Guide to the Best Summer Venues in Uppsala

Parksnäckan is one of Uppsala’s most beloved summer venues and has attracted visitors to the City Garden with concerts for over 50 years. There is room for up to 1200 people, yet it remains an intimate and cozy concert venue amidst beautiful flowers and greenery. Thanks to the fan-shaped audience area, you always get pretty close to the performing artists here.

Parksnäckan has a bar serving food, beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages that you can enjoy while experiencing the varied concert program. Every summer, around fifty events are organized here, ranging from magic shows for families to performances by the country’s most beloved artists and international acts. If you can’t get tickets to the concert, you can always listen to the music from a picnic blanket in the park outside.

A short excursion from central Uppsala lies Wiks Castle, one of Sweden’s best-preserved medieval fortresses. The beautiful surroundings alone make he castle a delightful summer destination, with a a beach, apple orchard, and hiking trails. In addition, in the shade of lush trees and summer flowers, Wiks Garden Bar awaits you with live music evenings organized during the summer. Here, you can enjoy light dishes and refreshing drinks to sweet tunes focusing on ballads, and jazz. When dusk falls, you might also, with a bit of luck – or perhaps unluck – encounter one of the castle ghosts that are said to occasionally appear in the park.

A new and exciting addition to Uppsala’s summer scene is the Homecoming Festival. In late August, it brings some of Sweden’s biggest artists and exciting international acts to Polacksbacken. The festival takes place for the first time in 2024, and visitors can expect a lineup featuring pop, hip-hop, and EDM – music for the so-called Spotify generation. The festival is organized by Homerun Festivals, the team behind the widely successful festivals Brännbollsyran in Umeå and Bayside Festival in Helsingborg. Polacksbacken is within walking distance from central Uppsala, making it convenient both to get here and to combine the festival visit with everything else the city has to offer.

We dare to claim that Sweden’s most beautiful botanical garden is located in Uppsala, known as “Botan“, by the locals. Here, classical music, pop, jazz, and world music makes an interesting mix during the annual event Music in the Garden. In the courtyard of the garden’s orangery, you’ll feel like you’re on an Italian piazza, surrounded by music and greenery. Local restaurants and food trucks are on site offering everything from cold drinks and gelato to piping hot pizzas. Let yourself be enchanted by the unique atmosphere here!

In the park itself, larger concerts are also organized during the summer when Kaliber Live brings the audience’s favorite artists to Uppsala. In recent years, artists like Håkan Hellström, John Fogerty, and Veronica Maggio have performed here. If you wish, you can bring a blanket to sit on the grass in the park during the concert, and there are food and beverage options available on-site for a lovely evening in the park.

Uppsala City Theater is one of the country’s most respected stages. During the summer months, the operations move from the theater building in the city center, into a large theater tent in the Gottsunda area. Here, several different performances are offered, usually with something suitable for the whole family – such as musicals for children, improvisational theater, or humorous Molière plays. This is a very popular event, just a short walk from Gottsunda center. The shows are free of charge, but tickets need to be booked in advance to secure your seat.