Midsummer’s Eve, Tuesday 23 June 2026

Lohals Harbour, North Beach in Lohals (bonfire at 9.00 pm)
Bagenkop Harbour (bonfire lit at 9.30 pm – bonfire speech at 9.00 pm by Joan Kate Pedersen)
Humble, in the lane by the sports ground, entrance from Hovedgaden (bonfire at 8.00 pm)
Tullebølle Leisure Park (speech at 8.30 pm by Almira Vojnikovic, followed by the lighting of the bonfire)
Dageløkke (Bonfire lit at 21:00, bonfire speech: Søren Ramsing)
Spodsbjerg Borgerforening (Bonfire lit at 19:30 by the lake. Bonfire speech: Jane Jegind)
Longelse Præstegårdshaven (bonfire at 19:00)
Rudkøbing Boldklub (bonfire speech at 8.30 pm)
Restaurant Skudehavnen Rudkøbing (Midsummer barbecue buffet)
Broløkke Herregård (Summer buffet from 6 pm, bonfire and Midsummer singing at approx. 8 pm)
Restaurant Kædeby Cafeen (Takeaway open-faced sandwiches)

The list is updated regularly.

If your event is not on the list, please send an email to: visit@langelandkommune.dk

Why do we celebrate Midsummer’s Eve?

Midsummer’s Eve, on 23 June, is the evening before Midsummer’s Day, which is the birthday of John the Baptist.

Although the summer solstice falls on 21 June, Midsummer’s Eve in Denmark has traditionally been regarded as Midsummer’s Eve and therefore as the shortest night of the year.

According to folklore, Midsummer’s Eve was imbued with a special power. It was believed that medicinal herbs gathered on Midsummer’s Eve were more potent, just as the dew on the grass was thought to have a healing effect in itself.

The same was true of the water in the holy springs, which is why the sick made pilgrimages to them on this evening and night. In connection with this, the so-called spring markets sprang up, featuring tents, stalls and entertainment. The best known is the amusement park Dyrehavsbakken north of Copenhagen, established in the 1700s. It provided the inspiration for Adam Oehlenschläger’s *Sanct Hansaften-Spil* (1803).

But evil forces were also at work on such a powerful night; for example, witches flew past on their broomsticks on their way to Bloksbjerg or Hekkenfeldt.

To keep evil at bay, bonfires were lit, often in high places, or torches were lit in tar barrels or bundles of straw were set alight on stands.

Placing a witch effigy on the bonfire is a tradition that only became common in the 20th century, when it also became customary to give a bonfire speech and sing Holger Drachmann’s midsummer song from the fairy-tale comedy *Once Upon a Time* (1885).

Source: Gyldendal *Den Store Danske*