Following a string of rapes and sexual assaults at two of the country’s biggest festivals.
Sweden looks set to hold its first-ever women-only music festival after a Kickstarter campaign reached its funding target of 500,000 kronor ($61,000).
Swedish comedian Emma Knyckare is organizing the “man-free” festival in response to a recent spate of rapes and sexual assaults at two of Sweden’s biggest music festivals, Bråvalla and Putte I Parken.
Four rapes and 23 sexual assaults were reported at Bråvalla this summer. Last year, the same festival was hit with allegations of five rapes and 12 sexual assaults. Bravalla Festival has now been cancelled for 2018.
The idea for Statement Festival was first proposed as an event for “non-men” by Knyckare earlier this year, and has now exceeded its Kickstarter target by £17,000 kronor.
“Help us to create a safe space for the people who want to attend a festival without feeling scared for their personal safety,” reads the Kickstarter statement.
The 10,000-capacity festival is now set for next summer, with cis women, non-binary and trans women all welcome. [via The Independent]
Read next: Glastonbury’s queer and female safe spaces are keeping its history of radicalism alive
