Events in Sweden

For one week in August the island town of Gotland turns it's clocks back to 1361. All the locals don historic costumes and act out plays, play music, compete in ancient tournaments and costume parades for Medieval week. You will see armored knights in jousting tournaments. The whole thing has a carnival feel to it, a mixture of education, drunkenness and most importantly, noise.

During the annual harvest the island of Oland celebrates 4 days of activities perfect for the whole family to enjoy. The whole thing starts off in the village of Byxelkrok, before spreading to all the other isle towns. There are art shows, fish festivals, fire sculptures, square dance shows, cooking competitions. You will find special menus at many of the island restaurants catering to this event. Don't miss Oland's third Hot Air Balloon Rally. You will find pumpkins placed on straw bales to guide you to all the different events.

The first Lindingoloppet took place in 1965, since then hundreds of thousands of runners have come to Ligingo to participate in the world's biggest cross country race. Every year, 25,000 to 30,000 runners from all corners of the world take part in this weekend of racing. The main event is a 30km race for men and a 10km race for women, however there are faces for all ages and many different distances.

The Stockholm International Film Festival is the world's one and only 24-hour film festivals. The winner will take home a 7.3 kilo (16 lbs) Bronze Horse, which is the heaviest award in the world. This is one of the leading competitive film festivals in northern Europe. Two enthusiastic Swedish film buffs set up the event in 1990, by faxing the Cannes Festival about their intention to set up a major film festival in November. The media caught on, was publicized and the two buffs found themselves in the spotlight with no clue where to go next. In only six months, and the help of 200 volunteers and a group of international professionals they managed to pull off a highly successful festival. Quentin Tarantino and Dennis Hopper are just two of the many celebrities have have visisted. This year Benicio Del Toro stars in Che, by Steven Soderbergh, the story of the famous Cuban revolutionary.

Since 1903 the Skansen Christmas Market is one of Sweden's largest Christmas markets. Music can be enjoyed next to fireside warmth in houses and homesteads, craft products in the Town Quarter. The traditional Swedish Christmas drink glogg is served while locals and visitors dance around the Christmas Tree. It is a magical event that attracts around 25,000 visitors every year.

Sweden is home to Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite among many other things. However his biggest accomplishment didn't happen until after his death, when his vast fortune was invested, according to his will, in a prize fund that annually awarded the prestigious Nobel prizes to people all over the world that have contributed to the betterment of the conditions of human life on the planet, either through their contributions to science or through their humanitarian work. Prizes are divided between physics, chemistry, medicine, economics, literature, and the peace prize. All but the last are awarded by the Swedish branch of the Nobel foundation, while the peace price is awarded by the Norwegians. A formal ceremony takes place in the Stockholm Concert Hall by the king. Too many these prizes are the peak of intellectual achievement, something far better then any award.