Midsummer in Stockholm: maypoles, herring and flower crowns

Midsummer is Sweden's most beloved celebration, held on the Friday closest to the summer solstice when the night barely gets dark. People gather outdoors to raise a maypole, dance, wear flower crowns and share a long lunch of herring, potatoes and strawberries.

Fun facts

• Midsummer Eve always falls on a Friday between 19 and 25 June.
• Dancers hop around the maypole to the song Små grodorna, imitating little frogs.
• Skansen, founded in 1891, is the world's first open-air museum and hosts a big celebration.

What to see

• Maypole raising and folk dancing at Skansen on Djurgården.
• The medieval lanes of Gamla Stan in the long evening light.
• The islands of the Stockholm archipelago from a ferry deck.

What to taste

• Pickled herring in many flavours, the heart of the Midsummer table.
• New potatoes with dill and sour cream.
• Fresh Swedish strawberries with cream, the classic Midsummer dessert.

What to do

• Make a flower crown and join a maypole dance.
• Take a ferry to Vaxholm or another archipelago island.
• Enjoy a picnic in a city park late into the bright evening.

💡 Tip: Many shops and restaurants close on Midsummer Eve, as locals leave for the countryside. From Arlanda, airport buses are cheaper than the express train.