Ahead of the summer solstice, 21 June, Max Schmidt, chief adventurer at CamperDays, Europe’s leading campervan and motorhome tour operator, shares his guide to the top midsummer celebrations across UK and Europe.
Max says: “The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, with up to 24 hours of sunlight during this period.
“Conveniently taking place outside of term time, a domestic staycation or trip abroad can be an interesting and affordable way to experience the variety of midsummer celebrations around the UK and Europe. And, given the historic significance of the festival, midsummer celebrations often take place in large fields in rural places – meaning an ideal way to see and experience them for yourself is in a campervan or motorhome.”
Below, Max shares his pick of the best midsummer celebrations:
- Wiltshire, England
The manmade, rocky formation of Stonehenge is believed to hold spiritual significance, and it’s a major UK pilgrimage site for those ringing in the summer solstice. Although the exact use or uses of Stonehenge are debated, today, neo-druids, Wiccans, pagans as well as families and tourists gather at Stonehenge every year to celebrate the solstice and soak up the joyous atmosphere.
- Stockholm, Sweden
Midsummer is one of Sweden’s most popular celebrations and for many even bigger than Sweden’s official National Day (6 June). Unique traditions such as dancing around a Midsummer maypole decorated with flowers and greenery, eating smorgasbords of pickled herring and strawberries, and lawn games, are key to enjoying a proper Swedish midsummer. Don’t let that one particularly well-known 2019 horror film put you off!
The camping.se directory conveniently has a list of all official campsites putting on special Midsummer celebrations for campers, while CamperDays has a dedicated page suggesting various Swedish campsites which are suitable for campervans, motorhomes and RVs.
- Tallinn, Estonia
The Estonian midsummer is generally celebrated a little later than in other countries, and the reason for that is hotly contested, but Jaanipäev, or St. John’s Day – celebrated this year on 24 June – is one of the most important summer holidays in the Estonian folk calendar.
Traditions include setting a stick on fire and vaulting over a bonfire, fraternising in an Estonian smoke sauna, and venturing down to the Kaali crater field, formed by a meteorite impact thousands of years ago, on Saaremaa Island. Some believe that the bonfire tradition is supposed to be a reenactment of these ancient meteorite strikes.
- Alicante, Spain
Spain has lots of midsummer customs that vary wildly throughout the country. Coastal towns and cities will construct bonfires (hogueras) on the beach, with the most famous being Hogueras de Alicante.
Spaniards build large bonfires out of unwanted wood – usually old furniture – and communities drink, eat and dance around it, while teenagers often jump over the flames. The Valencian tradition of fallas is also borrowed for Alicante’s midsummer, whereby giant papier-mâché sculptures are paraded and then burned in a fiery celebration.
- Edinburgh, Scotland
Though not widely celebrated across Scotland today, some rural communities and spiritual groups mark the summer solstice with small gatherings, storytelling, and fire rituals passed down from Celtic times.
The Solas Festival, also known as a “wee Woodstock”, takes place 20 – 22 June 2025 in Errol Park in the countryside of Perthshire. The festival offers a diverse programme of live music, literature, theatre, dance, visual arts, and wellness activities, as well as talks and debates addressing social, political, and spiritual topics.
For more information or to book your own road trip visit www.camperdays.co.uk.
