Flexival! The Low Water Festival(s)

When the water’s away, the humans will play! During summertime when the water level is low and there is low risk for storm surges and flooding, people make use of flexmark areas by organising pop-up festivals.

The Low Water Festivals (often referred to collectively as the Flexival) are usually held from early June to late August in various flexmark zones in Skåne—and just as the usage of the land is flexible, each festival takes various forms depending on location, with different local amusements and treats.  

Kristianstad swamp-punks De Små Groderna warm up the Flexival crowd | image by Pavel Pjatakov

Solar-powered food trucks with locally-produced food and booze roll right out on the flexmark to serve up fresh delights, while bands and performers—usually a mix of local heroes and big names from the European touring circuit—bring their sound and fury to these liminal landscapes. The flexivals usually last for a couple of days—weather permitting, obviously—and if you prefer a night under the stars, there are designated camping areas where you can park your e-vans and set up tents for camping. Like other big city festivals before them, flexivals are publically funded and free for everyone to partake in, local or tourist. However, the fines for not adhering to the flexmark regulations are hefty, so make sure that you read up on the heavy stuff.

IMPORTANT! If the flood alarm sounds—it’s only happened once or twice before—it’s time to head inland and avoid the storm surges! No need to panic, though: there is plenty of time to get to safety, as the weather is monitored very closely by the authorities.  

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