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WHAT'S ON IN SWEDEN

WHATS ON

Five must-see events on stage in Sweden

From Sweden's own Eurovision hero to gay pride in the northern town of Umeå, here are the stage shows you need to mark in your diary this week. Plus, The Local's interactive calendar for all the top events across Sweden.

Five must-see events on stage in Sweden
Sweden's Eurovision star Måns Zelmerlöw in Lund. Photo: Stig-Åke Jönsson/TT

1. Stockholm Comedy Club

In the mood for a laugh? Three hilarious comedians from all corners of the world have come to Stockholm to take the stage at the Södra Sällskapet bar in the capital's trendy Södermalm district on September 23rd. The headline act is US-born comedian Maria Shehata, winner of Best Comedian at the Hollywood Festival, backed by Canadian funnyman Pete Sapiano and rising comedy star Elena Gabets from Russia.

The English-language event is organized by Stockholm Comedy Club

2. Måns Zelmerlöw at Lund's Culture Night

Sweden's Eurovision winner Måns Zelmerlöw is back in his home town of Lund to perform in the main square at the southern Swedish town's annual Culture Night on September 19th before he heads on a Europe-wide tour to promote his new album 'Perfectly Damaged'.

Also on offer on the night is the popular Color Run race and plenty of other gigs, art exhibitions and dance interpretations. The cultural festival purports to be the first of its kind, spreading all over Sweden and beyond since it was first organized in 1985.

3. Comedy hypnosis show

The line between reality and fantasy is set to be blurred at a truly hypnotic (in an exciting way, we promise) event in Malmö this weekend. Hypnotist Dan Ahtola has lined up a thrilling show to delight audiences at the event on September 19th at the Tangopalatset venue in the southern Swedish city.

Although the show is in Swedish, we are sure even non-native speakers will be able to get plenty out of this colourful evening. Prepare for laughter, a little bit of magic, and to have everything you believed was true turned on its head.

4. Umeå Pride 2015

Umeå's Pride festival (September 16th-25th) hit the headlines when it kicked off on Wednesday for a poster campaign called #kisshomophobiagoodbye which showed Swedish politicians, business people and cultural icons snapped kissing members of the same sex.

But much more than just smooching politicians is on offer at this festival of joy, pride and LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) rights. How does a Gospel concert, a Pride-themed story telling session for children or a lecture in the indigenous Sami language about homophobic and colonial violence sound? Umeå residents are also sure to be lining the streets for the Pride parade through the city on September 19th.

Scroll down the page for more information in English. 


A picture of the Umeå Pride poster campaign. Photo: Utopia
 

5. Irish music festival

Come along to 'Musikens Hus' ('The House of Music') in Gothenburg on September 18th-20th for a bit of the luck of the Irish. One of the finest Celtic music feasts in Sweden, the Glenntown Irish Music Festival will see musicians such as Michelle O'Brien, harpist Laoise Kelly and Christy O'Leary who plays traditional Irish so-called uilleann pipes.

A number of music and instrument workshops are also on offer and festival tickets range from around 100-600 kronor. 

Check out our interactive calendar below for all the best events in Sweden.

 

 

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EVENTS

How Cologne is preparing for the start of Carnival on Friday

Dressing up, singing, and drinking: On Friday, countless Jecken (revelers) in Cologne will once again celebrate the start of the Carnival session.

How Cologne is preparing for the start of Carnival on Friday

Dubbed Germany’s “fifth season” by locals, the event starts every year on November 11th at 11:11 am, and typically stretches into February or March, when colourful parades spill into the streets.

Carnival stronghold Cologne in particular is preparing for the onslaught of tens of thousands of people who will flock to its Altstadt (old town), and especially to the student quarter, starting early Friday morning. 

READ ALSO: 10 unmissable events in Germany this November

“Far too many people want to celebrate in far too small a space,” city director Andrea Blome told DPA. “We can’t stop anyone from coming to Cologne now.” 

More security this year

In the popular Kwartier Latäng student quarter, there have been regular bouts of drinking by young partygoers in the past, who crowded into a confined space, leaving litter everywhere and publicly peeing on the corners of buildings. 

Google Maps shows the location of the so-called Kwartier Latäng part of Cologne.

But with a new security plan, the city and police hope to keep the situation under control.

Several checkpoints and road closures have been set up to secure the safety of the revelers and relieve the burden on worried residents, according to Blome. Visitors will only be able to enter the closed-off area around Zülpicher Straße via a single access point. 

On Friday, Cologne is also set to send a total of 150 employees from the Ordnungsamt (public order office) onto the streets, who will be supported by 520 private security guards. 

A glass ban will again apply in the celebration zones, and several hundred toilets will be set up at the hotspots, “which nevertheless will probably not be used by all visitors,” Blome predicted.

READ ALSO: 10 words you need to know at Cologne’s Carnival

Up to 1,100 police officers are expected to be on duty on the day – about 200 fewer than last year, said head of operations Rüdiger Fink. But he expected to keep the situation “under control with a new security plan.”

What to expect

On Cologne’s Heumarkt, there will be a stage program all day with bands such as the Bläck Fööss, the Paveiern and Brings. 

Google Maps shows Cologne’s Heumarkt along the Rhine River.

According to the Willi Ostermann Society, about 10,000 tickets were sold in advance for the event, which will be aired by German WDR for several hours.

Meanwhile, in Düsseldorf, the day will start at 11:11 a.m. with the “Hoppeditz Awakening” in front of City Hall. 

According to a spokesman, the police will be adequately prepared for the start of the season, with a particular focus on the Altstadt, where there will certainly be celebrations.

“But 11.11. is a very different event here in Düsseldorf than in Cologne,” he said, referring to a more orderly start and fewer guests.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about celebrating Carnival in Germany

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