Beach water polo where the sea rescue boats are usually located, basketball 3×3 on the ferry quay, aquabike at Lögastrand and skateboard slalom along Kungsängsgatan. The list goes on. In total, around 20 out of 28 participating sports will be decided on temporary arenas on the threshold of and on Lake Mälaren.
This applies to many surfaces that are not usually intended for sports or spectators, which makes logistics the major challenge in the preparations. In addition to the arenas, there will also be a try-on area, press center, parking lots and other facilities.
In the video: Project manager Tobias Fahlén on the “to-do list”
Existing arenas, including in the Rocklunda area, will also be used.
“The party is already here”
In total, upwards of 2,000 people are estimated to work with SM week, before and during the event. A couple of hundred of them are made up of Västerås city staff – project managers and employees of the various administrations involved – the rest are sports associations and, for example, volunteers.
The SM week is held during the day from 24 to 30 June, the same week as the traditional City Festival. During the two events, over 400,000 people are expected to be in circulation.
– Other host cities have arranged their own evening concerts and festivities in connection with the SM week, but here in Västerås the party already exists, explains Stefan Brandberg, one of the project leaders.