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EUROVISION

Eight unmissable free events in Malmö during Eurovision

As the Eurovision Song Contest gets closer, how will people who don’t have tickets to the actual shows be able to celebrate in the host city, Malmö?

Published: 30 April 2024 05:47 CEST
Eight unmissable free events in Malmö during Eurovision
Posters advertising the contest have been hung up all over the city in recent weeks. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT

First off, the city’s main park, Folkets Park, will host the Eurovision Village, which will have a packed schedule of events during Eurovision week. Friisgatan, which runs along the route to Folkets Park from Triangeln train station, will also turn into Eurovision Street, where guests will be able to get into the Eurovision spirit.

All of the events in this article are free.

Art Workshop with Bästa Biennalen

One of the events during the week is an art workshop in Eurovision Village in collaboration with Bästa Biennalen, an art network made up of a whopping 90 venues in southern Sweden. This is a great activity for children and young people, where they will be able to transform and repurpose recycled materials into art pieces.

Where: Eurovision Village in Folkets Park

When: May 4th from 2pm to 7pm, May 5th from 3pm to 7pm

More information available here.

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Circus with Cirkus Syd

Cirkus Syd, an international non-profit who offer circus training in Skåne, will perform for three days in the Eurovision Village, offering people of all ages the opportunity to try out juggling, acrobatics and other circus related activities.

Where: Eurovision Village in Folkets Park

When: May 4th from 2pm to 7pm, May 6th from 4pm-7pm.

More information available here.

Roller Disco

If you want to try dancing with a twist, then this is your chance. The Eurovision-themed roller disco offers the chance to dance with rollerblades on the Dancing Queen stage in the Eurovision Village, better known to locals as the Brändan dance hall.

You can borrow skates (European sizes 36-46 available), helmets and wrist guards for an hour, but be aware that the equipment is limited.

If you choose to bring your own skates (roller or inline both permitted), you’ll need to wear them when you pass security on your way into the park.

Where: Dancing Queen Stage, Eurovision Village (Brändan, Folkets Park)

When: May 4th-11th 4pm-10pm 

Over The Water Show Choir

All the way from last year’s host city Liverpool, where they performed during Eurovision 2023, Over The Water Show Choir will be coming to Malmö this year to share their repertoire of Eurovision songs with Sweden (apparently last year’s winner Loreen is a fan!)

Where: Multiple locations

When: May 10th. Malmö C at noon and Dag Hammarskjölds torg at 1pm, before doing a full set at the Euphoria Stage at Eurovision Village from 3pm. 

Dance Workshop with Choreographer Nick Hvidfelt

Fancy learning how to dance like a Eurovision performer? Danish choreographer Nick Hvidfelt will be teaching two dances at the Eurovision Village next week.

The first dance on May 9th will be to Greece’s 2004 Eurovision Song My Number One by Helena Paparizou, while the second will be to Spain’s 2022 Eurovision song SloMo by Chanel.

Where: Tattoo Stage, Eurovision Village

When: May 9th 4-5pm, May 10th 2-3pm

Eurovision Village Drag Night

Performing on the Euphoria Stage, four drag queens will headline the event. First up is Skåne’s own Elecktra, who those of us living in Sweden may recognise from this year’s Melodifestivalen, where she performed Banne maj, as well as Drag Race Sverige.

She will be joined by French drag queen Nicky Doll – the host of Drag Race France, who also appeared on season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race – as well as Danish drag queen DQ, who performed in Eurovision 2007 with her song Drama Queen, and Swedish Miss Tobi, winner of Drag Factor Sweden vs Finland in 2022, the same year she celebrated 20 years on stage.

Where: Euphoria Stage, Eurovision Village

When: May 10th from 9-9.45pm

MALMÖ NIGHTLIFE:

Abba Music on Fire

Malmö’s own fire brigade orchestra will perform some of Abba’s songs in honour of the band’s 50th anniversary since winning Eurovision. Expect to hear classics like Waterloo, Take a Chance On Me, Dancing Queen and Thank You for the Music.

Where: Multiple locations

When: May 11th, Malmö C 4:30-4:50pm, Dag Hammarskjölds torg 5.30-5.50pm

The Eurovision final on the big screen

Perhaps the most important event for tourists in Malmö for the contest, the Eurovision final will be broadcast live to two stages in Folkets Park – the Euphoria Stage and the Tattoo Stage.

People from over 80 different countries are expected to visit Malmö for Eurovision, so this is a perfect opportunity to feel the Eurovision fever with fans from all over the world.

Where: Euphoria Stage and the Tattoo Stage in the Eurovision Village.

When: May 11th, 9pm. Expected to end around 1am on May 12th

Is there anything else I should be aware of?

Be aware that there will be extra security measures in place in Folkets Park during the week, with visitors subject to checks when entering the park. The usual entrance on Amiralsgatan will be exit only, with guests able to enter the park via Norra Parkgatan and Falsterbogatan.

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There will also be a bag ban in place for all events, with the exception of bags used to carry medical equipment, changing bags for those with children, and journalists who can show a valid press card. These will need to be checked before entry.

Buggies and prams will also be allowed.

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ECONOMY

What Taylor Swift’s Stockholm gigs tell us about the Swedish economy

Taylor Swift's visit to Stockholm is expected to boost the capital's economy with international fans grabbing a 'bargain' thanks to the low Swedish krona, despite the fact that hotel rooms are almost 300 percent more expensive than normal.

Published: 17 May 2024 15:17 CEST
What Taylor Swift's Stockholm gigs tell us about the Swedish economy

The weak Swedish currency, the krona, means tickets for Swift’s three Stockholm dates are more affordable than elsewhere for many foreigners.

Fans around the world seem to have heeded Swift’s lyric “Grab your passport and my hand”, with “Swifties” from 130 countries flocking to Stockholm. Many queued through the night outside the Stockholm arena before the US star’s first concert on Friday.

“In total we will see approximately 150,000 people attending the concerts in Stockholm. Of them, 120,000 will be traveling to Stockholm,” Stockholm Chamber of Commerce chief economist Carl Bergkvist told AFP.

“They will be spending approximately half a billion Swedish kronor ($46 million) during their stay here in Stockholm,” he said.

That is money dished out on hotels, meals, shopping and transport, among other things, but not concert tickets or flights, Bergkvist said.

After opening her European tour in Paris last weekend, Swift’s Stockholm shows are her only dates in the Nordic region.

The Visit Stockholm tourism agency was also in on the hype, with its webpage on Friday proudly declaring “Welcome to Swiftholm”.

But last-minute tourists will struggle to find a hotel room in the city.

“We have approximately 40,000 rooms in Stockholm – 80,000 beds – and 120,000 people coming here. So we will be out of hotel rooms and we see a price spike of approximately 295 percent,” Bergkvist said.

“As soon as these three concerts were announced, there was immediately a surge in demand,” Åsa Lilja, commercial director at hotel chain Ligula Hospitality Group, told AFP.

“This also led to a rise in prices,” she said.

Swift-flation?

Sweden has only recently managed to bring down recent years’ stubbornly high inflation.

Economists have expressed fears that the Swift craze could send Swedish consumer prices rising again, as they did when pop diva Beyoncé opened her European tour in Stockholm last May.

“There’s a risk that prices will rise for hotel and restaurant visits, the concert tickets and everything that goes along with” the show, Danske Bank economist Michael Grahn wrote in a note.

However, “the price pressure would have to be even stronger than (the Beyoncé effect in May) last year to be reflected in the inflation figures”.

Swedish central bank governor Erik Thedeen even took the influx of foreign Swifties as a sign that the Swedish “krona was fundamentally undervalued”.

“It’s clearly a bargain to come to Stockholm,” he said.

Meanwhile, fans seemed ready to spend whatever it takes to see Swift perform.

“I spent around 7,500 kronor ($697) in total for three tickets. I think it’s worth it,” said Filippa, a 21-year-old Swedish fan queuing up early Friday for the evening’s concert.

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