Stockholm’s iconic summer club Trädgården is finally almost here again, with the Skanstull playground opening for the season on May 3. And it’s a special year for Trädgården, as the club is celebrating its tenth anniversary, having opened up in Skanstull for the first time in 2009. There’s a busy season of events and parties ahead under the bridge, so we got their creative director Johanna Beckman to give us her guide to the highlights of summer 2019.
1) “Our ten-year anniversary, which happens exactly ten years to the day after Trädgården opened its doors for the first time. It’s on July 10. We’re working now on putting together the same line-up, some of the groups that played are no longer together, but we’re working hard on putting them back together. There also might be a few other names you’ll recognise from that time.”
2) “Our new nature wine bar at the back, towards Skansbron. A little quieter and more chill bar, where you can grab something nice from the grill and drink sweet, great natural wine. We’ll also, once a month, be having a wine club called JUS. I’m also looking forward to the DJ Bella Saris being in charge of that bar. Few know that she’s also a wine expert.”
3) “Little Dragon on May 18. I have wanted to book them for so many years, but it’s never worked out before now. They’ve been so busy with all their international shows, and my proposals haven’t been possible with their schedule. Until now! It’s also nice that they’re playing on Saturday afternoon, a little bit of a Daytime Session, except a live show.”
4) “One of the things I think no-one should miss is the classical festival Gränslandet which takes place August 16-17, which David Huang and Christian Karlsen are arranging here. A whole symphony orchestra will take over Trädgården, and play everything from classical pieces to more minimalistic contemporary compositions to pop and electronic music transformed for symphony.”
5) “To be able to hear Floating Points play records for five hours, straight from 17:00 on June 5. It’s going to be such a nice way to celebrate Love Potion’s 5-year anniversary party.”
6) “All the great things we’re going to do with Sky City with Jac Carlsson this summer. Four Saturdays, starting on June 29, Sky City Baleric will be taking over Kyrkan with a bunch of great Balearic bookings. Think afternoon and early evenings. Chill music. If everything goes well we’ll also have an inflatable pool where you can cool off. Sky City wraps up with a whole evening on July 25 with bookings like A Man Called Adam and Heidi Lawden b2b with Lovefingers.”
7) “That I get to play with my DJ duo Imaginary Hair at the afterparty for the first Daytime Session. It feels overwhelming to be in the company of the so many great bookings coming to DTS this year. Some personal favourites who will play are Motor City Drum Ensemble, Octo Octa b2b Eris Drew, Helena Hauff, Bella Boo, Virginia (check out her set from Boiler Room ADE 2018 and you’ll understand) and obviously our own Axel Boman, who’ll be playing b2b with Move D.”
8) “That we’ll be cheering on Sweden’s Women’s National Team to World Cup victory [Sweden open against Chile on June 11].”
9) “The unbelievable dream that it is to get to book some of my absolute favourite artists to our live shows. As many people know, live music is a big part of my heart. Some of those I’m most looking forward to are Red Axes, Viagra Boys and Deportees on our big stage in August, Mwuana now in May, Shitkit and then the English singer and rapper Alicai Harley and FAKA from South Africa.”
10) “All the big evenings on the dance floor under the sound roof. I’ve been able to book a bunch of international favourites. Rebolledo from Pachanga Boys on June 28, Martha Van Straaten on May 10, and Curses on September 4, both are evenings that the party collective Dromedar are running. Mina from Enchufada when STØK have their party on May 9. Then my absolute favourite producers and DJs in the whole world, &me and Adam Port from the label Keinemusik, are back on July 19.”
11) “Both evenings we’ll be doing with the afrohouse club DZO DZO that Beniwasta and I have. The first is on June 14 when we, together with the Pantsula Dance Festival Afia, have invited MINCO from the collective Rise. Pantsula is a special type of South African dance style that is danced to Afrohouse and Kwaito, so it’s going to be so great when a bunch of dancers come here. Then, on July 11, we’ve invited a bunch of my absolute favourite DJs within the genre, also from South Africa. Who they’ll be is not yet 100% confirmed, but it’s going to be a dream.”
Trädgården premieres on May 3.
Photo: Märtha Thisner
