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Large-scale celebrations look a little different in 2020. IRL events like Pride, London’s Notting Hill Carnival and Oktoberfest have all been cancelled, postponed or taken online. Even the northern hemisphere’s summer solstice is going virtual for the first time this year.
The much-celebrated solstice sunrise at Stonehenge in England, usually attended by thousands of pagans, druids and spiritual people from around the world, is being live-streamed by English Heritage, which manages the ancient monument.
Over in Sweden, midsummer celebrations are also being broadcast live, thanks to Visit Sweden.
Midsummer, also known as the longest day, is an important festivity in Sweden, but the event is being scaled back this year as large group events are being discouraged. Instead, there will be smaller gatherings as well as the virtual event people can stream straight into their homes.
Taking place on Midsummer Eve, Friday June 19, the virtual event will be made up of live streams from all over Sweden.
‘We’ll show you how to celebrate this major Scandinavian holiday from the safety of your home,’ say Visit Sweden, adding: ‘Learn how to make a flower wreath, get culinary tips and tricks for your own little Midsummer family feast, and make sure to not miss out on the infamous frog dance.... Come rain or shine, there is always someone, somewhere, jumping into a lake or the sea.’
Midsummer Live kicks off with wreath making and features a midsummer lunch, dancing and music throughout the day. The event ends with an evening swim and skiing under the midnight sun in Swedish Lapland, where the sun never sets this time of year.
While international travel remains up in the air, this is one compelling way to leave your flat for the day, if only in your imagination. Hopefully we won’t just be watching from the sidelines come 2021.
Watch Midsummer Live on Visit Sweden’s Facebook page.
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