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

The festival celebrated its 27th year on June 22nd and 23rd in 2024. Admission cost about $15.

Another event that takes place around this time of year is Lynn Valley Day in North Vancouver (which is a free community event with a parade and festival activities). There is also Foodstock which is a music festival that’s also a fundraiser for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Also happening in the Lower Mainland in late June are the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Pride Night at Britannia Mine Museum, Sasquatch Days at Harrison Hot Springs, and Greek Day on Broadway in Kitsilano.

For a list of other great events happening on the same weekend, or the weekend before, see our June Calendar of Events or article about Father’s Day Activities in Vancouver. To learn about the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, continue reading.

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).

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 2024 the festival happened on the Saturday and Sunday of June 22nd and 23rd. It typically runs from 10:00 am to 11:00 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.

About the Scandinavian Festival

The Scandinavian Midsummer Festival has been celebrating and showcasing Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian and Swedish cultures for over 20 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.

Other Information

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!

Wife Carrying at Scandanavian Festival — The Wife Carrying Contest

Festival Schedule

Below was the schedule of events at the 2024 festival for the Main Stage and Field.

Saturday, June 22nd, 2024

10:00 am – Festival Gates Opened
10:00 am to 10:30 am – Perfect Force performed
11:00 am to 12:00 pm – Vancouver Dorfmusik performed
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 – Vancouver Ukrainian Folk Orchestra, Vostok Trio and Laroslavas Tanko perform
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm – The Trollson’s performed
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Midsummer Jam with the Midsummer Spelmanslag
6:00 pm – Closing of Country Tents
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm – West Coast Charisma performed (in the Beer Garden)
6:30 pm to 7:30 pm – Cat Toren Trio performed (in the Beer Garden)
8:00 pm to 11:00 pm – The Beagles performed (in the Beer Garden)

Sunday, June 23rd, 2024

10:00 am – Festival Gates Opened and Midsummer Pancake Breakfast
11:00 am to 12:00 pm – Deep Cove Big Band performed
12:15 pm to 1:15 pm – Vancouver Ukrainian Folk Orchestra performed
1:30 pm to 2:15 pm – Métis Dancers
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Wife-carrying Contest
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm – Royal City Concert Band performed
3:30 pm to 4:00 pm – Midsummer Traditions and Spelmanslag
4:00 pm – Festival Closed

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 on display too.