Summers in Europe are becoming increasingly hot due to climate change with several southern popular tourist destinations being hit by heat waves and forest fires. Coolcations in northern destinations are becoming increasingly popular. Maybe an idea for the planning of your next gay vacation? I went to Stockholm to refresh. I was mainly curious about what the Sweden’s capital has to offer to LGBTQIA+ tourists. The Scandinavian country has a gay-friendly reputation, taking a top 10 place in the 2026 Rainbow Map of ILGA Europe alongside the other Scandinavian countries. But is Stockholm really hot as gay destination? It was time to take the temperature in person!
I believe I am a grown-up child. Wherever I go on a holiday, I always want to go to amusement parks. Of course I had looked up the amusement park in Stockholm before my departure. It’s called Gröna Lund.
Why would I talk about an amusement park in a set of articles on gay Stockholm? Because I believe that most LGBT tourists don’t just stick to venues that only fit the classical gay box, like bars and clubs. They also go to major attractions, like your average tourist.
Rainbow flags and pins
The park was very explicit about welcoming a gay audience. They had a rainbow flag waving at the main entry alongside the flags with the park’s logo and all the members of staff wore rainbow pins.
The park felt safe. There were several security agents in the park. Not in an aggressive way but in a very communicating way. Just there to immediately talk to young guys as soon as first signs of asshole behavior arose. It resulted in a very laidback atmosphere you don’t find in every amusement park.
Seaward side
Gröna Lund is located on a seaward side with gulls flying around. These birds were all too eager to eat from your food the very second you weren’t watching.
But the pier and the platforms with attractions on the water certainly add to the charm of Gröna Lund.
The park is limited in size because it’s in the city center. But they’ve managed to put many attractions onto the small space without it feeling totally crammed. During my visit there were five active rollercoasters, a giant swing tower, a few swingers, a drop tower, a love tunnel, two scary dark rides, a fun house, a few spinning rides and several kiddie rides. Enough to fill an entire day.
Fun never gets old
Gröna Lund was founded in 1883, making it one of the older amusement parks in Europe. Of course attractions have come and gone over time but there are a few classic ones you can still enjoy.
Actually two old attractions really charmed me. The first is Blå Tåget (meaning ‘Blue Train’) and dates from 1935.
The decoration on the outside was quite grotesque with a girl getting her hair pulled and a strange monkey in the locomotive.
The ride in general was more hilarious than scary. But one thing really scared the hell out of me. I was bracing for live actors coming up to you or maybe some loud noises but I got something totally different. I won’t spoil it for you. You’ll just have to find out yourself.
The other good old one was Lustiga Huset (‘Fun House’).
Expect wacky rooms with some more delightful grotesque decorations, wobbly bridges and flying carpets.
Lustiga Huset is a genuine original from the 1920s. It actually inspired several other fun houses around the world.
Living for the thrill
The real thrill seekers will probably be drawn to the intense rides. Two absolute thrill attractions that are not to be skipped are rollercoaster ‘Monster’ and drop tower ‘Ikaros’.
Monster opened just a couple of years ago. It’s an inverted coaster with three inversions, a height of 34 meter and a top speed of 90 km/h.
It was a top investment for the park but in order to survive you really have to draw people in with some major roller coaster rides. European amusement park visitors have become spoiled when it comes to rollercoasters.
To me Ikaros was the biggest sensation of my visit to Gröna Lund. Icarus is of course the tragic figure of Greek Mythology who escaped a prison tower with wings he had made with his fellow prisoner Daedalus. But he ignored the advice of his friend to not fly too close to the sun, ultimately causing the beeswax in his wings to melt and him to crash into the ocean.
This attraction wasn’t as fatal. But it’s intense! You go up 95 meter and once you’re there your seat tilts 90 degrees and drops down with your face towards the ground. The crashing impression is certainly there.
Live concerts
The one thing that sets Gröna Lund apart from other amusement parks are the live concerts in summer. The major concerts are at the end of the day. I don’t know how they manage it, but each year they have a calendar of several impressive artists visiting the park.
You are wondering what ABBA, Bob Marley, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix, Louis Armstrong, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Sean Paul, Beastie Boys, Alanis Morissette, Tom Jones, Ray Charles, Paul Anka and Kiss have in common? They have all performed at some point at Gröna Lund, some of them even on multiple occasions. The Gröna Lund concerts have become a sort of institution. The stage even allowed certain artists to break through in Sweden and secure a whole Swedish tour afterwards or it was a platform for a successful comebacks.
The Cardigans were performing when I was there. The square in front of the main stage was packed! And yes, lead singer Nina Persson still has tons of charisma. I guess it was a home match for them. So if you are going on a day that a famous name is performing in the evening, make sure to head to the square in front of the main stage at least an hour before the start of the concert.
Make it count
Some hints for a successful visit. Buy your ticket in advance. Before going on the attractions you have to print a bracelet with the code on your ticket. Those bracelet machines are at the entry of the park. For a totally memorable visit maybe check out the calendar of summer concerts and choose a date when a band or an artist of your liking is performing. I also advise you to come at the opening hour because there is enough to do to fill your entire day.
A last advice is to opt for a ticket that includes 2 Jetpass – skip the line for your favorite rides. You have to mark the hour you want to visit those rides but via the app of Gröna Lund you can still change your hour of preference on the day itself if your timing has changed. Make sure to pick Lustiga Huset as one of the skip the line rides because you don’t want to skip this attraction but it is very popular.
The other Jetpass you can use to avoid long queuing for a roller coaster or another major attraction.
Screaming queens
Despites being a small park with no gigantic coasters, Gröna Lund is certainly worth a visit. The combination of amusement park, great views over Stockholm and concerts makes the park high value for money. Its gay-friendly appeal is a reassurance to drag your boyfriend or your gay friends along to the park. Have a gay old time, you screaming queens!
Summers in Europe are becoming increasingly hot due to climate change with several southern popular tourist destinations being hit by heat waves and forest fires.…