What is Valborg in Uppsala?
Across Sweden, April 30 is Valborgsmässoafton, Walpurgis Night, when the country welcomes spring with songs and, in many places, bonfires. Nowhere celebrates it like Uppsala, the historic university town north of Stockholm. Here, the day is simply called sista april, the last of April, and it is the biggest student party of the year, drawing more than 120,000 people to the city.
Uppsala University, founded in 1477, is the oldest in the Nordic countries, and its students have kept their traditions alive for generations. On the last day of April, students and alumni, wearing the white student cap, celebrate the arrival of spring from morning until night, with champagne, picnics, songs and some of the most charming student customs in Europe.
The day begins on the Fyris River, which runs through the city centre. Since 1975, students have taken part in the forsränningen, a raft race in which home-made rafts, often decorated in outrageous themes, shoot the rapids and waterfalls of the river, many of them sinking spectacularly to the cheers of thousands of spectators on the banks.
The most solemn moment comes at exactly 3pm, at the top of the hill in front of Carolina Rediviva, the university library. The Vice-Chancellor waves a white cap, and thousands of students put on their caps at the same moment, the mösspåtagning, followed by songs from the male choir Orphei Drängar. The afternoon continues with picnics in the parks, and the evening brings more songs and student parties into the night.
For visitors, Valborg is a rare chance to see Swedish student life at its most joyful, in a city of medieval churches, a castle and botanical gardens that wakes up for spring. The day is long, festive and open to everyone, and the singing that echoes through the streets is unforgettable.
What to expect
The celebrations run throughout April 30, from the morning raft race to songs in the evening.
Morning
The raft race
From 10am, home-made rafts race down the Fyris River and its rapids, watched by crowds lining the banks and bridges.
3pm
The caps go on
At Carolina Rediviva, the Vice-Chancellor waves a white cap and thousands of students put on theirs, followed by choir songs.
Afternoon and evening
Picnics and songs
Students and visitors picnic in the parks, and the evening brings more singing, including the Allmänna Sången choir at 9pm, and parties.
The raft race on the Fyris
Photo by eimoberg / flickr · CC BY 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
Uppsala is about 40 minutes by train from Stockholm, with frequent services, and Stockholm Arlanda Airport is about 40 kilometres away, with direct trains to Uppsala. Train timetables are adjusted on April 30 to cope with the crowds.
Where to stay
Uppsala's hotels fill up for Valborg, so book early. Stockholm is an easy alternative, with frequent trains, and many visitors come for the day.
What it costs
The celebrations are free. Sweden is expensive, especially for alcohol and eating out, so many visitors bring a picnic, as the students do.
Go like you know
- Bring a picnic blanket and food for the afternoon in the parks.
- Watch the cap ceremony from the slope below Carolina Rediviva; arrive early, as the hill fills up well before 3pm.
- Look out for the student nations, Uppsala's historic student clubs, which host events and lunches on the day.
- Try a herring lunch, a Swedish spring tradition, at one of the student nations or restaurants.
- Learn the words of a Swedish spring song, or just listen; singing is at the heart of Valborg.
- Take one of the free water bottles handed out as part of the city's campaign to drink water between drinks.
- Visit Uppsala Cathedral and Gustavianum, the university's museum with its anatomical theatre, the next day.
- Sweden's Midsummer, in June, is the country's great summer celebration.
- Finland's Juhannus celebrates midsummer across the Baltic.
Frequently asked questions
When is Valborg in Uppsala?
Every year on April 30, Walpurgis Night. In 2027, April 30 falls on a Friday. The raft race usually starts at 10am and the cap ceremony takes place at exactly 3pm, with picnics and songs through the afternoon and evening. Check the city's Valborg website for the programme.
Do I need to be a student?
No. Valborg in Uppsala is a student tradition, but the celebrations are open to everyone, and more than 120,000 people come each year. Visitors watch the raft race, attend the cap ceremony and join the picnics in the parks. Only students and alumni wear the white student caps.
What is the raft race?
The raft race, or forsränningen, has been held on the Fyris River since 1975. Students build rafts, often decorated in funny themes, and try to ride them down the river's rapids and waterfalls. Many sink or fall apart, to the delight of the crowds watching from the banks.
