At Dundermarknaden in Strömsund, disposable plastic bags are offered to store your things in.
The festival is the biggest in the city since the bag ban was introduced in Sweden last autumn.
– Since the visitors get the bag on site, they cannot bring anything in, says organizer Karin Wöyer Amcoff.
This year, Dundermarknaden in Strömsund celebrates 40 years, which is celebrated with thunder and bang with performances from, among others, Hooja and Nanne Grönvall.
The big talk is, however, about something completely different. In the festival area, plastic bags are sold as bags, during the current bag ban.
Store phone and lipstick
– When the visitors are within our area, they can buy a small plastic bag of approximately one and a half liters which is transparent. In there, they can have their phone and a lipstick, says Dundermarknaden’s organizer Karin Wöyer Amcoff.
The bag ban was introduced by the police authority on November 1, 2023 due to the increased terrorist threat level in Sweden. The decision means that bags larger than 40x40x20 centimeters may not be taken into, among other things, sporting events, major concerts and festivals.
– In Stockholm there are concerts and festivals more and more often and then they can get used to the bag ban. In Strömsund, this is the first and biggest event since the bag ban was introduced.
“We have it anchored”
On the police’s website it is stated that bags and transparent bags are also covered by the bag ban. Despite that, the festival’s organizer Karin Wöyer Amcoff believes that they have not circumvented the bag ban.
– No, I object to a rounding. We don’t round it, because when you round something, you get past it without having it anchored. We have it anchored, she says, adding:
– We have checked with the police and the police say it is okay. Since the visitors get the bag on site, they cannot bring anything in, says festival organizer Karin Wöyer Amcoff.
The source sorting
The organizer rejects that the sale of disposable plastic items would be negative from an environmental perspective, with reference to careful checks at the exits.
– If you think in terms of the environment, we have secured and checked this. When they go out, they have to leave the plastic bag to us and we sort at the source. There will be no environmental waste, but we put it as packaging.