Midnight sun occurs every year north of the Arctic Circle. The farther north one moves, the longer the period the sun stays around the clock.

First out was the unpopular Treriksröset at the border between Norway, Finland and Sweden. There the sun rose just before one o'clock on Wednesday. It will now stay above the horizon for just over two months according to SMHI. This means that Thursday will be the first day of midnight sun.

- I usually call the midnight sun for the best Instagram filter. You get incredibly beautiful and wonderful pictures in that light, ”says Jenny Engström, press officer at the Swedish Tourist Association.

Fewer visitors

The first inhabited place that gets the midnight sun is the village of Keinovuopio. There the sun rises at 0.50 on Thursday.

Normally, the midnight sun mainly attracts foreign tourists to northern Sweden, but this summer they will probably not be able to travel due to travel restrictions.

- Many foreign tourists have the midnight sun as the main reason for their trip, so we will of course see a change this summer with fewer visitors to these places, says Jenny Engström.

"Absolutely magical"

In just over a week, on Tuesday, May 26, it is Kiruna, Nikkaluokta and nearby Jukkasjärvi tour for the midnight sun. There it will be until mid-July before the sun drops again below the horizon.

Then the midnight sun migrates south until the summer solstice, which this year falls on midsummer day on June 20. After that, the days will be shorter again.

Jenny Engström hopes that more people will travel a little longer this summer.

- Everyone living in Sweden should see this fantastic phenomenon. It's fantastic to be there in nature and it never gets dark, totally magical, ”she says.