If you happen to travel to Sweden around the summer solstice, when the darkness of night is replaced by a magical twilight, you can’t miss the Midsommar celebrations, a legacy of pre-Christian cultures that honored the sun. In 2026, Midsommar falls on June 19th, and the celebrations in some areas continue all weekend!
History of Midsommar
The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, when the sun never sets completely in some parts of northern Sweden. Here, you can witness the phenomenon of the midnight sun. In centuries past, this night was considered sacred, and farmers celebrated it to welcome the season of fertility and rebirth. Despite the Church’s attempts to transform this holiday into a Christian ritual, some pagan symbols have survived.
Since the late Middle Ages, Swedes have been decorating the Maypole (Midsommarstång). It’s a pole, with flowers, branches, and ribbons on Midsommar Day. Considered sacred by the Swedes, who dance and sing around it, holding hands, the Maypole represents fertility. It was usually erected to curry favor with Mother Earth in anticipation of the autumn harvest. The Maypole is actually a Christian element. On the feast of St. John the Baptist, which still coincides with the summer solstice in many Nordic countries, Swedish villagers used to gather around it and dance.
Nature is magic
In ancient rural Sweden, it was also believed that plants acquired healing powers during this night. That’s why people used to practice rituals to predict the future. For example, seven different types of flowers were silently picked and placed under the pillow to dream of a future spouse. Or they walked barefoot in the dew at dawn to gain health, or wore a garland of flowers as a symbol of fertility. To preserve the power of flowers, bouquets were dried. Women and children still decorate their hair with wildflowers.
In addition to dancing around Midsommarstång, the Swedes celebrated Midsummer by dressing as “green men“. They used to cover themselves in ferns, and decorating their homes and tools with foliage, again to promote fertility.
Midsommar today: games
Today, various games are played during Midsommar. Kubb, also known as “Viking chess”, in which players knock down their opponents’ wooden blocks by throwing wooden sticks at them. Kasta hästsko, in which horseshoes are thrown at a pole driven into the ground or a sandbox. The goal is getting the iron to pass around the pole or as close as possible. Spotta groda (Spit the frog), in which players stand behind a line and try to spit a frog-shaped eraser as far as possible. Whoever spits the frog the furthest wins.
Food
The Swedish Midsummer celebration is also celebrated with outdoor dining and drinking. The best way to fully immerse yourself in Midsommar like a local is to join a group of Swedes. If you don’t know any, the best option is to attend one of the gatherings held in parks and squares in cities across the country.
Curious to know what people eat during the summer solstice in Sweden? The stars are marinated herring (“sill”), with mustard onion, dill, or even curry, accompanied by dill-flavored new potatoes (färskpotatis), smoked salmon (gravlax), crispbread, and meatballs. Herring has always been a staple of Swedish cuisine, thanks to traditional preservation methods such as marinating. Its connection to festive meals has made it a key part of midsummer celebrations. And for dessert a layered sponge cake with strawberries, “jordgubbstårta”.
Schnapps (“snaps”) and singing around the table!
Among the drinks, schnapps (“snaps”), a clear liqueur flavored with herbs, including dill and elderflower, served in small glasses, is always present. Each glass is sipped after a “snapsvisa”, a traditional tavern song sung enthusiastically. A different song is sung with each round! Tavern songs are a typically Swedish custom, also found in the Swedish-speaking regions of Finland. New ones are often composed based on familiar tunes with improvised lyrics.
This festive feast represents the Swedish smörgåsbord, a tradition also celebrated at Christmas and Easter. It derives from the 19th-century “brännvinsbord”, an appetizer consisting of bread, butter, smoked salmon, anchovies or herring, sausages, dried meat, and no fewer than three types of “brännvin” (a typical Swedish bread).
Some places to watch Midsummer celebrations
Stockholm
At Skansen, the city’s open-air museum, the Midsommarstång is erected at 11 a.m. on Christmas Eve, welcomed with music and folk dancing. A Midsommar market is also held, and storytellers tell folk tales. Another option is Vitabergsparken, a small park on the eastern edge of Södermalm, for the usual dancing, singing, and refreshments. Admission is free and it’s fairly easy to reach from the city center. Bus 3 from Slussen stops at Gotlandsgatan, near the western edge of the park.
Grinda
Grinda Island, in the Stockholm archipelago, usually celebrates Midsummer in grand style. The lawn behind the Grinda Wärdshus hotel is where the celebrations take place, with a flower-decorated Midsommarstång around which guests can dance. Everyone is invited to pick flowers and help make floral wreaths and decorate the pole. In the afternoon, traditional storytellers lead the singing and provide entertainment. The hotel also organizes a three-course Midsommar banquet, complete with dancing and a DJ set.
Gothenburg
Slottsskogen Park is one of the best places in Gothenburg to celebrate Midsommar, with large green spaces for picnics.
If you’re traveling with children, you can celebrate Midsommar at Galaxen City Farm, just outside the city center, where little travelers can help decorate the Midsommarstång, meet the farm animals, including chickens, rabbits, cows, horses, sheep, and pigs, and go horseback riding.
Gunnebo Slott
Gunnebo Castle, just south of the city, offers a special location to celebrate Midsommar: here, dancing takes place in the beautiful castle gardens.
Have you ever experienced a celebration like this?