Midsummer — Midsommar in Swedish — is, after Christmas, the most beloved holiday of the year in Sweden, a sun-soaked celebration of the longest, brightest days. In 2026 Midsummer Eve falls on Friday, June 19, with Midsummer Day on Saturday, June 20. Watch the time tick down to the next celebration on our live Midsummer countdown.
When is Midsummer?
Midsummer has no single fixed date. Midsummer Eve, the main day of celebration, always falls on the Friday between June 19 and 25, and Midsummer Day is the Saturday after. That puts the next few editions on:
- 2026: Midsummer Eve Friday, June 19 (Midsummer Day June 20)
- 2027: Midsummer Eve Friday, June 25 (Midsummer Day June 26)
- 2028: Midsummer Eve Friday, June 23 (Midsummer Day June 24)
- 2029: Midsummer Eve Friday, June 22
How is Midsummer celebrated?
Midsummer is spent outdoors at lakesides, country cottages and village greens. A leaf-and-flower-dressed maypole (midsommarstång) is raised, and people of all ages join hands for ring dances such as the famous Små grodorna, "the little frogs". Revellers wear crowns of wild flowers and share long tables of pickled herring, new potatoes with dill, gravlax, strawberries and schnapps. Versions of Midsummer are also cherished in Finland, Norway, Denmark and the Baltic states.
Why the solstice matters
The festival has pre-Christian roots, marking the summer solstice when the northern sun barely sets. For Swedes it is a collective exhale after the long, dark winter — one of the few occasions when even secular families embrace old folk customs wholeheartedly.
Count down to Midsummer
Watch the days, hours and minutes on the live Midsummer countdown, explore more festival countdowns, or create your own countdown to flower crowns and the longest day of the year. You can also try the Days Until tool for any date.