What's Going on in June?

Midsummer Celebration
Photo by Yanan Li/mediabank.visitstockholm.com 

The quick answer is... lots! June is always a busy month in Stockholm as the summer season kicks off in earnest. Festivals, concerts, sports events and much more. I have posted a full calendar for the year earlier, but I thought a more detailed calendar for June would be a good idea to help you plan your stay if you are coming this month. Even if you don't find something to your interest, keep in mind that many of these events can mean traffic, road closures, crowds and other factors which may still affect you.

• 1st- Iron Maiden concert at Tele2 Arena. 
• 1st- Sweden vs Denmark soccer match (friendly) at Friends Arena. The teams will be testing themselves (and each other) ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Russia later this month. 
• 2nd- The 40th annual Stockholm Marathon. This is a major event with tens of thousands of runners from over 100 countries participating. The race course is through most of the city and this means a lot of road closures so plan accordingly (give yourself extra time if you are going to the airport or cruise ship terminal). If you are out exploring the city, stick to walking, subways and ferries.
• 5th to 10th- The Stockholm Early Music Festival at different venues in the Old Town. This is a festival for lovers of baroque, renaissance and medieval music! The venues add to the historic feel of the concerts. 
• 5th to 10th- A Taste of Stockholm (restaurant festival) in Kungsträdgården. This is one of my favorite annual festivals. Many local restaurants open tents and booths in the park so it is a good way to get a taste of what Stockholm has to offer. Bar tents, food trucks, live music and shows as well! Open day and evening with free admission! 
• 6th- The Swedish National Holiday. This is a bank holiday. The best place to go to celebrate this holiday is Skansen park. Flag waving, dancing, music, games and more. The Royal Family will be present, after they take a horse and carriage ride from the palace to the park. Speaking of royalty, the Royal Palace and its museums will be open this day to the public with free admission! 

  

  Stockholm View
  Photo by Alexander Dokukin/mediabank.visitstockholm.com 

• 8th to 10th- Stockholm Brewers Festival. Around 15 of Stockholm's microbreweries will be on hand and it is a great chance to sample Stockholm craft beers. Beer, food, music! At the Orion Theatre on Södermalm. 
• 9th- Stockholm City Swim-Run race. A 27 kilometer long race in the northern outskirtsof the city (Haga Park and surroundings) where participants alternate between running and swimming. 
• 10th- Stockholm Bauhaus Athletics Diamond League (international track and field competition) at Stadion (the 1912 Stockholm Olympic stadium). This event attracts some of the best track & field athletes in the world! 
• 10th- Katy Perry concert at Ericsson Globe Arena. 
• 14th- Polar Music Prize (international music awards). This year's recepients are Metallica and The Afghanistan National Institute of Music. 
• 14th- Ed Sheeran concert at Friends Arena. 
• 15th & 16th- Summerburst festival, with house music and international DJs, at Östermalms IP. Very popular music festival for the "younger" crowd. 
• 22nd to 24th- Midsummer weekend (major traditional Swedish holiday). This is arguably the largest holiday in the Swedish calendar, rivaling Christmas as a time when Swedes celebrate with family and friends. Many restaurant, store and museum closures. The link here is to information from last year. I will be writing one for this year soon but in the meantime have a look at the link as the information will be quite similar!  
• 25th- JayZ and Beyoncé concert at Friends Arena. 
• 28th to July 1st- ÅF Offshore Race (major sailing regatta) in the harbor and archipelago. The race starts on July 1st and the boats race out around the island of Gotland in the Baltic and then on to Sandhamn. In the days leading up to the race, there is a sailing village set up on Skeppsholmen where spectators can admire the boats, drink & dine and listen to music. 

  

  AF Offshore Race
  Photo by Erik G Svensson/mediabank.visitstockholm.com 

These are, of course, just the highlights of the month. There are many other smaller concerts, exhibitis and sporting events going on. If you are staying at the Hotel Rival, contact me directly for further information.