Almedalen, the name given to the eight-day event, began on June 30th this year and will continue on Sunday, June 7th. Each of Sweden's major political parties has a day dedicated to them, so the length of the festival is determined by how many parties are represented in the country's parliament at the time.
More than 40,000 people typically attend Almedalen, 95 percent of them coming from outside Gotland.
The 2019 event has around 750 fewer events than the previous year — around 3,550 in total — which could be because 2018 was both Almedalen's 50-year anniversary and took place in an election year.
The decline in events could also show falling interest in the event. Almedalen began began 1968 when Social Democrat Olof Palme, who would go on to become prime minister, gave an impromptu speech while his family was spending their summer holiday on Gotland. This year, prime minister Stefan Löfven will not attend the event, with three other current ministers also skipping Almedalen.
Instead of appearing at Almedalen, Löfven will go on a tour of the country, which he also did in 2017.
READ ALSO: Ten things that make a visit to Gotland unforgettable
island – ö
parliament – riksdag
event – evenemang
prime minister – statsminister
tour – turné
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