Almedalen - A Whole Week of Swedish Politics
Photographer: Fredrik Wennerlund
As you probably already know, Swedes are obsessed with speaking about weeks instead of dates and if you, like me, work in the public affairs business, week 26 has a deeper meaning. Throughout the spring, we have worked hard to plan seminars, roundtable discussions and other types of meetings for our customers, only to spend a week on an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea… in a small medieval city. It sounds crazy and we really love it but the gnawing feeling is there. What if anything goes wrong despite our diligent planning?!?
But first, let me start by explaining why this week is so important. Almedalen is considered the most important political forum in Sweden. The name comes from a small park with a little fountain in central Visby on the island of Gotland. All the seminars, speeches, round table discussions and meetings are free of charge and they all take place in and around this rather unassuming little park. It’s original purpose was to ensure that the public had an opportunity to meet with those in power. Throughout the years, it has become more focused on companies and other organizations to influence politicians on all levels. Originally it was a week, but it has now comprised to Sunday-Thursday. Every day at 1pm and 7pm there will be a speech by a party leader. There’s of course a schedule on when what party leader owns the stage.
As this year marks the Swedish election, and Almedalen has been canceled the past two years, this year’s Almedalen week will be a bit different. Not only do we march towards the ballots, but we also can enjoy the benefits of not being on lockdown or having to stand 2 meters apart when talking to someone. This sure is a good recipe for a successful Almedalen week!
Whether you’re going for the first time or you’ve been to Almedalen before, I hope this guide will help you and bring a smile to your face. I have put together a guide to help you - as a new visitor - know how to get around as a regular and avoid the mistakes I made some 10+ years ago. If you have been to Almedalen before, I would instead like to say welcome back - let’s grab a glass of rosé!
Traveling to Visby
Flying is by far the most comfortable way to get to Visby as it’s only a 40 min flight from Stockholm. However, the prices increase substantially, so a more affordable way of traveling would be taking the ferry. There are a couple of perks with this. On the ferry you will find a lot of other Almedalen visitors ready to mingle, so make the most out of the situation and don’t forget to enjoy a few hours - without cell phone reception - at sea.
When it comes to booking where to stay, you can either try to get a hold of a hotel room that someone cancelled at last minute, or you can do what most people do. Rent a small apartment or a room just outside the city gates. I’m not gonna lie, it is not always fairly priced and it can feel like you have to use all your savings and sell a kidney, but if you’re patient I’m sure you will find something matching your budget. Blocket, Facebook Marketplace and AirBnb are the best platforms for the job. If you find a good and affordable place make sure you’re the perfect house guest and immediately after moving out tell them you’re interested in renting next year. This turned out to be very fruitful move from my part.
Getting around
Donners plats, Hästgatan, Mellangatan and Strandgatan - trust me, you’ll be an expert on navigating yourself on Gotland in no time. To make it a bit easier there’s an online guide where you can find the official program. It contains thousands of seminars and panel discussions.
A great advice for preparing to leave for Almedalen: don’t drink rosé and be prepared not to want to drink it until it’s time for Almedalen 2023. A glass of rosé wine is the most common drink on mixers in Almedalen even though there are alternatives.
The biggest party in Almedalen is the DJ battle and the after party. Usually, there are three rounds of DJ battles. The first one is normally between Expressen and Aftonbladet, the second features four young politicians from the youth party to fire up the crowd: two from the youth party of the government and two from the opposition.
Once the crowd is in a mood for party four new politicians enter the stage - two from the government party and two from the opposition. This can potentially mean that you’ll see a previous prime minister DJ or for that matter witness the next prime minister acting as a DJ. There’s of course a vote after each round and as far as the youth parties are concerned, this is a matter of life or death. To the political youth organization this is serious and for those who are not engaged in a political party it is a must see. If you want to secure your tickets to the DJ battle you can check out this webpage.
Photo from Dagens Media
Regular rookie mistakes
Visby is a medieval town with cobblestone so unless you have very comfortable heals don’t bring them. Not wearing comfortable shoes will give away whether or not you’re new to the Almedalen scene as most returning visitors had already made that mistake.
Gotland is known for its fantastic beaches, the blue lagoon, lime stone formations called raukar and is, simply put, a true summer paradise. However, during the week of Almedalen, most types of weather seem to be standard. I will forever treasure the years when it was perfect and dread for another year that is way too cold or too hot. The worst type of weather in Almedalen is however something you can come prepared for - the rain! I could lie to you and claim that I have not bought yet another gadget perfect for Almedalen, and that my storm-proof umbrella that only weights slightly above 100 grams was not purchased so that I could put it in my carry-on and not have to check in my luggage on the ferry. What I’m trying to get at?!? Bring an umbrella and a nice looking jacket that can out-stand a potential Gotlandish monsoon because there is no place in Sweden where it can rain the way it can in Visby.
If you’ve never been to Gotland make sure you book a few days extra because this island is really a spectacular place. Enjoy the medieval city of Visby and be fascinated by the wings of history and learn more about Valdemar Atterdag. If you’d be willing to leave Visby I recommend a swim in the blue lagoon or visiting the Lummelunda Cave and finishing the day at Prästgårdscafeet on southern Gotland.Hope you liked this article and will enjoy Almedalen!
Photographer: Fredrik Wennerlund
