From June to August, for about two months, you can enjoy free performances all around Malmö during an event called Summer Scene Malmö. A friend’s wife is involved in organizing this, so when I was stationed there, I often went to see the events during this season. Even now, if my business trip overlaps with the festival, I make sure to enjoy the evening performances.
Summer Scene Malmö hosts around 150 events across 40–50 venues, both during the day and evening. The events are incredibly diverse, catering to people of all ages with performances, concerts, film screenings, and more. Held mostly outdoors to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather, the atmosphere is open and vibrant – truly amazing.
During this time, Lilla Torg (the “Little Square”) is filled with outdoor seating from surrounding restaurants, bustling with activity late into the night. Speaking of Lilla Torg, I once ran into the football player Zlatan Ibrahimović there during a business trip. My colleagues and I even got a photo with him! He played for Malmö FC and has a home nearby, which made it a special encounter.
The bright and open atmosphere of Malmö in the summer is truly wonderful, whether it’s during business trips or back when I used to live here. The bus ride to the office in Lund offers such amazing views that even during my time living here, the daily commute itself felt like something to look forward to – a kind of luxury you could never imagine in Tokyo!
At the newly renovated Malmö Central Station, I noticed a video playing on the platform that mimicked the scenery outside a Japanese train window. It was surprisingly well done, and at one point, I spotted a Yoro-no-Taki restaurant with a phone number displayed. Out of curiosity, I looked it up and discovered the footage was shot near Arakawa in Japan. We all had a good laugh wondering, “Why there?”
The bright and welcoming atmosphere of Malmö in summer never fails to amaze me, whether I’m living there or visiting for work. It’s truly a city that leaves a lasting impression.