Lundagård’s Kuzey Yanartas hit the premises of Lundakarnevalen 2022 to check the pulse of the people enjoying the first hours of the much-anticipated event.
I lean back and watch the hundreds of excited students fill the small streets of the carnival area, looking to explore its dozens of tents and activities. Accompanying them are also a good number of non-students, which give the carnival a pleasurable diversity.
still hyped from the experience.
Photo: Kuzey Yanartas
It turns out that I am not the only one who think so. Andrea Eir Patriksdottir had a similar first impression to mine and tells me “I like that it is mixed”, while signing the Lundakarnevalen wall of names.
Immediately after the chat, I head towards the carnival games. Outside of the carnival version of “Squid Game” I meet Alma Jequier, coming down from the hype of the game. Her first words outside of the tent are “It was a bit childish, but this is what the carnival is about, it brings out the child in you”; something I think applies to many of the games offered here.
Two cats walking on the gravel roads of the carnival make mine and my fellow visitors heads turn. Upon further inspection, I realize that they are no other than the crew of KATTastrofen, which is one of the small plays people can enjoy at this carnival.
Feeling a need to see Lundakarnevalen from a cat’s perspective, I whisper “pspsps…” and slowly – and calmly! – approach the cats. The actors behind the cat make up are Maria Winning and Amanda Tillberg, and they are both as hyped as Alma Jequier. Maria Winning points out “There is something for everyone in the carnival” to which Amanda Tillberg fills in “The best thing is that everyone works for free.”
Photo: Kuzey Yanartas
Expectedly, not everyone in the crowd is a first-timer. Lisa Gard took part in the 2010 and 2014 carnivals, and is inspired by the continuity of its design: “The carnival looks almost the same, which is amazing!” She further explains that Lundakarnevalen is a valuable tradition and it is wonderful to be able to come back every four years and find the same experience that you are looking for.
She finally says, which in a way summarizes the first impression for most of the visitors, “Nothing is perfect, but this is how it is supposed to be!”.
