PLX Tjärö

PLX Tjärö
StatusActive
GenreInterdisciplinary arts, electronic music, experimental music, sound art, performance art
FrequencyAnnual (August)
VenueTjärö island
LocationsBlekinge archipelago, Karlshamn Municipality, Sweden
Coordinates56°09′36″N 15°02′21″E / 56.1599°N 15.0392°E / 56.1599; 15.0392
CountrySweden
Years active2017 (2017)
Founded2017
FounderKulturföreningen PLX
Attendance~1,500 (2022–2025)
Organised byKulturföreningen PLX
Websiteplxtjaro.com

PLX Tjärö is an art and music festival held on the island of Tjärö in the Blekinge archipelago, Sweden. Organised by the nonprofit Kulturföreningen PLX, the festival has taken place each August since 2017, with the exception of 2020 and 2024.[1]

History

Kulturföreningen PLX

Kulturföreningen PLX (PLX Cultural Association) is a nonprofit collective based in Malmö and Stockholm, registered in 2015.[2] The collective has been active since approximately 2006, originating as a group from Karlshamn who organised skogsfester (forest parties) in the archipelago.[3][4] The group later operated a temporary art hall in the Kirseberg neighbourhood of Malmö before launching the Tjärö festival.[5] PLX also operates a record label, PLX Records.[6]

Festival origins

The first PLX Tjärö was held on 25–26 August 2017, with approximately 30 artists and 700 attendees.[7][8]

In an interview with Blekinge Läns Tidning, the founders described their connection to Tjärö as dating back to their school years, when visits to the island, including activities such as Trollrundan, introduced them to the setting.[9] A 2018 article in Vice described PLX as a "sister festival" to the Gagnef festival (2001–2018), noting shared roots in Sweden's underground festival scene.[10]

Growth

The second edition in 2018, titled PLX Translunar, attracted approximately 800 attendees.[3][11] By 2019, attendance had grown to approximately 1,000.[12] The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.[13] In 2021, the festival returned at a reduced capacity of 600, described by Sveriges Radio as "Sweden's largest camping festival" that year.[14]

In 2022, attendance reached approximately 1,500, declared as its maximum capacity.[15] No festival was held in 2024; organisers described the pause as en konstpaus (an art break).[16] The festival returned in August 2025.[1][17]

Programme

Music

The programme spans genres including ambient, club music, sound art, experimental jazz, psychedelic rock, electroacoustic music, dub, and performance art. More than 250 artists from over 25 countries have performed since the festival's inception.[12] The 2025 edition featured six stages and over 60 music acts.[1] Named stages include Klippan, Dungen, Satelliten, and Hagen (introduced in 2025).[18]

Notable performers have included Laurel Halo, DJ Assault, Lydia Lunch, Fennesz, Pole, Surgeon, Circle, Shiva Feshareki, Szun Waves, KXP, HNNY, Spunsugar, and Rättö ja Lehtisalo.[19][20][21] The festival has been listed on Resident Advisor since 2018.[22]

Visual art

The art programme is site-specific, with sculptures, light installations, and audiovisual performances placed among the island's rocks, forests, and shoreline.[23] In 2018, the Danish art collective FUKK created Island's Alive: The Voice of Tjärö, a piece combining game, ritual, and mythology.[24] The 2025 edition included 30 exhibiting artists working with light, sound, sculpture, and performance, as well as a pop-up cinema and floating sauna.[1]

Location

Tjärö is a nature reserve and Natura 2000 site approximately 15 km east of Karlshamn. The reserve was designated in 1976 and encompasses approximately 306 hectares.[25] The island is car-free and accessible only by boat, with a 15-minute ferry crossing from Järnavik.[26]

Organisation

Kulturföreningen PLX is registered as an ideell förening (nonprofit association) in Malmö.[2] The festival is organised by its members throughout the year.[3] It has received financial support from Kulturrådet (the Swedish Arts Council), Region Blekinge, and the municipalities of Karlshamn and Ronneby.[27]

Editions

Year Dates Attendance Notes
2017 25–26 August ~700[8] Inaugural edition[7]
2018 31 August – 2 September ~800[3] Titled PLX Translunar[11]
2019 August ~1,000[12] Sveriges Radio broadcast live[28]
2020 — — Cancelled (COVID-19)[13]
2021 August ~600[29] Reduced capacity[14]
2022 18–21 August ~1,500[15] Maximum capacity reached
2023 17–20 August Sold out —
2024 — — Paused[16]
2025 14–17 August ~1,500[30] New stage Hagen introduced[18]

Reception

Nöjesguiden profiled the festival in 2018, noting that artists are "selected based on alignment with PLX values rather than commercial appeal."[3] HYMN's 2019 review praised the booking of "some of Europe's best DJs and avant-garde artists" and highlighted the absence of a printed programme, with attendees discovering stages by exploring the island on foot.[19] In 2022, Record Turnover described the experience as "living in an alternate reality."[20] Region Blekinge's podcast Konst i Blekinge-podden has dedicated two episodes to the festival.[11][31]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Efter ett års uppehåll – kulturfestivalen PLX tillbaka på Tjärö i sommar". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 8 January 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Kulturföreningen PLX". Allabolag.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e Filip Beijer (27 August 2018). "Från rave och konst till festival i skärgården". Nöjesguiden (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  4. ^ Jonathan Lundberg (12 July 2017). "Gänget bakom 'Plattan' ordnar festival på Tjärö". Sydöstran (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  5. ^ Stina Sandström (25 August 2017). "Ny festival intar Tjärö i helgen". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  6. ^ "PLX Records". Bandcamp. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  7. ^ a b "Tjärö får ny festival". Blekinge Läns Tidning (in Swedish). 3 March 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  8. ^ a b Ellinor Rostedt (1 September 2018). "Kulturfestival återvänder till Tjärö". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  9. ^ Magnus Sjöholm (17 August 2023). "PLX Tjärö började med Trollrundan". Blekinge Läns Tidning (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  10. ^ Jonas Grönvik (10 July 2018). "Gagnef lägger ner, men det finns en festival som tar över mystiken". Vice Sverige (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  11. ^ a b c "Konst i Blekinge-podden #31: PLX Translunar – Festival på Tjärö". Region Blekinge (in Swedish). 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  12. ^ a b c Stina Sandström (22 August 2019). "Skärgårdsö blir festival – scenerna fraktas på flotte". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  13. ^ a b Jennifer Alm (17 June 2020). "Beskedet: Festivalen PLX Tjärö ställs in". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  14. ^ a b Niklas Gyberg Ivarsson (4 August 2021). "PLX Tjärö största camping-festivalen i Sverige i år". P4 Blekinge (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  15. ^ a b William Juhlin (20 August 2022). "Campingfestival på Tjärö är igång: 'Bästa jag varit på'". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  16. ^ a b Sandra Fonnisson (31 December 2024). "Ö-festival återuppstår i sommar: 'En konstpaus'". Blekinge Läns Tidning (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  17. ^ "Nu börjar festivalen PLX: 'All publik får båtas över'". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 14 August 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  18. ^ a b "PLX: 2025 in pictures". Record Turnover. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  19. ^ a b Krister Bladh (26 August 2019). "PLX Tjärö – en festival som suddar ut gränserna". HYMN (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  20. ^ a b "Elena Colombi & JASSS @ PLX". Record Turnover. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  21. ^ "PLX 2023". Record Turnover. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  22. ^ "PLX: Tjärö 2019". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  23. ^ Krister Bladh (28 August 2019). "PLX Tjärö – en festivalupplevelse utöver det vanliga". HYMN (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  24. ^ "PLX Tjärö". FUKK. August 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  25. ^ "Tjärö naturreservat". Länsstyrelsen Blekinge (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  26. ^ "Tjärö: A Summer Dream Island". Visit Blekinge. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  27. ^ "Om PLX Tjärö". PLX Tjärö (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  28. ^ "Morgonen sänder från festivalen PLX på Tjärö". P4 Blekinge (in Swedish). 23 August 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  29. ^ Jörgen Klinthage (22 August 2021). "PLX Tjärö: – Det har varit en stark upplevelse". Sydöstran (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  30. ^ "Amerikanen Erik premiärbesöker PLX Tjärö i Blekinge". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 15 August 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
  31. ^ "Konst i Blekinge-podden #60: PLX Tjärö 2022". Region Blekinge (in Swedish). 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
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