Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [3]
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Events Calendar
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JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
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Swedes love their holidays. Most towns and cities have frequent summer festivals and concerts (usually May to September). Books on festivals include Monica Rabe’s Sweden (Festivals of the World) and Jan-Öjvind Swahn’s Maypoles, Crayfish and Lucia – Swedish Holidays and Traditions. Visit www.musikfestivaler.se for many more music festivals. Towns hosting large rock concerts include Sundsvall, Östersund and Skellefteå; see town websites for details. For a list of public holidays, Click here.
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JANUARY
KIRUNA SNOW FESTIVAL last week of Jan
Based around a snow-sculpting competition, this annual fest (www.kiruna.com/snowfestival) began in 1985 to celebrate a rocket launch and now draws artists from all over to carve ever-more elaborate and beautiful shapes out of the snow. It also features reindeer-sled racing, with Sami traditions also emphasised.
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FEBRUARY
JOKKMOKK WINTER MARKET 1st Thu-Sat in Feb
A large annual gathering of Sami people from across Scandinavia, this festival (www.jokkmokksmarknad.se) includes a market, meetings, craft shows, performances and more.
HOUSE OF METAL early Feb
An annual hardcore music festival (www.houseofmetal.se, in Swedish) in Umeå at Folkets Hus, House of Metal features big-name artists as well as local bands.
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MARCH
VASALOPPET 1st Sun in Mar
This huge annual ski race (www.vasaloppet.se) between Sälen and Mora, started in 1922, commemorates Gustav Vasa’s history-making flight on skis in 1521; it has grown into a week-long ski fest and celebration with several different races: short, gruelling or just for fun.
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APRIL
VALBORGSMÄSSOAFTON (WALPURGIS NIGHT) 30 Apr
This public holiday, a pagan holdover that’s partly to celebrate the arrival of spring, involves lighting huge bonfires, singing songs and forming parades; parties are biggest in the student towns.
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MAY
FÖRSTA MAJ (MAY DAY) 1 May
Traditionally a workers’ marching day in industrial towns and cities, it’s observed with labour-movement events, brass bands and marches.
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JUNE
SWEDEN ROCK FESTIVAL early Jun
This large annual three-day summer rock festival is held in Sölvesborg (www.swedenrock.com) and features huge metal and hard-rock bands like AC/DC, In Flames and Dragonforce, with camping available on site.
SWEDISH NATIONAL DAY 6 Jun
Known merely as Swedish Flag Day until 1983, this public holiday commemorates the crowning in 1523 of King Gustav Vasa and Sweden’s independence from the Danish-led Kalmar Union.
SMAKA PÅ STOCKHOLM 1st week of Jun
Taste samples from some of Stockholm’s top kitchens in manageable quantities, and watch cooking duels at this week-long annual fest in Kungsträdgården (www.smakapastockholm.se).
MIDSUMMER’S EVE & MIDSUMMER DAY 1st Fri-Sat after 21 Jun
Arguably the most important Swedish holiday, Midsummer starts on Friday afternoon/evening with the raising of the maypole, followed by lots of singing and dancing, drinking and the massive consumption of pickled herring with potatoes and sour cream.
HULTSFRED FESTIVAL mid-Jun
This is a large annual three-day summer rock festival (www.rockparty.se) at Hultsfred, a small southeastern village reachable by train from Stockholm-Arlanda Airport. Artists have included Regina Spektor, Dropkick Murphys and Timbuktu.
ÖJEBY CHURCH MARKET last weekend in Jun
This market near Piteå attracts some 20,000 visitors each year.
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JULY
PITEÅ DANSAR & LER late Jul
One of Sweden’s biggest street festivals (www.pdol.se), the PDOR draws 120,000 visitors for music, dance, crafts, food and a carnival.
STOCKHOLM JAZZ FESTIVAL 19-23 Jul
Held on the island of Skeppsholmen, this internationally known jazz fest (www.stockholmjazz.com)