The Local Sweden

Ten awkward mistakes you must avoid at a Swedish summer party

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 12:15:50 +0200

Summer's here. The Local's Paul Connolly shares his (sometimes painful) experiences of the things you can't do and say if you're being hosted by Swedes.

'Sweden ticks all the boxes – except for one'

Sat, 20 Apr 2019 09:59:59 +0200

Ex-Londoner Paul Connolly loves living in northern Sweden. Really, he does. If only the local delicacies didn't taste of asbestos and insulation – and that's BEFORE you even get to the fermented herring.

'The hardest thing about living in northern Sweden is not what you think'

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 10:56:26 +0100

OPINION: Former Londoner Paul Connolly writes that while most of the things you'll hear about northern Sweden are either exaggerated or untrue, there is one serious problem no one talks about.

'In northern Sweden we lock our door to shut out the friendly people'

Wed, 07 Nov 2018 07:59:59 +0100

What happens when you take a big city man and drop him in rural northern Sweden? Let's just say that born-and-bred Londoner Paul Connolly has a few stories to tell you.

'Sweden has let the immigration issue hijack the political agenda'

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 10:28:42 +0200

OPINION: The Local's contributor Paul Connolly asks how and why a far-right party managed to become a serious political contender in Sweden's general election.

'We had forgotten how lucky we are to live in Sweden... until we went abroad'

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 13:40:26 +0200

OPINION: The Local contributor Paul Connolly writes about how a holiday abroad made him realize how lucky he is to be raising his daughters in Sweden.

'The tech sector should lead the move away from cities'

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 16:14:54 +0200

It's time for the urban tech sector to wake up and realize that the future of provincial Sweden is central to the future of Sweden, argues Paul Connolly of Skellefteå-based Hello Future.

'Moving to northern Sweden was the best thing we've done'

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 17:41:19 +0200

In his farewell column, The Local’s northern Sweden correspondent, Paul Connolly, looks back at his first four years in Sweden.

The Local's top Swedish songs for September

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 13:36:00 +0200

The Local's music guru, Paul Connolly, has picked out Sweden's eight best new tracks to help ease you into autumn.

The Local's top Swedish songs of August

Sat, 08 Aug 2015 11:00:00 +0200

The Local's music guru, Paul Connolly, has picked out Sweden's hottest new music to guide you through the rest of summer. Here's a selection of August's best tracks.

Five events to get you dancing this week

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 08:48:33 +0200

Sweden's biggest music festival Bråvalla kicks off in Norrköping, south of Stockholm, with Calvin Harris and Muse among the big names on the bill and there are plenty more places to party across the country.

'How Zumba gave me a real life in Sweden'

Wed, 10 Jun 2015 19:28:00 +0200

The Local's reporter Paul Connolly loves living in the Swedish countryside. But it took starting a community Zumba class for his partner fellow-Brit Donna Richmond to thaw to the idea of staying in the frozen north. Here, she shares her emotional story.

The Local's top Swedish songs of the month:June

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 10:45:00 +0200

The Local's music guru, Paul Connolly, has a bumper selection of great Swedish songs to help you prepare for midsummer madness.

Sweden reveals star's Eurovision backing choir

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 10:42:05 +0200

With just over a month to go until Melodifestivalen winner Måns Zelmerlöw represents Sweden in the Eurovision song contest, the nation’s delegation has announced the five backing singers also set to get a slice of fame in Vienna.

The Local's top Swedish songs of the month: April

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 10:59:36 +0200

The Local's music guru, Paul Connolly, chooses six songs to take you through the first bright days of spring as part of our monthly series of top Swedish tracks.

Emmylou Harris wins Sweden's top music prize

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:54:32 +0100

American singer Emmylou Harris and Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie have been announced as the winners of Sweden's prestigious Polar Music Prize 2015.

The Local's top Swedish songs of the month

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 16:00:00 +0100

The Local's resident pop music guru, Paul Connolly, has a bumper selection of great tracks to welcome in the warmth of spring.

What's on in Sweden: March 5th - 11th

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 13:00:00 +0100

From a children’s film festival in southern Sweden to an exhibition to delight Game of Thrones fans in the heart of Stockholm. Find out what's going on in your corner of Sweden with our weekly guide.

What's on in Sweden: February 19th - 26th

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 08:11:00 +0100

Stockholm is preparing to party like it's 1922, songwriters are streaming into Gothenburg and Umeå is feasting on folk music this week. Here's our pick of activities across the country over the next seven days.

What's on in Sweden: February 13th - 19th

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 07:00:00 +0100

One of the world's leading electronic music festivals, Sonar, is warming up Stockholm this weekend, while Malmö is celebrating childhood and Umeå's Symphony Orchestra puts on its winter concert.