The community council runs a number of cultural activities

Svalbardhallen is an indoor sport centre that includes a multi-sport hall large enough for handball or three badminton courts, a shooting range and a 25-meter (82 ft) swimming pool. Svalbard Church of the Church of Norway has the entire archipelago as its parish. The congregational hall is 126 m² (1,360 sq ft) while the sitting room is 112 m² (1,210 sq ft). 

The church is built in half-timber. Svalbardposten is a weekly newspaper published on Friday. Printing takes place in Tromsø and the majority of subscribers live on the mainland. Icepeople, an alternative newspaper in English, is also published weekly. There are two museums in town, Svalbard Museum and the Spitsbergen Airship Museum.  Dark Season Blues has been held annually in October since 2003. 20 residents of the town are members of the Liverbirds Svalbard and regularly meet in the Svalbar on match days during the winter months.