The Culture Night in Uppsala is a celebration of culture, on the second Saturday every September since 1989. It is a manifestation by local cultural workers, institutions, amateurs and their organisations. Culture Night started with one goal: to bring out the message that culture is essential to everybody’s life, and to our city as an attractive meeting place – resources must be advocated to preserve and develop the rich cultural life of Uppsala.
The festival’s organisation
During the over 20 years of the festival the organisation has maintained the same structure. The Cultural Office of the city acts as co-ordinator of the entire festival, with a festival director from the Cultural Office staff. Funding is granted by the Cultural Board of Uppsala and includes marketing, costs associated with using the city room in general as well as an opening ceremony, a concert and the co-funding of some events.
The participants are totally responsible economically and otherwise for their program and at large offer free entrance this night. As a participant you are totally responsible for your own costs and program. This concept has worked so well that from starting with 35 participants there were 270 in the year 2008, offering 580 programs in 159 places in the centre of the city. Thousands of artists and administrators were involved and a public of 100.000 people.
What is happening on Culture Night?
With great anticipation inhabitants and visitors grab their 22-pages long program for Culture Night and start out already in early day to see what’s going on in the centre of the city. By then the streets are filled with amateur organisations that show their work, brass orchestras marching, knights on horses, jugglers and goats parading before the start of medieval market and knight’s tournament.
Uppsala – happening since 1286
Uppsala is Sweden’s fourth largest city, with 190.000 residents originating from 100 nations. It is located about 70 km from Stockholm, by the river Fyris. A meeting place since the time of the Vikings and named a town since 1286, with two universities, founded in 1477 and 1977, it has a long lively tradition of music, happenings and partying.
Today the universities alone hold 40.000 students. Uppsala is considered to be the religious and historic centre of Sweden, with the largest cathedral in Scandinavia. Here you also will find Sweden’s oldest botanical garden, the Garden of Linnaeus, founded by the great natural scientist Carl von Linné. The anatomical theatre built in the 1600’s at Museum Gustavianum, the university library Carolina Rediviva with the Silver Bible, Uppsala Castle dating back from the mid 1500’s with the hall of state, are other unique sites.
More information
Sofie Blomgren, Culture Night in Uppsala
Phone: +46 (0) 18-727 86 62
E-mail: Sofie Blomgren
________________________________________________________
Tourist information
Visitors interested in finding out more about what our city has to offer can pay a visit to our tourist website. (maps, brochures, events, congress, conferences and much more)
Uppsala Tourism
Fyristorg 8, Uppsala
Open: Mon - Fri at 10am-6pm
Sat at 10am-3pm (Tourist Office)
Phone: +46 (0) 18-727 48 00
Fax: +46 (0) 18-13 28 95
E-post: Uppsala Tourism