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Koopmans Talks Bravalla, Scraps 2018
After Sweden’s Bravalla festival was overshadowed by sexual assaults and even rape allegations for a second year in a row, promoter Folkert Koopmans has spoken out.
Pontus Lundahl/TT via AP – Bravalla Festival
Audience dancing during Bravalla festival in Norrkoping, Sweden.
Bravalla won’t take place in 2018. According to Koopmans, he and his team had already thought about canceling the 2017 edition after the sex assaults reported at the 2016 edition.
“We began to think about this already last year after the crimes that were reported then at our and at other festivals in Sweden, as well as in the rest of the world. My colleagues at
“If we lose the passion and the joy, we cannot create what we want. When I heard that more crimes were reported this year, I instinctively felt that this was a decision I needed to take. We must take a stand,” Koopmans said.
The crimes overshadowed what was otherwise a successful edition, where more than 45,000 festivalgoers celebrated to bands like Alesso, Chainsmokers, Håkan Hellström, The Killers, Laleh, Linkin Park, Martin Garrix, Prophets of Rage, System of a Down, Sabaton and many more.
FKP Scorpio organized three more festivals between June 27 and July 2: the second edition of Nu Forms Festival in Austria saw an increase in visitors, who were attracted by a lineup that included Camo & Krooked, Netsky, Andy C, Goldie, High Contrast, Wilkinson and Delta Heavy. More than 7,000 people attended the event.
Indian Summer Festival in the Netherlands attracted 25,000 people with its mixture of electro, indie-rock and pop.
The bill included Jett Rebel, Kensington und Racoon, Cesqeaux, SPRSTRDJS, Pep & Rash,