Bråvalla Music Festival has been one of the largest music festivals in Sweden since 2013. The 2017 event took place just last week from June 28th-July 1st, where artists including Alesso, The Chainsmokers, Martin Garrix and many others put on an incredible show for 40,000 attendees.
Despite being a hugely popular event in the country, Bråvalla has announced that they have canceled the 2018 event after reports of rape and multiple sexual assaults at this year’s festival. Festival organizers released an official statement acknowledging the seriousness of this; it reads (translated in English below):
“There are no words for how incredibly sad we are over this, and we want to regret and condemn it to the most serious. It’s not okay. We do not accept it at our festival… We have seen it at our and other festivals in recent years and it is a huge social problem that affects every part of our society. Definitely not just festivals. Hundred rapes are committed every day in Sweden and it is a challenge society in general needs to deal with. We are working actively to eradicate the darkness — everyone exposed to crime should receive the support and help they want and need.”
Unfortunately, sexual assaults do occur at large scale events such as music festivals. However, this is not something that we should simply accept. We have the ability to stand up against these disgusting crimes. If you see such crimes occurring, it is essential to immediately report to festival security. Being that we are in the midst of festival season, we must keep our eyes open to assist those who can not assist themselves and in the process, minimize these burdens that tarnish our magical festival environment.
Bråvalla added in their statement, “We will continue to work together for a better world. We hope you are with us in it. Let’s take care of each other, choke hatred and violence, and let the music win.” Hopefully the cancelation of the festival alerts fans and demonstrates the seriousness of the issue.
