Discover the incredible pot-boiler of culture and community that is Sweden.
Sweden harbours many undeniably beautiful and relevant music and culture festivals. The Sherp has picked out a few for you, take a look!
1. Sónar
When: February 26-27, 2016
Where: Stockholm
Sónar doesn’t just take place in Barcelona, but has also extended to Sweden and Iceland. The editions in Stockholm is only a sliver of what Sonar is, but no less exciting. The lineup is always as diverse as ever and will include the techno industry’s best. This year’s lineup features some incredible acts such as Ida Engberg, Young Lean, Holly Herndon, and more you can check out here. You’re guaranteed that!
(Source: Annika Berglund/sonarstockholm.com)
2. Walpurgis Night
When: April 30, 2016
Where: All over Sweden, and other European countries
Walpurgis Night, also known as Walpurgisnacht, is the eve of the feast day for Saint Walpurga. This unique festival celebrates the arrival of spring in Sweden and other European countries by paying homage to ancient pagan rituals. In Sweden typical holiday activities include the singing of traditional spring folk songs and the lighting of bonfires. During the night of April 30, individuals indulge in dances and feasts, dressing up in costumes for the occasion, celebrating this little influx of witchcraft in modern society. Many people also hang blessed sprigs of foliage from houses and barns to ward off evil spirits, or they leave pieces of bread spread with butter and honey, called ankenschnitt, as offerings for phantom hounds.
(Source: Michael Panse Creative Commons/Fest300)
3. Tekla Festival
When: April, 2016
Where: Stockholm
The current percentage of women in technological working fields is merely 34%. Robin Carlsson, stage name Robyn, decided to change that. Launching Tekla, a festival for girls between ages 11 to 18, the singer aspires to encourage young women to hone and nurture their interest in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Many young people, especially women today are intimidated by technology, even though it’s part of our daily regime. Overcoming this hesitation with prospective career paths that involve technology, motivational speaking, workshops and of course, an unforgettable performance by Robyn herself, this festival looks pretty damn inspiring to us.
(Source: teklafestival.se)
4. Summerburst
When: May 27-28 (Gothenburg)/June 10-11 (Stockholm), 2016
Where: Gothenburg/Stockholm
Starting off as a one – day outing, Sweden’s very own Summerburst festival will now be showcased over two days of music in two separate cities (the other being Gothenburg). Sweden has a reputation for providing some of the most popular & charismatic electronic producers to the industry. Ten’s of thousands of people attend the festival incepted back in 2011 and this year’s line up includes some of the big guns that burst out into the 2013 – 14 scene in some style – Calvin Harris, Hardwell, Showtek, Aly & Fila to name a few. Held at the legendary Stockhom Stadion, the original Stockholm Olympic Stadium that hosted the Olympic Games of 1912, this festival is easily one of Scandinavia’s best.
(Source: Emma Mattson)
5. The Borderland
When: July
Where:
Just three years old, The Borderland is quickly becoming a popular Burning destination, primarily because of its gorgeous location. Burn festivals are uber popular these days, courtesy Nevada’s Burning Man, and Borderland offers every bit of that counterculture authenticity millennials crave. Check out the festival’s official website here.
(Source: theborderland.se)
6. Way Out West
When: August
Where: Gothenburg
Known as the “Swedish Woodstock” this festival is a lot less popular than it should be. This brilliant alternative music festival brings just over 30,000 attendees to the humble surroundings of the Slottskogen (which translates to “castle forest” in Swedish) in Gothenburg every year. Eco-friendly, with a focus on incredible music, this festival has other aspects you must explore – such as their lineup of art and film. This year’s lineup features the likes of Chrvches, Daughter, M83, Jamie XX, and many more. View the entire lineup here.
(Source: Niklas Hellerstedt Creative Commons/Fest300)