2024: A Successful Year for Skövde City Collaboration
2024 has been an excellent year for Skövde’s city center. A diverse range of activities and events have attracted visitors and contributed to vibrant urban life. The latest City Index measurement brings encouraging news with positive figures for commerce, demonstrating that investments in experiences and collaboration yield concrete results.
City Events and Highlights
Skövde Citysamverkan project-managed ten of their own events and contributed to financing four additional events. These activities occurred across almost 100 days, meaning visitors could enjoy something approximately every fourth day. Event highlights included ghost hunts, restaurant weeks, Christmas markets, and summer activities – offering a broad mix of experiences for both children and adults.
Sommartorg: A Summer Success
The Sommartorg event was particularly successful, attracting 18,000 visitors compared to 14,000 the previous year. Over 68 days, children and youth enjoyed free activities like face painting, crafts, ping pong, skateboarding, hobby horse jumping, and LEGO building.
Innovative New Event: Skövde Ghost Walk
One of the year’s novelties was the premiere of Skövde Ghost Walk, a storytelling walk targeting adults during the autumn holiday. The event was an immediate success, with tickets selling out in just one week.
Positive Economic Trends
The City Index shows Skövde increasing total turnover in the city center across all categories – retail, restaurants, and hotels. Skövde’s city center is growing more than comparable cities and the national average.
“The City Index provides a clear picture of the city center’s health, and it’s gratifying that the positive trend continues after the pandemic. The result confirms that the city center is alive and versatile, with multiple visitor-driving businesses. The rumor of the city center’s death is greatly exaggerated,” says Emma Edqvist, Destination Developer at Citysamverkan/Next Skövde.
Collaborative Approach
During autumn, two new working groups were established focusing on broader collaboration around city activities and design. Young municipal developers from Skövde municipality also contributed valuable insights about the current city center and future ideas.
“Through active collaboration within Citysamverkan, we create solutions and develop the city center as a place where residents, visitors, and businesses thrive. I feel we’ve taken clear steps forward, which is also reflected in the positive figures presented in the City Index,” says Ramona Nilsson, Sector Chief of Citizens and Community Development.
Events Highlights 2024
Citysamverkan’s Own Events
- Taste of the City – Restaurant Week in February and October
- Easter activities downtown
- Sommartorg – Free activities all summer vacation (68 total days)
- Meet Shaun the Sheep and Moomin
- Electric Car Day with Happy Saturday
- Autumn holiday activities, Ghost Hunt, and Skövde Ghost Walk
Source: Original Press Release
