June is upon us – the best month of the Swedish year! It’s time for graduation, midsummer, song and dance – and lots of strawberries! It’s summer now, no matter what the weather. We have the lowdown on this month’s highlights!
National Day
The Swedes aren’t normally an overtly patriotic people – but if there’s one day they’ll walk around bearing the flag and singing ‘Du gamla, du fria’, it’s the National Day on June 6th. And they make it easy to celebrate – it’s a bank holiday so most people have the day off work, and most historical sites like castles and museums have free entrance for the day! That includes Drottningholm, the American Swedish Historical Museum, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Skansen is also a popular place to celebrate, although you will still have to pay entrance. The park has face-painting, flag-making, seminars about Swedish history, a concert, folk dance performances, and much more. Oh, and the king and queen will be there!
Where: Wherever you like!
When: Friday, June 6th, all day long
Damage: From free to 170 SEK for adult entrance to Skansen
Kentfest
June is bustin’ out all over – and that means concerts are, too! Kentfest describes itself as “no ordinary festival” – the guys of Kent have set it up themselves, just how they think a festival should be. It’s a taste of the creme da la creme of up-and-coming Swedish arists, with Nina Persson, Junip, Tove Lo, Alina Devercerski, Elliphant, and Beatrice Eli. There will be food, drinks, activities – and exemplary service.
When: June 15th, open from 16:00
Where: Gärdet, Stockholm
Damage: 590 SEK
Frank Sinatra Dinner Cruise
Want to spend an evening cruising around the Stockholm archipelago, champagne in your hand, Sinatra in your ears? Of course you do. June 24th is your chance. The Patrick Stenberg band will provide entertainment aboard the Musik Boat Blidösund. You can order a sit-down dinner, just a seat to hear the music, or seaside tapas. All this and heaven, too!
When: Tuesday, June 24th, 18:00 to 20:00 or 20:30 to 22:15
Where: Boat departs from Skeppsbron between Slussen and the Royal Castle
Damage: 225 – 445 SEK depending on seats and food selected
Lilith Eve in Kungsträdgården
Lilith Eve is an association of female artists anfd musicians with attitude. Performers include Anja Hallner, NannaIn the mood for a little “musical girl power” in Kungsträdgården? Lilith Eve takes over for the 14th year in a row.
Walderhaug, Ida Wilund, Grape, Stina Elg, and My Little Ponny. Haven’t heard of them yet? All the more reason to go!
When: Sunday, June 29th, 15:00 to 18:00
Where: Kungsträdgården, Stockholm
Damage: Free
Parkteatern
Every year the Park Theatre (Parkteatern) performs a variety of free plays around various parks in Stockholm. Do you really have any excuse not to go? The first play, Cyrano, premiers the first week in June, and the performances continue throughout August.
When: Shows usually start at 19:00, performances throughout the summer. See calendar on website.
Where: Varies – see website
Damage: Always free
Summerburst
Summerburst, one of Sweden’s youngest but most popular festivals, is back this June with the hottest artists and DJs Sweden has to offer. David Guetta, Afrojack, Rebecca & Fiona, and many others will grace Gärdet with their presence. This is one festival you’ll hear throughout the city – but the real party will be on the festival grounds.
When: June 13th and 14th, starts at 14:00
Where: Gärdet, Stockholm
Damage: 650 to 1750 SEK depending on ticket type
TEDxStockholm Salon Event: What’s Cooking?
“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” TEDxStockholm is back with an event we can all relate to. This time the ideas worth spreading are all about food – and of course there will actually be food involved. These events usually have extraordinary speakers and sell out quickly, so don’t drag your feet!
When: June 16th, 18:00
Where: Summit, Greve Turegatan 30, Stockholm
Damage: 195 SEK for students, 295 for others
Bråvalla
This festival isn’t exactly in Stockholm – it’s a bit south in Norrköping. But it’s worth the short commute. Bråvalla presents a variety of international stars in all sorts of styles. This year some of the headliners are Iron Maiden, Lana Del Rey, Belle and Sebastian, Kings of Leon, Kanye West, Imagine Dragons, and Mando Diao just to name a few.
When: June 26th – 28th
Where: Flyfält, Norrköping
Damage: Tickets are anywhere from 995 SEK for one day to 2790 SEK for three days plus premium camping. Tickets here.
