Celebrate the National Day of Sweden: 500 year anniversary

See 500 years of royal history at the Royal Armoury

The Royal Armoury is the museum of Swedish royal history and is located in the south-eastern corner of the Royal Palace on Gamla Stan. The Armoury is home to over 30,000 items, most with a connection to a member of the Swedish royal family, from Gustav Vasa to present day. The collections come mainly from the Royal Wardrobe, the Royal Arsenal and the private collections of various monarchs.

A visit to the Armoury is a great way to dive into 500 years of royal history. Amongst the many pieces on show at the Armoury are Gustav Vasa’s crowned helmet, his oldest son’s Erik XIV coronation cloak, and the gild cradle which was made in 1655 and is still used when an heir to the throne is baptised.

Go to the races

Every National Day, Svensk Gallop organises the National Day Gallop at Gärdet in Stockholm. During the day there are seven gallop races to watch, four for English thoroughbreds, one for Arabian thoroughbred horses, and two pony races. A visit to the races is completely free.

Along with the races the program also offers live music, children’s activities, lots of food options and the every popular hat parade. For the hat parade there are three different classes, Gärdet’s Best Hat, Children’s Hat and Match Your Dog. Kids can, along with the hat competition, try their hand at pole vaulting, ride a mechanical galloping horse, hop on a Segway, and climb up a climbing wall, as well as several other activities.

Celebrate with music, song and dance

Together with the city of Solna and the Swedish Royal Court, the Royal Swedish Opera organises a celebration in Haga Park. With singing, dancing, music and picnics in the park, from 11 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon this free celebration in the park is not to be missed. There are activities and shows for friends and family to enjoy.

With performances from the Royal Opera, the Royal Swedish Orchestra, the Royal Swedish Opera Chorus and dancers from the Royal Swedish Ballet, the day is a cultural show. There will be sing-alongs to Swedish summer classics and the children’s choir from the Solna cultural school will perform together with the Royal Swedish Orchestra. There are also guided tours through the park, for families and adults only, to show you more about the park and its history.