Swedish festival Bråvalla will not take place in 2018 after reports emerged of multiple sexual assaults taking place at 2017 edition of the festival last weekend.
Sweden’s biggest music festival this year featured headliners including Linkin Park, Prophets Of Rage, The Killers and System Of A Down, and Fairfax Media reports that police received reports of 23 sexual assaults and four instances of rape over the duration of this year’s edition.
Festival organisers made the announcement in a statement on the official Bråvalla website, stating that despite doing everything in their power they’d been unable to “eradicate the darkness.”
“Some men, because we are talking about men, apparently can’t behave,” organisers wrote. “It’s a shame. Therefore, we have decided not to hold Bråvalla in 2018.
“Words cannot describe how incredibly sad we are about this, and we most seriously regret and condemn this. This is not fucking okay. We do not accept this at our festival.”
The issue of sexual assault at gigs in Australia is ongoing, with assaults reported at Rainbow Serpent Festival, UNIFY Gathering and Falls Festival in 2017 alone.
Last year Camp Cope teamed up with Courtney Barnett, The Jezabels and more bands to compile a video addressing the issue of sexual assault and violence at gigs.
If you need assistance, 1800 RESPECT – the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service — can be reached on 1800 737 732, while Lifeline can be reached on 13 11 14.
