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Six family-friendly activities across Sweden this week

If it feels like it's been months since the school term ended and you've exhausted all their usual favourite activities, here are five events in Sweden this week which are totally family-friendly.

Published: 4 August 2016 06:59 CEST
Six family-friendly activities across Sweden this week
Show your family Sweden this summer. Photo: Johna Willner/imagebanksweden.se

1. Medieval Week, Gotland, August 7th-14th

Kicking off on August 7th and running for a week, Gotland's spectacular Medieval Week sees the entire island transformed, with fancy dress, themed food and drinks, music and performances. The central event on Sunday is a reenactment of the time the Danes conquered the island in 1361, culminating in a parade through Visby, but there are over 500 events taking place over the week, which little ones are sure to love. Most of the action is in the historic centre of Visby but some activities are also happening in the island's more rural spots – check out the website for the full programme. Entrance to the main market place and many events is free, but tickets to the jousting tournaments start at 95 kronor ($11.15) and can be bought here.


Photo: Helen Simonsson/Flickr

2. Nynäskalaset Festival, Stockholm archipelago August 5th-6th

The two-day festival is located in the scenic Svandammsparken in Nynäshamn with views over Stockholm’s archipelago at its southernmost point. There's an exciting line-up of music of different genres and great food and drinks, and those with children should check out the Family Festival on Saturday from 11-4pm. Buy tickets here – kids aged 3-8 go free, while tickets for one day are 95 kronor (€11.15) for 8-13-year-olds, 395 kronor (€46.35) for over-13’s and 495 kronor (€58) for adults. When we checked there were still some left so if you haven’t booked, grab your tickets quickly!


Photo: Rodrigo Rivas Ruiz/imagebanksweden.se

4. Olympics Days, Stockholm, August 4th-6th

This is one for sporty youngsters: To celebrate the start of the Rio Olympics, children and teens can try out different sports from boxing to golf and even rowing, with help from real Swedish Olympic athletes. Some of the competitions will be broadcast on big screens. This weekend, the event – which is completely free – will take place in Kungsträdgården in the centre of Stockholm from 1-5pm, but the event will also move around the country to several more locations. For more information, check out the Facebook page and website.


Photo: ScanPix

3. SommarLund, Lund, August 4th-11th

It’s the final week of Lund’s summer festival, and there's still time to catch one of the many shows and workshops taking place in central Lund and the surrounding area. There are some events geared specifically towards children while others will appeal to young and old alike, spanning culture, literature, arts and much more. Most of them are free entry, but check the website for more details.


It's the perfect time to explore Lund''s beautiful streets. Photo: karendesuyo/Flickr

5. Grimms Fairy Tales at Häringe Castle, Stockholm, August 4th-5th

What better location for a fairytale-themed show than a castle? Grimm 2.0 is a one-hour production showcasing your favourite fairy-tales and lots of music, with performances on Thursday and Friday at 4pm. You can combine your visit with other activities too; the castle is located in a nature reserve not far from Stockholm and also boasts Sweden’s oldest bowling alley, a pool, restaurants, and a Kids’ Club offering games and activities including croquet and child-friendly yoga. Tickets to the show are 110 kronor (€12.90) with discounts for family groups – buy them here.


Häringe Castle south of Stockholm. Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT

6. Back to the farm at Forslunda, Umeå, until August 14th

Lilla Forslund at Forslundsgymnasiet near Umeå is a scaled-down (1:3) version of an old traditional northern Swedish farm house, with a bakery, the family home and barn. They've got various activities taking place until mid-August, including a visit to the farm animals, hayrides, and treasure hunts. Check out the Visit Umeå website for more information.


File photo of lambs. Photo: Daniel Reinhardt/dpa via AP

Check out our interactive calendar below for more things to do in Sweden:

 

 

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READER INSIGHTS

‘Benny is always very kind’: Foreigners’ top encounters with Swedish celebrities

We asked The Local's readers to tell us of a time they met a Swedish celebrity. Here are their best stories.

Published: 16 April 2024 11:10 CEST
Updated: 16 April 2024 14:27 CEST
'Benny is always very kind': Foreigners' top encounters with Swedish celebrities

Some readers shared stories of encounters with Swedes who are also global stars, such as Abba or the King and Queen of Sweden, others spoke of meeting national celebrities who had helped them get to know their new home country.

Anne Foo from Malaysia is a fan of the Sällskapsresan movies by Lasse Åberg, who plays the kind but hapless Stig Helmer.

“It was one of the first Swedish films I watched when I first moved to Sweden that I could understand without needing to be fluent. It helped me understand the Swedish psyche and their humour and Swedish people in general,” she said.

Multi-talented artist Åberg is also known for his sketches of Mickey Mouse, as well as Trazan & Banarne, one of Sweden’s most famous children’s shows, and his band Electric Banana Band. Anne met him when she visited his museum, Åbergs Museum, outside of Stockholm.

“We were not expecting to see him there but we kind of heard he pops by the museum often to help out. We bought tickets for the guided tour and lucky us the guide fell sick (sorry guide!) and Lasse, who happened to pop by just then, took over and gave us a personal guided tour of his museum. He is just as he was as Stig Helmer. Has a down-to-earth humour, very intelligent and humble.”

Another reader, Doug, met Swedish singer Lisa Nilsson when she was performing the lead role in the musical Next to Normal at Stockholm’s Stadsteater, a performance she got rave reviews for.

“I have loved Lisa Nilsson for years, ever since Himlen runt hörnet was required listening in my Swedish class,” he wrote on The Local’s Facebook page.

“After the performance I waited by the stage door to see if I could meet her. Many people came out, but not her – until finally she exited, alone. I approached her and she was not just gracious – she seemed genuinely excited to meet an American fan. We stood (in the rain, no less) and spoke for a while. I came away feeling that my adoration was well-placed: talented, beautiful, and so down to earth. A wonderful entertainer and an extraordinary human being.”

Some readers also shared pictures of themselves running into a Swedish celebrity.

Benjamin Dyke met football coach Sven-Göran Eriksson in Torsby, where Eriksson grew up, at the opening ceremony of the Svennis Cup, a youth football competition held every year in his honour.

Eriksson, more known by his nickname Svennis in Sweden, during his long career coached teams such as Lazio in Italy and brought England, as coach, to the quarter-finals of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Earlier this year he disclosed he had been diagnosed with fatal pancreatic cancer.

Dyke’s encounter with Eriksson happened a few years ago, and he walked up to the Swede to thank him for his time as England manager and the two chatted for a while about that.

“He asked where I came from in England and I answered that all my family come from Liverpool. His eyes lit up (I now know he supported Liverpool all his life, as did his dad) but when I explained that I was an Everton fan (the other Liverpool team…) he quickly shut down the conversation and walked away,” said Dyke.

Sven-Göran Eriksson, left, and Benjamin Dyke in 2018. Photo: Private

Readers also shared their stories on The Local’s Facebook page. Lindelwa posted a picture of her chance meeting with Swedish Melodifestivalen winner John Lundvik at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, although she revealed they did not share a flight.

Lundvik represented Sweden in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Too Late for Love (and co-wrote the UK’s entry, Bigger than Us, the same year), with which he came in fifth.

Lindelwa and John Lundvik. Photo: Private

Gerard met Abba legend Benny Andersson outside his studio in Stockholm.

“I had never seen Benny’s studio so I went to take a look with the ferry from Djurgården to Skeppsholmen. I was told that Benny was in so I waited for a little while and he came out to meet a few fans,” he said, revealing that it was in fact not the first time he ran into Andersson, a composer also known for co-writing hit musicals such as Chess and Kristina from Duvemåla.

“He’s always very kind and patient. I had met him before, last time in 2010 in London for the concert of Kristina at the Royal Albert Hall. Next stop will be May 27th, the second anniversary of Abba Voyage in London where Benny and Björn will do a Q&A before the show.”

Gerard and Benny Andersson back in 2010. Photo: Private

Several other readers also said they had met members of Abba.

“I was a child visiting my relatives in Sweden the year Voulez-Vous was released. My aunt took me to NK [Stockholm mall] to buy the LP. On our way back to her apartment, she spotted Frida on Hamngatan. My aunt was amazing at celeb-spotting, and she was usually very discreet, but in this case she insisted I go up and say hello! Frida was happy to autograph the album for a young fan; it’s still one of my prized possessions today,” said Sue Trowbridge.

Of course, it’s not always easy to recognise celebrities. You might spot a familiar face but not be able to place it, as happened to Linda on two separate occasions when she ran into a Swedish acting star and a member of the Nobel Prize-awarding Swedish Academy.

“I accidentally stared at Pernilla August in a local food shop. She looked familiar but I couldn’t recognise her. She stared back and I suddenly came to my senses and looked another way. Embarrassed. I’ve also stared at Horace Engdahl,” she said.

In The Local’s original survey call-out, we also included a story from Australian reader Jake Farrugia, who was on his lunch break in NK when he spotted a familiar face, Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria. He walked up to her to ask for a selfie.

“She was very nice and we shared some small talk which truly made me feel like we were on the same level and that she had a strong sense of humanity, as I stood there, butchering her native language with my ‘work in progress’ level of Swedish. I can see why the Swedish people have a deep love and respect for her,” Farrugia said.

“It’s a very un-Swedish thing to do, that’s why I think it’s so fun! All of my encounters with celebrities in Sweden have been very positive so far. It’s all in the approach, you have to be respectful and be OK with others not wanting to give you their time of day, since we all have days where we are feeling less social and those can easily be interpreted as a part of our character, but they rarely are a fair representation.

“If I were to be a celebrity, Sweden would be the place to best blend in. It seems like celebrities can live a somewhat normal life as the construct of ‘celebrity’ isn’t viewed as a thing people go hysteric for as is the case in many other countries.”

The Local’s reader Jake Farrugia snapped this selfie with Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria. Photo: Private
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