Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in 2025

Metro Vancouver’s Scandinavian Midsummer Festival is a Northern European cultural event at Burnaby‘s Scandinavian Community Centre.

The festival celebrates its 28th year on June 21st and 22nd in 2025.

For full details about the event, see the official Scandinavian Midsummer Festival website.

This article contains the following information about the Scandinavian Festival:

Where, When and How Much | About the Scandinavian Festival | Schedule | Festival Video | Other Information

Vancouver Scandinavian Festival

The festival includes a Viking Village with characters in period costume and live entertainment including folk dancing. There is also a marketplace with vendors selling all kinds of Nordic foods and goods. Countries showcased at the event include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

The Scandinavian Midsummer Festival is also the only place in the entire Lower Mainland where you can enter a wife-carrying contest (which usually takes place on the Sunday).

Scandanavian Midsummer Festival — Wife-Carrying Contest

Where, When and How Much

The Scandinavian Midsummer Festival takes place at the Scandinavian Community Centre at 6540 Thomas Street which is about a block or so west of Burnaby Lake just off Kensington Avenue.

In 2025 the festival happens on the Saturday and Sunday of June 21st and 22nd. It runs from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on the Saturday and from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm on the Sunday.

Admission to the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival at the gate is $15 for the Saturday and $10 for the Sunday. Children ages 15 and under are admitted for free. Parking is free when available. Tickets can only be purchased at the gate.

For full details about the event, see the scandinavianmidsummerfestival.com website.

Viking Costume Opportunity

About the Scandinavian Festival

The Scandinavian Midsummer Festival has been celebrating and showcasing Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish cultures for close to 30 years. It features market kiosks, craft vendors, Scandinavian dances and music, Northern European foods and a beer garden.

For children, there is dancing around the May Pole, sword fighting and Viking raids to participate in, as well as storytelling and an “Amazing Nordic Race Passport” to get stamped at different countries.

Also at the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival there is an “authentic” Viking Village where visitors can learn about Viking history and culture. In the village there are people wearing period costume, demonstrations around weaving and blacksmithing, and various Viking games.

Most of the festival activities take place both days, although the bonfire and traditional sing-along are only on the Saturday evening and the Finnish wife-carrying contest only on the Sunday.

What Else to Expect

Food at the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival typically includes barbecued salmon, Danish sandwiches, hot dogs, Swedish meatballs (of course) and pastries.

Live entertainment at the festival features all kinds of Scandinavian dancing and musical groups, as well as the occasional non-Scandinavian performance, like that of the Royal City Concert Band in some years.

TIP: The wife-carrying races are fun to watch but aren’t recommended for everyone. Carry your wife (or your husband) at your own risk!

For full details about the event, see the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival website.

Wife Carrying at Scandanavian Festival — The Wife-Carrying Contest

Festival Schedule

Below is the schedule of events at the 2025 festival for the Main Stage and Field. The listings are accurate as of mid-April.

Saturday, June 21st, 2025

10:00 am – Festival Gates Open
10:00 am to 10:30 am – Perfect Force perform
11:00 am to 12:00 pm – Vancouver Dorfmusik perform
12:30 pm to 1:00 pm – Opening Flag and Anthem Ceremony
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm – Midsummer Traditions
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Hobby Horse Steeplechase
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Musical performance (artist TBD)
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm – Company B perform
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Event/musical performance (TBD)
6:00 pm – Closing of Country Tents

Evening Entertainment in the Beer Garden

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm – West Coast Charisma perform
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm – Cat Toren Trio perform
8:00 pm to late – The Beagles perform

Sunday, June 22nd, 2025

10:00 am – Festival Gates Open and Midsummer Pancake Breakfast
11:00 am to 12:00 pm – Night Shift perform
12:15 pm to 1:15 pm – Flutterific performed
1:30 pm to 2:15 pm – Musical performance (artist TBD)
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Wife-carrying Contest
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm – West Vancouver Concert Band perform
3:30 pm to 4:00 pm – Midsummer Traditions and Spelmanslag
4:00 pm – Festival Closes

For full details about the event, see the scandinavianmidsummerfestival.com website.

Festival Video

For an idea of what to expect at the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, watch the video below. It includes footage from the 2022 event. As you can see, the country tents were quite big and cars were also on display.