pm | 2 pm | 5 pm | 2 pm | 1 pm | 3 pm | 2 pm | 3 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 4 am |
| Sunshine per day | 2.9 h | 4.6 h | 7.3 h | 10.8 h | 12.5 h | 13.7 h | 13.1 h | 10.8 h | 8.5 h | 5.4 h | 3 h | 2.3 h |
| Relative humidity | 89% | 87% | 80% | 72% | 72% | 74% | 78% | 82% | 84% | 86% | 90% | 91% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 4.4 µg/m³ | 5.8 µg/m³ | 6.5 µg/m³ | 7.5 µg/m³ | 8.2 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 7.7 µg/m³ | 7.5 µg/m³ | 6.4 µg/m³ | 4.7 µg/m³ | 4 µg/m³ | 4.1 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 7.3 µg/m³ | 9.2 µg/m³ | 10.6 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ | 12.3 µg/m³ | 13.6 µg/m³ | 12 µg/m³ | 11.3 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 7.2 µg/m³ | 6.3 µg/m³ | 6.5 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Gothenburg Film Festival
February
- Walpurgis Night bonfire in Slottsskogen
30 April
- The Cortège (Walpurgis Night parade)
30 April
- Allsvenskan football season
April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November
- Ale Vikingagård spring market
1–7 May
- Göteborgsvarvet half marathon
May
- Azalea bloom in Slottsskogen
June
- West Pride
June
- Gothia Cup
July
- Way Out West
August
- Gothenburg Culture Festival (Kulturkalaset)
August
- Ale Vikingagård autumn harvest event
25 October–7 November
- Julstaden Christmas market and lights
21 November–31 December
- Ale Vikingagård Yule celebration
December
Worth knowing before you go
- Summer pickpocket risk
June, July and August
- Midsummer-to-July venue closures and exodus
June and July, dates vary from year to year
- Kulturkalaset crowds and drunkenness
August