The Swedes really love a good sing-along and there’s nothing more Swedish than Allsång på Skansen. The crowds gather in thousands to sing together at Skansen, and another million or two watch it on the telly.
The sing-along tradition at Skansen actually dates back to 1935, and its run on the TV started in 1979. The incredibly popular TV show runs on Tuesdays at 8pm, for eight weeks during the summer. This year’s season starts on the 28th of June.
The show has been hosted in recent years by Måns Zelmerlöw (who went on to win the Eurovision SongContest and did a great job of hosting Eurovision in Stockholm this year) and most recently by Petra Marklund (also known by her artist name September for her international dancefloor hits). This season brings once again a new host, Sanna Nielsen, who you may remember as Sweden’s Eurovision entry 2014.
The people at SVT and Allsång were actually kind enough to make their trailer in English this year – see for yourself:
Sanna Nielsen is in fact a veteran of the Allsång stage, as she already performed in the program at the age of 11 about 20 years ago. The format of the show includes famous singers getting to perform their own hits and possibly also leading the crowd in a sing-along classic. And there’s of course plenty more Swedish folk music classics that the crowd gets to sing along with the host.
The most eager Allsång fans wait at the gate when the Skansen park opens at 10am, so that they can get the best seats for the evening. The event is definitely something one should experience live in the park at least once, so do take your chance on one of this season’s Tuesdays if you feel interested. You can buy the Allsång leaflet with all the lyrics at the Skansen entrances and shops, so you can join in.
This year’s premiere episode of Allsång på Skansen boasts a great line-up of YLC’s favorite Miriam Bryant, Sweden’s Eurovision entry Frans, and none other than ABBA’s Benny Andersson with his orchestra. Be sure to watch it on the SVT1 channel at 8pm on the 28th of June or on SVT Play anytime.
Some of the other interesting artists to look out for this year include Laleh (12th July), Veronica Maggio (26th July), Smith and Thell (26 July), Lèon (2nd August) and Zara Larsson (16th August)
