| Uppsala Reggae Festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reggae |
| Dates | 29 - 30 July 2022 |
| Location(s) | Uppsala, Sweden |
| Years active | 2001-present |
| Founded by | Yared Tekeste & Adiam Kubrom |
| Attendance | 10,000 attendees+ |
| Website | Uppsala Reggae Festival Official Website |
Uppsala Reggae Festival is the largest reggae festival in Scandinavia. It has been active since 2001, with a number of notable artists performing. It was first held in 2001, but the name was used as early as 1995. Uppsala Reggae Festival attracts attendees of all ages from all over the world. In connection with the 2001 festival, Uppsala was given the epithet "The Reggae Mecca of Scandinavia" by the Swedish National TV4, on the grounds that the festival then was the only festival in Scandinavia specifically dedicated to reggae. The third Uppsala Reggae Festival was awarded that year's cultural award by Swedish National Radio Broadcasting, and the fourth festival featured the largest reggae lineup ever to play in Scandinavia. Starting in 2002, the festival was held in August each year in Uppsala, 70 km north of Stockholm until it relocated in 2012. In 2004, the festival settled down at its current venue, KAP, which is central and in the heart of the city. Both in 2004 and 2005, the festival had about 10,000 attendees. Moreover, in 2007, the festival had the most visitors recorded to date with approximately 24,000 patrons attending the festival.
In 2012, the festival moved to Gävle where it was held in 2012 and 2013. However, after a couple of years, the promoters decided to take a break and the festival was halted.
After a six year long hiatus, it was announced in December 2016 that the festival would make a long-awaited comeback in 2017. The festival was held at the same venue as prior years but only lasted one day, as opposed to the two or three days that had become the custom in the past. The festival returned in 2018, this time lasting two days and a who's who in reggae line up with Jimmy Cliff, Alborosie, Tarrus Riley, Konshens, Protoje and more. 2019 saw the festival returning to Fyrishov to the original venue where it once started out in 2001, with facilities that include a large lawn, swimming pool, and a children's pool. Located central in Uppsala by the Fyris river with the city's camping site as well as 43 well equipped cottages to rent and enough space for caravans.
