NEWS
Celebrate the arrival of spring on campus! Umeå University and Umeå Municipality invite all Umeå residents to an exciting and eventful Walpurgis Night (“Valborg” in Swedish) celebration. Isolations Years will be performing and there will be radio-controlled cars, choral singing, a fire show and Chinese lion dancers – activities for all ages.
Additionally, the Walpurgis Night celebration on the Umeå University campus will be broadcast live throughout the nation by Sveriges Television (SVT). Walpurgis Night has pagan origins, but is named after 8th century Saint Walpurgis (or Walpurga), an English missionary to Germany who was said to be a protector against witchcraft and evil spirits. Today in Sweden, it is observed on the evening of April 30th with bonfires (an old Viking custom) and traditional songs to welcome the arrival of spring.
– We are repeating last year’s roaring success, when nearly 4,000 people celebrated Walpurgis Night on campus. We are giving all Umeå residents the chance again to rejoice in the arrival of spring together. A huge bonfire will be lit by the pond. There will also be a market, coffee and snacks, songs by several choirs, and plenty of amusing performances for both young and old. The “spring speech” will be given by Åsa Bergenheim, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University, as noted by Jessica Bergström, Project Manager at the Information Office.
The main attraction is the popular pop/rock group Isolations Years. The band is from Sävar (just outside of Umeå) and is currently climbing up the Swedish music charts. Young children and those who are young at heart can try face painting or see a display of radio-controlled cars. There will be a fire show performance and Chinese lion dancers will show off their special skills. The traditional songs of spring will be sung by the Umeå Choir, conducted by Umeå University’s musical director, Tomas Pleje.
Walpurgis Night on campus takes place on Monday, April 30th between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm. It is arranged in partnership with Umeå University, Umeå Municipality, the student unions at Umeå University, Akademiska Hus, and Culture on Campus.
