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SWEDEN

Irate Norwegian reports Stockholm over ‘capital of Scandinavia’ claim

A Norwegian man has reported Stockholm to the Swedish consumer ombudsman claiming that the slogan "Stockholm – the Capital of Scandinavia" is "misleading".

Irate Norwegian reports Stockholm over 'capital of Scandinavia' claim
Norway's Ola Vigen Hattestad skis past a palace guard in Stockholm, the self-styled "Capital of Scandinavia" (Photo: Jens L'Estrade/Scanpix)

"The marketing campaign aims to mislead tourists and consumers to Stockholm by giving the picture that Stockholm is the capital city for the whole of Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway and Sweden)," the man wrote in his report, according to Aftonbladet newspaper.

The Norwegian has claimed to have been in contact with the city of Stockholm, whereupon he was informed that the title was justified as the Stockholm region lays claim to five international airports, has 3.5 million residents, and attracts over 40 percent of Scandinavia's visitors.

The city also claimed it had the right to call itself the Capital of Scandinavia because the Nobel prizes and the Polar Music Prize are awarded there.

However, the man took issue with these claims, arguing in his complaint that Stockholm not only lacks Scandinavia's biggest airport, but it doesn't even have the region's largest population.

In addition, Stockholm is far from being centrally located within the Nordic region, the man explained, and doesn't even give out the main Nobel prize, the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded in the Norwegian capital of Oslo.

"Stockholm is, overall, not any better than the other capital cities in Scandinavia," he wrote.

Tor Sannerud, Oslo's chief of tourism, has let the world know that he is unimpressed as well.

He lashed out at the slogan in Norwegian papers recently, labelling the choice of words as arrogant and "directly misleading".

The offending slogan, which has been in use since 2005, has been making headlines recently after its use ruffled feathers at a French convention earlier this month.

Swedish representatives at the investment fair placed banners and advertising with the slogan on signs and ticket stubs, outraging Norwegians and Danes, some of whom tore the papers to pieces.

The ombudsman is yet to take a position on the case.

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STOCKHOLM

Stockholm Pride is a little different this year: here’s what you need to know 

This week marks the beginning of Pride festivities in the Swedish capital. The tickets sold out immediately, for the partly in-person, partly digital events. 

Pride parade 2019
There won't be a Pride parade like the one in 2019 on the streets of Stockholm this year. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT

You might have noticed rainbow flags popping up on major buildings in Stockholm, and on buses and trams. Sweden has more Pride festivals per capita than any other country and is the largest Pride celebration in the Nordic region, but the Stockholm event is by far the biggest.  

The Pride Parade, which usually attracts around 50,000 participants in a normal year, will be broadcast digitally from Södra Teatern on August 7th on Stockholm Pride’s website and social media. The two-hour broadcast will be led by tenor and debater Rickard Söderberg.

The two major venues of the festival are Pride House, located this year at the Clarion Hotel Stockholm at Skanstull in Södermalm, and Pride Stage, which is at Södra Teatern near Slussen.

“We are super happy with the layout and think it feels good for us as an organisation to slowly return to normal. There are so many who have longed for it,” chairperson of Stockholm Pride, Vix Herjeryd, told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

Tickets are required for all indoor events at Södra Teatern to limit the number of people indoors according to pandemic restrictions. But the entire stage programme will also be streamed on a big screen open air on Mosebacketerassen, which doesn’t require a ticket.  

You can read more about this year’s Pride programme on the Stockholm Pride website (in Swedish). 

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