If you thought the biggest day of the year on Greece’s number-one party island would be something Greek – then you’d be wrong!
It is actually Swedish Midsummer in Ios, celebrated at the end of June every year.
What is Ios Swedish Midsummer?
Ios Swedish Midsummer is a non-stop 24-hour party where the clubs open at 10am and don’t close until 6am the next day.
So if you want to join in the craziest celebration of the summer, then start packing your best blue and yellow attire, grab a Breezer and get to Ios for June 21 2024.
When is Swedish Midsummer in Ios?
In 2024 Ios Swedish Midsummer will be on Friday June 21.
In typical Ios fashion, the exact day of Swedish Midsummer changes every year but it is always on a Friday, between June 19 and June 25.
Why does Ios celebrate Swedish Midsummer?
Ios Swedish Midsummer was actually started by an Ios legend – Papa Nick, almost 20 years ago. As a Swede himself, he decided to bring his favourite tradition to this tiny island, and it stuck!
To this day, Papa Nick still leads the walk from the village to Far Out, so make sure you look out for him in 2024.
Every year the celebration has become bigger and better (and crazier) and 2024 is shaping up to be the biggest one yet.
What happens during Ios Swedish Midsummer?
The Swedish Midsummer traditions change a little bit every year but it always begins in the village around 9 or 10 am.
You can choose to join in later though if you want to ensure your stamina for the rest of the day!
The format of the day is to start celebrating (drinking) in the morning, do a bar crawl through the village and then everyone walks all together to Far Out Beach Club (down the shortcut) around 3pm.
Check out my video here if you want to see how it goes for yourself!
This Ios Swedish Midsummer walk
The walk is the highlight of the day, so please follow my advice and don’t drink too much too early and miss it.
Then the celebrations continue at Far Out until everyone heads back to the village for the clubs and bars to open again for the nighttime.
Which bars are open for Ios Swedish Midsummer?
The bars that were open in the morning in 2023 were Hellenic Social, Pash, Baru, Lotus, Flames and Slammer Bar.
Far Out Beach Club is open from 3:30pm until around 10pm with back-to-back DJ’s all afternoon.
After this all the regular bars and clubs are open for the nighttime – BUT it is generally a quieter night with everyone partying hard during the day.
Read more here about my top 10 bars to visit while you’re in Ios.
What do I wear to Ios Swedish Midsummer?
Make sure you pack your favourite blue and yellow clothes for the day!
Everyone gets really into the theme with body paint, accessories and even Swedish flags draped around them.
What is the traditional drink of Ios Swedish Midsummer?
The traditional drink of Ios Swedish Midsummer is, of course, the legendary Breezer!
It is also tradition to strawpedo Breezers on the day (where you put a bendy straw in the bottle and chug).
The bars get special deliveries of Breezers just to make sure they have enough to go around. But don’t worry if Breezers aren’t your thing you can still get everything else as well.
When does Ios Swedish Midsummer in Ios start?
Ios Swedish Midsummer generally starts as soon as you wake up on the Friday.
The tradition among the locals is starting off the morning with a Breezer for breakfast.
In 2023 Hellenic Social had breakfast sandwiches and Breezers on offer from 9am.
It’s up to you though how you want to structure your day and which venues you want to hit up first.
Celebrating Ios Swedish Midsummer for the first time?
If you’re doing Ios Swedish Midsummer for the first time, I recommend checking out the Swedish Midsummer packages with Life is Beach Party.
With a LIABP hotel package, they will have you staying right in the centre of the village and you can join in their pre-drinks from 9am.
This is a great option if you’re travelling solo or looking to meet new people – they will lead you on a group bar crawl and walk you to Far Out together so you get the most out of the day.
Want to go VIP?
If you want to go all out you can also get a Life is Beach Party VIP Package with a table at Far Out Beach Club on the day – this is well worth it if you want your own section to party it up with your mates!
It also includes transfers from Athens or Santorini, premium accomodation in the village and VIP tables at Pathos and Sweet Irish Dream.