Every 14 July, Crown Princess Victoria spends her birthday on Öland, and the public is invited along. Here is what happens when, which parts are free, how to get onto the island, and what is known so far about her 50th in 2027.
When you need this
You’re planning a July trip to Kalmar or Öland and wonder whether 14 July is worth building the trip around. Or you’d like to see the Swedish royal family in person without paying for anything. Maybe you found Borgholm Castle closed and want to know why, or you’re already thinking about the Crown Princess’s 50th birthday in July 2027.
What Victoriadagen is
Victoriadagen (“Victoria Day”) celebrates Crown Princess Victoria, born on 14 July 1977. The Royal Court says the family traditionally spends the day on Öland, where it has its summer residence, Sollidens slott (Solliden Palace), just outside the town of Borgholm.
It started in 1979 as a local initiative to support a small Öland sports club. It has since grown into Victoriadagarna (“the Victoria Days”), several days of events built around a televised concert. The organiser says many people now call it “Öland’s national day”. Everything raises money for Radiohjälpen’s Crown Princess Victoria Fund, which since 1997 has paid for camps, trips and sport for children with disabilities.
One thing it is not: a day off. The Crown Princess’s birthday is an official flag day (allmän flaggdag), so flags fly on public buildings and many homes. But it is not in Sweden’s Public Holidays Act, so shops, offices and buses keep normal hours everywhere except central Borgholm. See Swedish flag days and public holidays in Sweden for how the two differ.
The day hour by hour
The Royal Court publishes the exact times only shortly before; the 2026 schedule came out on 25 June. Use the 2026 timetable as a template, not a promise:
| Time (2026) | What happened | Where |
|---|---|---|
| About 15:50 | The King, the Queen and the Crown Princess’s family step out; the public sings for her with the King and a children’s choir, and the King leads a leve (cheer) | The roundabout in front of Solliden |
| 16:00 | Horse-drawn birthday procession (födelsedagskortegen) leaves | Solliden, then through central Borgholm |
| About 16:50 | The family arrives | Borgholm Castle ruin |
| 17:00 | Celebration continues, with the Victoria Prize | Inside the castle ruin |
| 18:30 | The Victoria Concert is broadcast | SVT1 and SVT Play |
The Armed Forces also fire salutes on the day, in 2026 from fixed salute stations and a mobile battery.
The evening’s sports moment is the Victoriapriset (Victoria Prize, formerly the Victoria Scholarship). The Crown Princess hands it to a Swedish athlete for an outstanding result that year. It has been awarded every year since 1979, first to Ingemar Stenmark; the 2026 winner was cross-country skier Frida Karlsson. The organiser announces the winner in early June.
Pick one spot
The procession leaves Solliden as the greeting ends, so you can’t comfortably see both on foot. Choose:
- Solliden for the song and the closest view of the family. Come early: at the 40th birthday in 2017 the organiser said the area was “almost full” and people had queued for hours.
- The procession route through central Borgholm, from Solliden to the castle ruin.
- The concert in the castle ruin, if you have a ticket.
Free or ticketed?
The royal parts cost nothing. The Royal Court invites the public to sing at Solliden, and the organiser invites everyone to salute the procession; neither mentions a ticket. The concert is different: tickets are sold online through the ticket seller linked from the organiser’s website, and prices and sale dates only appear during the sales period.
| Part of the programme | Ticket? |
|---|---|
| Greeting at Solliden | No ticket required by the Royal Court |
| Carriage procession through Borgholm | No |
| Victoria Concert in the castle ruin | Yes, via the organiser’s site |
| Concert on TV | Free-to-air on SVT in Sweden |
| Quiz walk in the days before (2026) | Small fee, all to the fund |
| Victoria Run, 15 July | Organised by the local club IFK Borgholm |
Two things we couldn’t confirm: whether Solliden’s usual park ticket applies during the afternoon greeting, and the concert’s seating and accessibility arrangements. Neither the Royal Court’s release nor the operators’ pages say. Check with the organiser before you travel.
Borgholm Castle ruin closes to ordinary visitors on 13 and 14 July while it hosts the concert. If you want to see the ruin itself, go another day; it’s open daily through the summer. And don’t expect to tour inside Solliden on any day. It is the King’s private residence, built in 1906 for an earlier Crown Princess Victoria (later Queen), and the regular ticket covers the park and exhibitions.
Around the 14th
The programme changes a little each year. In 2026 it included a royal-themed quiz walk on 11–13 July, from Borgholm’s square to Solliden, a family hiking day in the World Heritage landscape of south Öland, and a charity golf tournament. The Victorialoppet (Victoria Run), held since 1981 and organised by the local club IFK Borgholm, follows on 15 July.
Getting there
Öland has one road link: the Öland Bridge from Kalmar. There is no toll, but walking and cycling on the bridge are banned, so a July crowd funnels over it by car and bus.
- By car, Kalmar to Borgholm is about 40 km, roughly 40 minutes without queues. Allow much more on the 14th.
- By bus, Kalmar länstrafik’s regional buses cross the bridge, and its summer ticket covers the whole county, Öland included, from 15 June to 15 August.
- By bike, take the summer bike ferry from Kalmar to Färjestaden, which in 2026 ran 15 June to 16 August, then ride north.
If rooms on Öland are gone, staying in Kalmar works. See Kalmar for the mainland base and Öland for the rest of the island, from Solliden’s regular season to the bird reserve at Ottenby. Trafikverket plans more bridge work from April to November in 2027–2030 but expects little traffic impact.
The 50th birthday in 2027
14 July 2027 is Crown Princess Victoria’s 50th birthday, a Wednesday. As of mid-October 2026, neither the Royal Court nor the organiser had published anything for it.
The last milestone is a useful warning against assuming the usual format. For her 40th in 2017:
- Stockholm held a thanksgiving service in the Palace Chapel, a reception, a noon salute and a carriage procession through the city centre on the day itself.
- Öland’s evening show moved from the castle ruin to Borgholm’s sports ground.
- The public greeting at Solliden moved to the next morning, with gates opening at 08:30.
Nothing confirms 2027 will repeat that. If you want to plan around the 50th, book accommodation on Öland or in Kalmar early with free cancellation, and watch the Royal Court’s announcements in June 2027.
Mistakes to avoid
- Calling it a public holiday. It is a flag day only; the rest of Sweden works as normal.
- Planning a castle visit on 13 or 14 July. The ruin is closed for the concert.
- Arriving at Solliden at the published time. You’ll be at the back of a large crowd.
- Cycling over the bridge. It’s banned; use the bus or the bike ferry.
- Treating 2017 as the 2027 plan. Wait for the official release.
Practical information
| Item | Detail (checked 2026-10-15) |
|---|---|
| Date | 14 July every year; 2027 is a Wednesday and the 50th |
| Main places | Solliden Palace and Borgholm Castle ruin, Borgholm, Öland |
| Greeting and procession | No ticket; 2026 times 15:50 and 16:00 |
| Victoria Concert | Ticketed via the organiser; prices not published outside sales |
| TV | SVT1 and SVT Play, 18:30 in 2026 |
| Quiz walk, 2026 | 50 kr per person, all to the fund |
| Solliden park on a normal day, adult, 2026 | 150 kr |
| Borgholm Castle | Closed to regular visitors 13–14 July |
| Öland Bridge | No toll; no walking or cycling |
| Public holiday? | No, flag day only |
FAQ
When is Victoriadagen?
Every year on 14 July, Crown Princess Victoria’s birthday. In 2026 it fell on a Tuesday; in 2027 it is a Wednesday and her 50th birthday. The main events are in the afternoon and evening in Borgholm on Öland, but surrounding fundraising events start a few days earlier and the Victoria Run follows on 15 July.
Is Victoriadagen a public holiday in Sweden?
No. The Crown Princess’s birthday is an official flag day, so you will see flags on public buildings and many homes, but it is not one of the public holidays in Swedish law. Shops, offices and public transport keep normal hours, and only central Borgholm is affected by the procession and concert crowds.
Can you see Crown Princess Victoria on her birthday?
Yes, and for free. The family traditionally spends the day at Solliden on Öland, and the Royal Court invites the public to sing for her in front of the palace in the afternoon. She then rides in an open horse-drawn procession through Borgholm to the castle ruin. Arrive early; crowds are large.
Do you need a ticket for the Victoria Concert?
Yes. The concert in Borgholm Castle ruin is ticketed, with tickets sold online through the ticket seller linked from the organiser’s website. Prices and sale dates are not shown outside the sales period. Without a ticket you can still watch the procession for free and see the concert on SVT, which broadcast it at 18:30 in 2026.
What happens for Crown Princess Victoria’s 50th birthday in 2027?
No programme had been published by mid-October 2026. For her 40th in 2017, Stockholm held a thanksgiving service, a reception and a carriage procession on the day, Öland hosted an evening show at Borgholm’s sports ground, and the Solliden greeting followed the next morning. Watch the Royal Court’s announcements, which in 2026 came three weeks ahead.
Why is Borgholm Castle closed on 14 July?
The castle ruin is the venue for the Victoria Concert, so it is closed to ordinary visitors on 13 and 14 July while the stage is built and the concert held. The evening concert there is ticketed. Plan a normal sightseeing visit for another day; outside those two dates the ruin is open daily all summer.
What is the Victoria Prize?
A Swedish sports award that the Crown Princess presents during the Victoria Concert to an athlete with an outstanding result that year. It has been awarded every year since 1979, when Ingemar Stenmark was the first winner, and was formerly called the Victoria Scholarship. The 2026 winner was cross-country skier Frida Karlsson.
Related guides
- The Swedish royal family — who’s who, and the other free days to see them.
- Öland — the bridge, Borgholm Castle, Solliden’s season and Ottenby.
- Kalmar — the mainland base when the island is full.
- Swedish National Day — the other big royal day out, on 6 June.
- Summer festivals in Sweden — more events to build a July trip around.
Facts verified 2026-10-15. Sources: Kungl. Hovstaterna (the Royal Court), Victoriadagarna, Sveriges Riksdag (Förordning 1982:270, Lag 1989:253), Transportstyrelsen, Trafikverket, Kalmar länstrafik, Radiohjälpen, SVT — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.