Sweden Public Holidays 2026
Sweden keeps its 13 statutory red days (röda dagar) fixed by the Act on Public Holidays (Lag [1989:253]) — no yearly announcement needed. 2026 is a weaker year than it looks: six of the thirteen land on a Saturday or Sunday and, because Sweden has no substitute-day rule, they give no extra weekday off. That leaves seven weekday holidays. Two dates follow a "nearest Saturday" rule — Midsummer Day (Saturday June 20) and All Saints’ Day (Saturday October 31).
At a glance
Sweden has 13 official public holidays (13 days off) in 2026 and 5 long weekends; the longest break is Easter (Apr 3 – 6, 4 days).
| Public holidays | 13 |
|---|---|
| Total days off | 13 |
| Longest break | Easter · 4 days (Apr 3 – 6) |
| Long weekends | 5 |
Official public holidays
New Year's Day (Nyårsdagen) (January 1, 2026), Epiphany (Trettondedag jul) (January 6, 2026), Good Friday (Långfredagen) (April 3, 2026), Easter Sunday (Påskdagen) (April 5, 2026), Easter Monday (Annandag påsk) (April 6, 2026), May Day (Första maj) (May 1, 2026), Ascension Day (Kristi himmelsfärdsdag) (May 14, 2026), Pentecost (Pingstdagen) (May 24, 2026), National Day of Sweden (Sveriges nationaldag) (June 6, 2026), Midsummer Day (Midsommardagen) (June 20, 2026), All Saints’ Day (Alla helgons dag) (October 31, 2026), Christmas Day (Juldagen) (December 25, 2026), Second Day of Christmas (Annandag jul) (December 26, 2026)
Sweden public holiday list
| Date | Day | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Thursday | New Year's Day (Nyårsdagen)Thursday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| January 6, 2026 | Tuesday | Epiphany (Trettondedag jul)Tuesday. Fixed on January 6 — the 13th day of Christmas, not January 13.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 3, 2026 | Friday | Good Friday (Långfredagen)Friday, derived from Easter. Opens a four-day break with the weekend and Easter Monday.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 5, 2026 | Sunday | Easter Sunday (Påskdagen)Sunday. A legal red day, but already a weekly rest day — no extra day off.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| April 6, 2026 | Monday | Easter Monday (Annandag påsk)Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 1, 2026 | Friday | May Day (Första maj)Friday. Falls on a weekday in 2026, giving a free three-day weekend.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 14, 2026 | Thursday | Ascension Day (Kristi himmelsfärdsdag)Thursday — the sixth Thursday after Easter (Easter + 39 days). A popular bridge day.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| May 24, 2026 | Sunday | Pentecost (Pingstdagen)Sunday — the seventh Sunday after Easter. Already a weekly rest day.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| June 6, 2026 | Saturday | National Day of Sweden (Sveriges nationaldag)Saturday. A genuine red day, but in 2026 it falls on a Saturday and gives no extra day off.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| June 20, 2026 | Saturday | Midsummer Day (Midsommardagen)Saturday — always the Saturday between June 20 and 26. The night before, Midsummer’s Eve (Friday June 19), is when Sweden really celebrates.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| October 31, 2026 | Saturday | All Saints’ Day (Alla helgons dag)Saturday — always the Saturday between October 31 and November 6; in 2026 that is October 31 itself.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 25, 2026 | Friday | Christmas Day (Juldagen)Friday. Falls on a weekday, so Christmas adds a real day off in 2026.Public holiday | Public holiday |
| December 26, 2026 | Saturday | Second Day of Christmas (Annandag jul)Saturday. A red day that gives weekend workers nothing extra.Public holiday | Public holiday |
Official red days
13
Falling on a weekday
7 of 13
Lost to weekends
6
De-facto eves
6
2026 Sweden calendar
01January
02February
03March
04April
05May
06June
07July
08August
09September
10October
11November
12December
The eves below are not red days
These six evenings are culturally treated as holidays but are not on the statutory list. They are deliberately excluded from the calendar grid, the main table and every download; treat them as days most people take as leave or a half-day, not legal closures.
Sweden long weekends in 2026
Easter
4 daysApr 3 – 6
Good Friday (Apr 3) to Easter Monday (Apr 6) — four days, no leave needed.
May Day
3 daysMay 1 – 3
May Day on Friday opens an early-May three-day weekend.
Ascension bridge
4 daysMay 14 – 17
Ascension is Thursday May 14; one day of leave on Friday May 15 makes a four-day break.
Midsummer (de-facto)
3 daysJun 19 – 21
The legal red day is Saturday June 20, but nearly everyone is off from Midsummer’s Eve on Friday June 19.
Christmas
4 daysDec 24 – 27
Christmas Eve (Thu) is de-facto off, Christmas Day is Friday and the Second Day a Saturday — four days on a row.
How Sweden’s red days are decided — and why weekend ones vanish
Sweden does not publish a new holiday list each year. The days are set permanently by the Act on Public Holidays (Lag [1989:253]), so any future calendar can be computed in advance from two building blocks: fixed dates (New Year’s Day, Epiphany on January 6, May Day, National Day on June 6, Christmas and the day after) and feasts counted from Easter (Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, Ascension on the sixth Thursday after Easter, Pentecost on the seventh Sunday).
There is no substitute-day rule, and 2026 shows exactly why it matters. Six of the thirteen red days fall on a weekend: Easter Sunday and Pentecost on Sundays, and National Day (June 6), Midsummer Day, All Saints’ Day and the Second Day of Christmas on Saturdays. All six are genuine red days, yet none adds a weekday off to a Monday-to-Friday worker — leaving just seven usable holidays.
The two "nearest Saturday" rules: Midsummer and All Saints
Two Swedish holidays are pinned to a Saturday on purpose. Midsummer Day (Midsommardagen) is the Saturday between June 20 and 26 — in 2026 that is June 20. All Saints’ Day (Alla helgons dag) is the Saturday between October 31 and November 6 — in 2026, October 31. Because both always land on a Saturday, they never add a weekday off; they simply anchor the country’s biggest celebrations on a weekend.
Eves that are not red days (but nearly everyone is off)
Six evenings here are observances, not legal red days. Midsummer’s Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve run so deep in Swedish life that the Annual Leave Act counts them as Sundays when deducting holiday days, and most workplaces close. Easter Eve, Walpurgis Night (Valborg, April 30) and Twelfth Night Eve are similarly half-days in practice. They are excluded from the main table and the ICS/CSV/PDF downloads so those files list only the days the law truly closes — the distinction competitors often miss.
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Official sources & data
- Lag (1989:253) om allmänna helgdagar — 1 § (lista) och 2 § (beräkningsregler)Visit sourceSveriges riksdag (Swedish constitution / statute book)
- Nationaldagen – ny röd dag (regeringsförklaring / SOU-bakgrund om reglerna för midsommardagen, alla helgons dag, Kristi himmelsfärd och pingst)Visit sourceRegeringskansliet (Government Offices of Sweden)
- Nager.Date Public Holidays API — Sweden 2026 (independent cross-check)Visit sourceNager.Date (open-source holiday data project)
Frequently asked questions
How many public holidays does Sweden have in 2026?
Thirteen official red days (röda dagar). Only seven fall on a weekday in 2026; the other six land on a Saturday or Sunday and, with no substitute-day rule, are not made up.
What is the longest holiday break in Sweden in 2026?
The longest break in Sweden is Easter (Apr 3 – 6, 4 days).
What are the official public holidays in Sweden in 2026?
Sweden has 13 official public holidays in 2026: New Year's Day (Nyårsdagen) (January 1, 2026), Epiphany (Trettondedag jul) (January 6, 2026), Good Friday (Långfredagen) (April 3, 2026), Easter Sunday (Påskdagen) (April 5, 2026), Easter Monday (Annandag påsk) (April 6, 2026), May Day (Första maj) (May 1, 2026), Ascension Day (Kristi himmelsfärdsdag) (May 14, 2026), Pentecost (Pingstdagen) (May 24, 2026), National Day of Sweden (Sveriges nationaldag) (June 6, 2026), Midsummer Day (Midsommardagen) (June 20, 2026), All Saints’ Day (Alla helgons dag) (October 31, 2026), Christmas Day (Juldagen) (December 25, 2026), Second Day of Christmas (Annandag jul) (December 26, 2026).
Does Sweden give a substitute day when a holiday falls on a weekend?
No. A red day that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is simply absorbed into the weekend. In 2026 six red days are lost this way — including National Day (Saturday June 6) and the Second Day of Christmas (Saturday December 26).
When is Midsummer and All Saints’ Day in 2026?
Midsummer Day is Saturday, June 20 and All Saints’ Day is Saturday, October 31 — both defined by the "nearest Saturday" rule (June 20–26 and October 31–November 6 respectively). The real festivities are on the eves before, especially Midsummer’s Eve on Friday June 19.
What is the best long weekend in Sweden for 2026?
Easter gives a free four-day break (Friday April 3 to Monday April 6), and May Day on Friday May 1 gives a three-day weekend. The best bridge is Ascension: it falls on Thursday May 14, so one day of leave on Friday May 15 turns it into four days.
Is Valborgsmässoafton (April 30) a public holiday in Sweden?
No. Walpurgis Night is a beloved spring festival — bonfires and student choirs — but not a red day. In 2026 it falls on Thursday April 30; most people work, though many leave early.
