Events and other occasions in Lund

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• Our visitor guides There are a lot of fun and interesting things happening here in Lund, but everything cannot be told about on one page. Here, we mention some examples, both small and large things that happen in Lund every year. We mainly inform about things that are special and unique for Lund, and a lot is of course about Lund as a university city. But there are also other events that we have not included here.

January

The University's annual celebration

The University's annual celebration takes place in the University Main Building every year on or around January 28. Every six years, a new Vice-Chancellor of the University is also inaugurated in connection with the annual celebration. The annual celebration is open to the public, but the number of seats is usually very limited.

March – April

The Big Toddy Day

On a Saturday at the end of March or beginning of April, Dies Toddyum Magna, an annual event for the Medical Student Association at Lund University, takes place. The Toddy Spex (show) has its premiere on the Friday before. During The Big Toddy Day, the Medical students, the so-called Toddygumborna, sells the parodic pamphlet Toddybladet to the public in the city center. In the park Lundagård , there are activities arranged, such as fox hunting and so-called top games, which is a kind of game where they try to get the toy, the so-called top, to spin by whipping it up.

The allotment areas opens to the public

On April 1, the allotment areas in Lund are opening to the public. Everyone is welcome to visit the allotment areas every day between 08:00 and 20:00 until the end of September. There are 18 allotment areas, and it is interesting to visit several allotment areas to see how they differ. It's also a good idea to visit them several times during the summer to see how they change as the growth evolves. There is more information on our page about Lund's allotment areas.

April Last and May First in Lund

Walpurgis Night, April 30, is called the Last of April here in Lund. On that day, Sweden's largest spontaneous party takes place in Lund's city park , with more than 30,000 visitors. The large picnic starts early in the morning and lasts until the afternoon. There is more information about it in our visitor guide about April Last and May First in Lund.

The students put their students' caps on

The students put their students' caps on at April 30. On April 30, the students' caps will be put on at Tegnérplatsen . The ceremony starts at 17:55 with a speech by the Vice President of the University studentunions. At 18:00, the students put on their white student caps. Before and after the ceremony, one of the student choirs usually sings spring songs. The ceremony origins from the time when students wore student caps all year round. The students changed from the winter cap to the summer cap at midnight between the last of April and the first of May. The winter cap, which was blue and made of wool, was worn from the Greeting Banquet, which was organized in October. Since 1965, the donning of caps takes place at 18:00. There is more information about it in our visitor guide about April Last and May First in Lund.

Traditional celebration of Walpurgis night in the city park

During the evening at April 30, a traditional Walpurgis celebration takes place in the City park with speeches to welcome spring, music and traditional Walpurgis bonfires.

May

The students honor the Vice Chancellor at the University Plaza

On May first, the students honor the Vice Chancellor at the Universitetsplatsen . At 12:20, a procession of flags and standards march from AF to the University Building. The Chair of the Student Unions and the Vice Chancellor exchange speeches with one another. Honoring is an annual tradition dating back to 1849. Before that, the students visited their professors, telling them what they thought of them as teachers, and giving them praise and criticism. There is more information about it in our visitor guide about April Last and May First in Lund.

Lund's student singers celebrate spring

At 18:00 on May first, Lund's student singers celebrate spring on the steps of the University Main Building . There are usually a lot of people, and the event is broadcasted live on Swedish Television. If you want to find a place in front near enough to see the singers, you need to arrive early. Lund student singers are a male choir, founded already in 1831 and has about 50 active choir members today. When they sing on May first, there are many former choir members also participating. There is more information about it in our visitor guide about April Last and May First in Lund.

Lund Carnival every four years

At least once you must experience the Lund Carnival, by far the largest event in Lund. The carnival is organized by the students at Lund University in mid-May every four years. Visiting the carnival is also the best way to experience the university and humor city of Lund. The Lund Carnival is organized by about 5,000 students and there are usually about 400,000 visitors coming to Lund during the three days the event takes place, from Friday to Sunday. Saturday's carnival parade usually attracts over 200,000 visitors! Lund Carnival will be organized in 2026 next time, tentatively on May 22 to 24.

The doctoral promotion ceremony procession

Since 1670, the promotion ceremony of doctoral degrees at Lund University has been held on the last Friday in May. It starts at 12:00 with a procession from the University Main Building to Lund Cathedral , where the ceremony is conducted in Latin. A cannon fire is fired on the north side of Lund Cathedral after each part of the ceremony, several times during the afternoon. The procession usually attracts many spectators, and the cannon shots can be heard throughout central Lund. The event is open to the public, but the number of seats is very limited. During the evening, the celebration continues with a dinner for about 500 participants, held in the Great Hall at the Academic Association building.

June - July

The Danish flag Dannebrog at Archbishop Anders Sunesen's grave

The legend of the Danish flag Dannebrog is paid attention in Lund Cathedral on June 15. That day, a copy of an older Dannebrog is placed at Archbishop Anders Sunesen's grave in the north transept, the so-called baptism chapel. According to the legend, Dannebrog fell from the sky in the evening of June 15, 1219, when Anders Sunesen stretched his arms towards heaven and asked for God to help them. The Danish army was attacked by Estonians in the Battle of Lindanäs, today Estonia's current capital Tallinn, when the Danes were on a crusade. When the flag fell, a voice from heaven said that they would be victorious when they raised the flag. After June 15, Dannebrog is moved to the south transept, the so-called the seven-armed candlestick chapel, where it will stand until August.

The day of the Scanian flag

The third Sunday in July is the day of the red-and-yellow Scanian flag. That day, Lund municipality raises the Scanian flag on Stortorget, sometimes as early as the Friday before. It also happens that the raising is forgotten, even though there is a municipal decision.

The Scanian flag is a well-known symbol and a strong trademark of Scanian history and culture. Therefore, Destination Lund had proposed that Lund municipality should flag with the Scanian flag daily on Stortorget in Lund. That is in accordance with a decision by Region Scania encouraging the Scanian municipalities to do so.

August - September

The day of St. Laurentius

St. Laurentius at August 10. On August 10, the bronze sculpture of St. Laurentius is turned towards the parish, and a flower wreath is placed below the figure. It was on that day, August 10, 258, that the deacon Laurentius in Rome was burned alive at the stake strapped to a griddle. He was punished for withholding the Christians' taxes from the Roman Emperor Valerian and instead distributing them to the poor in the city.

The rest of the year, the figure, who stands in the middle of the chancel in Lund Cathedral , is turned with his face towards the main altar. Saint Laurentius is, along with the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Lund Cathedral. The griddle he holds in his hand is a symbol of Lund Cathedral and of the Diocese of Lund.

St. Laurentius is also the patron saint of humor. It is said that while he was lying on the griddle, he asked to be turned around so that he would be more evenly fried.

October

Inauguration of professors

On a Friday in mid-October each year, the inauguration of professors is held in the The University Main Building's auditorium . The new professors are inaugurated by the University Vice Chancellor. The installation is a ceremony that comes from the medieval ritual where newly appointed canons were taken to their seats in the cathedral's choir chairs. In the same way, the Vice Chancellor inaugurates professors by bringing them to the pulpit in the University Main Building's auditorium. The event is open to the public due to availability, but the number of seats is usually very limited.

December

New Year's fireworks at the University Plaza

At noon on New Year's Eve, the non-profit pyrotechnic association LundaPyrot at Lund University usually organizes New Year's fireworks at the University Plaza . The New Year fireworks are organized in connection with the students New Year's ball, which is held in the Academic Association building. When midnight approaches, the square is filled with students, but many residents also go there to watch the New Year's fireworks.