Weather
Sweden is pleasantly warm in August, with highs of 72°F (22°C) in the south, though it's a wet month, while in the far north, it's mild but still sunny and with less of July's heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, the seawater temperature peaks for the year at around 64°F (18°C).
A drawback of visiting the north of Sweden in August is the mosquitoes, which are prevalent due to the humidity. Yet, the staggering beauty of the region is more than ample compensation.
Crowds & Costs
Most holiday destinations this month are just below their July peaks in terms of crowds, and August is a popular month for both Swedes and international visitors to travel around the country. Swedes finish their summer holidays midway through August, so the second half of the month sees the crowds lessen. Book accommodation and activities in advance this month, as demand is high. You'll be paying high-season prices wherever you go.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Where to Go
Stockholm should be on your itinerary: whatever point in the month you visit, there's a festival enlivening the capital, whether that's Stockholm Pride at the beginning of August or the Street Food Festival and Baltic Sea Festival at the end. Also great for festivities this month are Gothenburg, for one of the summer's best music events, Way Out West, and Malmö, for the city's biggest annual festival.
Gotland is another excellent place to head this month: not just for its beaches but also for the medieval festival enlivening historic Visby and, if you like mountain biking, the northeast community of Slite, where one of Sweden's best bike parks beckons.
By Sweden's standards, it's hot in August, so finding a way to cool off is recommended. You don't have to look any farther outside Stockholm than the Stockholm Archipelago for this, where thousands of islands and islets, many uninhabited and quite a few seldom-visited, are perfect for exploring by kayak. There are also plenty of opportunities for wild swimming. Another kayaking hotspot is the island-speckled coast of the Kosterhavet Marine National Park, which you can explore on a guided kayaking trip or a self-guided kayak adventure.
The north draws the adventurous this month for its expanses of wilderness. A good introduction to the remote northern countryside is the High Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site bisected by the 80-mile (129 km) High Coast Trail, which traverses craggy forests that thickly line the seashore. Sweden's ultimate adventure, meanwhile, is the 280-mile (450 km) Kungsleden trail. The route runs through the Abisko, Stora Sjöfallet, Sarek, and Pieljekaise National Parks, as well as the UNESCO-protected Laponian Area.
What to Do
It's difficult to avoid the festivals in Sweden this month, especially in Stockholm and Gothenburg. August is also notorious for some of Sweden's wackiest goings-on. See if you can join a traditional crayfish party, a get-together celebrating the fish taking place countrywide on August 8, while the Surströmming celebrations on Ulvön island on the High Coast later in the month are in honor of fermented herring.
It's warm, and the sun shines regularly, so most people want to be outdoors whenever possible this month. Take to the waters—they're their warmest of the year right now—with a boat trip or kayak ride along the waterways of Stockholm, which fan out into the Stockholm Archipelago, which you can also visit on a guided boat trip or self-guided kayak adventure.
Sweden's lakes are also inviting to plunge into in August. You could do this after experiencing one of Sweden's atmospheric wood-fired saunas somewhere like Lake Örsjön (such saunas are a tradition countrywide, and part of the ritual is the cool-off in the water afterward). Consider breaking up a bicycle ride around the edge of Sweden's and the European Union's largest lake, Lake Vänern, with just such a dip.
Hiking is another popular activity this month. For adventurers hitting the famous Kungsleden trail, the section between Ammarnäs and Jäckvik sees fewer crowds. You could also escape the masses on Southern Sweden's Skåneleden Trail in Skåne county. The 807-mile (1,300 km) route is long enough for solitude-seekers to trek stretches without passing a single soul. Another multiday trail with ample opportunities to cool off with interspersed wild swims is the Kustsigen, the coast path along the western seaboard from Tjörn near Gothenburg to Oslo in Norway.
Events in August
Stockholm Pride, Stockholm. The capital's Pride festivities are the largest in Scandinavia and happen in early August.
Kräftskiva, Nationwide (August 8). Crayfish parties happen across Sweden on August 8, celebrating the crayfish, a popular summertime food. The main event is a party, often attended by many family and friends, where a big meal featuring crayfish and other treats is served.
Way Out West Festival, Gothenburg. One of Europe's best music festivals, held over three days in August.
Malmöfestivalen, Malmö. Malmö's most prominent festival has a bit of everything: groundbreaking art, music, and culture, along with a vast array of international food stalls, held over a weeklong extravaganza.
Stockholm Culture Festival, Stockholm. Music in all its genres, from rock to pop, classical, and jazz, plus dance, stand-up comedy, theater, and film, is one massive celebration of Stockholm's culture in more or less all forms.
Visby Medieval Week, Visby. Visby on the island of Gotland is renowned for its well-preserved medieval center, but this takes on extra magic this month as all kinds of medieval shenanigans take place: expect costumed characters, a fire show, and much more.
Surströmming, Ulvön. This festival on the island of Ulvön, on the High Coast, champions the delicacy of fermented herring, with the premiere on the third Thursday in August.
Baltic Sea Festival, Stockholm. This is one of the most highly regarded fixtures on Sweden's festival calendar: a week or more of classical music spanning late August and early September.
More Helpful Information
Sweden in July
Sweden in September
Best Time of Year to Visit Sweden
How Many Days to Spend in Sweden