Festival Season: Midsommar to Way Out West

Swedish summer is short and Swedes know it. From Midsummer in late June until September, the country dedicates itself to making the most of every sunlit hour. Midsommar involves maypoles, flower crowns, pickled herring, dancing like a frog, industrial quantities of aquavit, and parties that continue until exhaustion. Way Out West in Gothenburg (August) is Sweden’s most respected music festival: three days with headliners and Swedish acts you’ll become obsessed with. Summerburst is the EDM option; Sweden Rock in Sölvesborg is for metal heads. For something weirder, look for Into the Valley (electronic) and Statement (urban).