Festival Program 2026 – will be available to download soon!

THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND

There are a number of activities going on that you can enjoy during the Midsummer Festival. Among them are two almost full days of live music with the a number of individual artists, groups and choirs. There will be performances by the Scandinavian Dancers and the Vikings in the Viking Village, including songs, games and a real Viking raid – beware of the Norse! At the Midsummer Marketplace, you find over 50 vendors with shopping kiosks with lots of exciting products and crafts.  There will be cultural displays, kids’ activities, a troll forest and carnival games.

For the Midsummer beginner – there are two very popular events during the festival that you may not want to miss! The raising of the Midsummer Pole with dance around takes place on Saturday afternoon. The popular and crazy Finnish wife carrying contest takes place on Sunday.

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Program 2026

FOOD

Salmon BBQ, Smørrebrød (Danish open-face sandwiches), Swedish Meatballs, Finnish Meatballs, Hot Dogs, Waffles, Coffee, Pastries and Beer Garden.

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Pets are not allowed; only Certified Service Dogs welcomed.

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PROGRAM – SATURDAY JUNE 20th Main Stage and Field

Time	Event
10 am	Gates open
10:00 – 10:45 am	Galiano Trio – Clarinet Trio with a twist
11:15 – 12:00 noon	Vancouver Dorfmusik – European-style band playing music of Switzerland, Germany and Scandinavia
Noon – 12:30 pm	Setup for Opening Ceremony
12:30 – 1:00 pm	Opening Ceremony (Flag and Anthem ceremony)
1:00 – 2:00 pm	ON THE FIELD – Midsummer Traditions – Enjoy a festive parade, help us raise the Midsummer Pole, and dance on the grass with trolls and kids from 2 to 92!  Midsummer Spelmanslag with Scandinavian Dancers and Knotty Trolls
2:00 – 3:00 pm	ON THE FIELD – Hobby Horse Steeplechase
2:00 – 3:00 pm	The Coveralls – Good grooves and harmonies, blending rock, soul, alt-country and folk
3:30 – 4:30 pm	Deep Cove Big Band – The beloved music of big band era
6:00 pm	Country tents close
	Evening in the Beer Garden – Jazz 5:00 – 7:00 pm
5:15 – 6:15 pm	Jazz Vikings – with Hedi-Lovisa Solen
6:30 – 7:30 pm	Cat Toren Trio – Juno Award winner and friends!
8:00 pm – ?	The Beagles – Great music for dancing and relaxing in the Beer Garden

 

PROGRAM – SUNDAY JUNE 21st Main Stage and Field

Time	Event
10:00 am	Gates open
10:00 – 11:00 am	Midsummer Pancake Breakfast in Beer Garden – Scandinavian breakfast with live music
10:00 – 11:00 am	South Vancouver Big Band – a big band jazz orchestra explores a variety of different styles in blues, Latin jazz, rock, funk, bebop, fusion and contemporary music
12:30 – 1:30 pm	Ti Meter I Taket – Applying Norwegian folk and jazz influence, this trio defies distance to create an exciting new sound
1:30 – 2:00 pm	Midsummer Spelmanslag    on their field stage
2:00 – 3:00 pm	ON THE FIELD  Wife-carrying Contest
2:30 – 3:30 pm	Royal City Concert Band – a rousing finish to the Main stage entertainment
3:30 – 4:00 pm	ON THE FIELD – Midsummer Traditions – gather round the Midsummer Pole for games and dances with theMidsummer Spelmanslag,& theKnotty Trolls
4:00 pm	50/50 Raffle Drawing – Winner Announced   From the main stage
4:00 pm	Festival closes

 

 

ENTERTAINERS’ BIOS

 

The Beagles (Beer Garden, Saturday 8 pm) The Beagles are a musical duo that has been performing music together for the past 20 years.  The Beagles are made up of two music teachers, Ken Mason and Ed Sadler. Together they have travelled all over British Columbia covering all types of music from the 50’s to the 2000’s.  Great music that you can dance to and guaranteed fun for all!!

 

 

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Knotty Trolls (Midsummer Traditions Saturday 1 pm, Sunday 3:30 pm, and Bandstand – by appointment!)

The Knotty Trolls have been making mischief at Midsummer for many years! With their stripey socks, pointy ears, and knotty tails, they’re hard to miss…. And they love food, so watch out for your waffles & sandwiches! You can catch up on their past antics on Instagram.

The Midsummer Festival is back, and so are the Knotty Trolls! Whether frolicking around the Midsummer Pole, causing trouble at the Wife Carrying contest, or hiding among their friends in the Troll Garden, you can find them by their stripy socks and knotted tails. They’ll be making mischief for the whole weekend, so come say hello – just make sure they don’t steal your waffles!   https://www.instagram.com/knottytrolls/

 

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Midsummer Spelmanslag (Saturday 1 pm; Sunday 3:30 pm)

The Midsummer Spelmanslag is a group of local musicians who gather each year to share Scandinavian folk music with everyone at the Midsummer Festival. Our greatest joy is to get our audience tapping their toes, or better yet, up and dancing!   http://www.vcn.bc.ca/scandi/

 

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The Scandinavian Dancers of Vancouver (Saturday 1 pm; Sunday 3:30 pm)

The Scandinavian Dancers of Vancouver is a group of energetic dancers and musicians, going strong since 1971. Though many of us are not Scandinavian, we’re dedicated to the preservation, enjoyment and performance of ethnic dances and music of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. From September to May, we dance on Wednesday evenings at the Scandinavian Centre and welcome both experienced and beginning dancers.   http://www.vcn.bc.ca/scandi/

 

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Vancouver Dorfmusik (Saturday 11:15 am)

The Vancouver Dorfmusik was founded in 1983 by musicians from the Swiss community who wanted to play music from their homeland. Dorfmusik means Village Band.  Today the members are as diverse as the population of Canada. The band has performed at such venues as the Kitsilano Showboat, Ladner Bandfest, the European Festival and the Swiss National Day. We are happy to be returning to perform at the Scandinavian Festival 2024.   Vancouver Dorfmusik is conducted by Gordon Koch.

http://www.swiss-society.org/vancouver-dorfmusik

 

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Jazz Vikings (Beer Garden – Saturday 5:15 pm)

Hedi-Lovisa Solen, vocals, arrangements

A love for all music led Hedi to study and receive her Bachelor of Music from UBC. A love of jazz led her to her favorite style of music. Inspired by the constant wonder of jazz music — how fresh and new and beautiful the songs are each time they’re played — Canadian jazz singer Hedi-Lovisa Solen and her band will take you on a musical journey full of depth, heart and swing. She interprets her expansive repertoire of soulful jazz, blues, jazz standards, and Jazzified Vintage Rock with  a natural sophistication and hint of smokiness. A recent collaboration with Vancouver pianist Miles Black, has been to ‘jazzify’ some great vintage rock tunes and give each song her own personal flavor. She says ‘ I am so blessed that music is my life, and singing is how I get to spend my time !!! I am so happy to be given the chance to create beauty with my wonderful musician friends.

 

Mikke Ernst Borjesson, Piano

Mikke-Erst Borgesson is a Grammy nominated and Juno Award winning artist who was dubbed a cross between Floyd Cramer and Thelonius Monk by one LA reviewer. As one of the West Coast’s most sought after musicians, Mikke pursues a wide-ranging career as a pianist, film composer, arranger and producer, embracing many genres of music including jazz, latin, folk, R&B and rock. He has released four albums of original music: Brand New Smile, Dancers of the Spheres, Smooth Sailing, and Songs For My Baby.

 

Lars Nicklar, Bass

Vancouver BC based composer, song-writer and multi-instrumentalist Lars Nicklar has over 30 years of professional experience. He picked up the guitar at an early age, so he could jam with his dad. He then began learning classical piano at age 11, and was playing professionally by age 14.   He began writing songs in his early teens and reckons he has written 8,000 songs.   He was a member of the legendary fusion band, SKYWALK.

Lars is currently co-leading the award winning and Juno-nominated modern jazz quartet Altered Laws with reed-man Tom Keenlyside. He is a member of the Oliver Gannon Quartet, The Mike Allen Quartet. He is the pianist for an exciting new jazz trio called “Triology” with   guitarist Bill Coon and bassist Jodi Proznick. In addition, Lars s leads his own Octet.

 

Lief Säyasson, Sax

Vancouver Island-native, jazz saxophonist Lief Säyasson loves jazz and all its variations. He is renowned for his soulful interpretations, powerhouse sound, tasteful inventiveness, and adventurous improvisations. Lief has headlined at every major venue in western Canada, and is a favourite at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival where he presents his contemporary jazz original compositions to a riveted audience each year. Lief’s  versatility makes him a first-call musician on the west coast for all styles of jazz, funk, R&B and as part of big bands and larger ensembles. He swings hard and improvises melodically, conjuring the jazz greats of yesteryear and infusing each note with his own brand of heartfelt emotion. Whether playing straight-ahead swinging standards, or original music, Lief’s dedicated following of fans and musician colleagues certainly have something to say about Säyasson !!!

 

Trummis Skepp, Drums

Trummis Skepp is a drummer, percussionist, drum teacher, and drum maker. He is known world-wide for his drum making and design and has a long history in Vancouver’s drum retail and manufacturing.  Trummis  founded DRUMS ONLY! Drum shop in 1972, and in 1982 created the Ayotte Drum Company. After leaving the company he began creating new models for Taye Drums with great success. He now handcrafts RAYA Drums and does restorations and repairs of rare and vintage drums. He enjoys playing many genres of music including jazz, blues and R&B. This is a big year for Ray as 2026 sees the rebirth of DRUMS ONLY! Drumshop.

 

 

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Cat Toren Trio    (Beer Garden – Saturday – 6:30 pm)

Cat Toren is a Juno Award winning pianist and composer. Born and raised in Vancouver, Cat Toren has become a fixture in the vibrant jazz scene of New York City and recently relocated to Washington State where she is a faculty member at Western Washington University. She has performed with various ensembles internationally and is happy to be returning to the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. Joining her onstage are local luminaries: bassist Russell Sholberg and guitarist Tom Wherrett.

 

 

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Galiano Trio  (Saturday 10:00 am )

The Galiano Trio provides music for all occasions.  A classical wind trio with a twist.  Performing repertoire spanning more than four centuries, expanding the definistion of chamber music!  Founded in 1986, we have provided music and entertainment in the Greater Vancouver Region for over 30 years!  After taking a few years off from the local music scene to work on other projects, we are BACK!

 

 

 

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The Coveralls (Saturday  2:00 pm)

The Coveralls love good grooves and harmonies, blending rock, soul, alt-country and folk. The self-described “nicest band in East Van”, ‘covers all’ kinds of music…from  Fleetwood Mac and Springsteen to ABBA and Taylor Swift. They are a group of six ‘old’ friends who love making music together. As they expanded their playlist (over 100 titles), they decided to share their music and so began offering free concerts for friends, and passersby, on some summer weekends at the edge of Trout Lake Park. 

 

 

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Deep Cove Big Band (Saturday 3:30 pm)

For over 25 years, The Deep Cove Big Band has been sharing the beloved music of the big band era with audiences on the North Shore.  They are thrilled to be getting back to “The Swing of Things’ after the pandemic!

This group of passionate musicians gathers every week to rehearse, and regularly performs at community events, festivals, and other local venues. They are thrilled to be getting to share their love of this great music with you today!

Director Casey Thomas-Burns is an accomplished trombonist and vocalist, who started working with the band last year. When not with the Deep Cove Big Band, she leads her own 10-piece ensemble “The Leading Ladies”, and performs with jazz ensembles throughout the Lower Mainland.

We are excited to play for the Midsummer Festival!

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South Vancouver Big Band (Sunday 10:00 am)

SOUTH VAN BIG BAND is a big band jazz orchestra based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The band’s musical repertoire explores a variety of different musical styles in blues, latin jazz, rock, funk, bebop, fusion and contemporary music, all arranged in modern big band orchestration. With 13+ horns, a full rhythm section and vocalist, SVBB impresses with the dynamic power of a big band through arranged music of well-known artists such as the Beatles, Santana, Steely Dan, Radiohead and Pat Metheny, as well as the music of the great big bands such as Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Kenton, Buddy Rich and countless others. The band also enjoys performing new modern compositions and arrangements by Dr. Greg Johnson, a saxophonist/composer/clinician based in the San Francisco Bay Area and current Director of Jazz Studies at Marin School of the Arts. In recent years, the band has started exploring and performing the music of modern Canadian composers

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Ti Meter I Taket   (Sunday 12:30 pm)

Ti Meter I Taket brings Scandinavian Jazz to Canada! Applying Norwegian folk and jazz influence, this trio defies distance to create an exciting new sound with original tunes never before seen in Canada. With members from Vancouver and Norway, the band utilizes their musical differences with improvisation at the forefront, so no two concerts are the same!

Drums: Milan Stanga (from Vancouver, Canada)
Piano: Ola Birgitsonn (from Tromsø, Norway)
Vocals: Sarah Spånberg (from Lillestrøm, Norway)

 

 

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Royal City Concert Band (Sunday 2:30 pm)

Royal City Concert Band is a band of enthusiastic and motivated amateur musicians, established in 1987. Under the baton of musical director Kris Covlin, we play an eclectic and ambitious blend of world class compositions, drawn from the best arrangements in the worlds of Pop & Rock, Jazz & Big-Band, Broadway Classics, Movies & Television, Contemporary & Traditional Band music, Classical Arrangements for wind, Canadian Folk & Contemporary and last, but certainly not least, some of the Best Marches Ever Written.