June 16, 2025, 3:08 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Midsummer in Sweden is almost more significant than Christmas, and there are numerous traditions to celebrate the longest day of the year. TRAVELBOOK reveals how the summer solstice is celebrated in Sweden.
During the summer solstice, it stays light almost all day, and Swedes celebrate this appropriately: At the Midsummer Festival, people dance, decorate, and sing to welcome the longest day of the year. The celebrations, also known as the white nights, are held every year on the Saturday between June 20 and June 26. This year, Midsummer Day falls on June 21, 2025. Besides Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Baltics, and Norway also celebrate this day. Here, you’ll learn everything about the traditions of the Swedish festival so you can celebrate like the locals.
Guests Are Warmly Welcomed at the Summer Solstice
Midsummer is the ultimate Swedish festival and a highlight in every Swede’s cultural calendar. Most people plan their celebration months in advance. Typically, Midsummer is spent with friends and family at a summer house. According to CNN, Sweden has more summer houses per capita than most countries. These are usually small, red-painted houses in the countryside or by the coast.
Guests are also warmly welcomed at Midsummer celebrations. On platforms like A Slice of Swedish Hospitality or Meet the Locals, you can find locals who welcome travelers to their private celebrations. Of course, there are also public Midsummer festivals where both locals and visitors come together. Here are some public Midsummer festivals in 2025:
- If you want to experience true Midsummer flair, you should visit Swedish Lapland—where you can dance under the midnight sun through the night and quickly lose track of time with 24 hours of daylight. A trip to Riksgränsen (“National Border”) in the far north, where Sweden and Norway meet, is particularly worthwhile. Here, the sun shines around the clock at this time, and there might even be a dance around the maypole in ski boots.
- To experience Midsummer in its most traditional form, you should travel to the central Swedish region of Dalarna—also known as “Sweden in miniature.” Here, festive dances, colorful parades, flower crowns, the raising of the maypole, and with some luck, even a church boat race are part of the program. The world’s largest Midsummer festival in Sammilsdal (Gropen) in Leksand, where up to 30,000 visitors gather each year, is particularly impressive.
- In Stockholm, Skansen is a popular choice for a public yet traditional Midsummer festival. The open-air museum transforms into an irresistible place for summer vibes throughout the Midsummer weekend with wreath-making, market stalls, live music, and much more.
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Midsummer Traditions and Cuisine
If you want to celebrate Midsummer with the locals like a true Swede, you should familiarize yourself with the customs beforehand. There are plenty of them for the summer solstice.
Pickled Herring and Strawberries
The Midsummer festival in Sweden revolves around food and drink, and the traditional menu offers a variety of local delicacies. This includes pickled herring, which is available in many different flavors in stores. Traditionally, it is served with potatoes, red onions, and sour cream. All of this is washed down with a shot of schnapps (Aquavit), which is drunk while singing traditional schnapps songs.
Other traditional dishes like cured salmon, meatballs (Köttbullar), and crispbread with cheese and butter also pair well. As a crowning finale, fresh Swedish strawberries with whipped cream or the classic strawberry cake, jordgubbstårta, should not be missed.
Flower Crowns and Maypole
Midsummer is often celebrated in nature, with long walks, swimming in the lake, and socializing in the garden. Traditionally, people decorate a maypole with birch leaves and wildflowers, raise it, and then dance around it while singing and holding hands. Women often wear white and floral dresses or traditional costumes and flower crowns in their hair. These are an ancient symbol of rebirth and fertility. According to legend, the flowers must be picked in silence, and some should be placed under the pillow. Then, unmarried women will dream of their future husband on Midsummer night.
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In addition to the classic dance around the maypole, where people hold hands, there is also the dance of the “little frogs,” in Swedish “Små grodorna.” Participants dance to the melody of a traditional song about little frogs without ears and tails. The dancers hop and make hand movements that imitate frog ears and tails. This tradition is especially popular with children, but adults also participate.