Micael Dahlen: 5 places in Stockholm that make me happy
Publish date: 3 September 2024
Author, lecturer, and professor Micael Dahlen is probably the world's first professor in happiness and well-being. In 2024, he conducted a study to see if concerts and festivals contribute in making Stockholmers happier. We had a chat with Dahlen and asked which places in our city put a smile on his face.
In May 2024, superstar Taylor Swift took her record-breaking Eras Tour to Stockholm for three sold-out concerts. The event brought over 150,000 Swifties to Stockholm, ready to sing along and dance to hits like "Shake it Off", "Cruel Summer", and "...Ready for it?".
A quick glance at social media during those May days shows that most fans seemed to have a pretty darn good time in Stockholm. But do concerts, festivals, and big events make the general population of Stockholm happier as well? That's what Micael Dahlen, author and professor at the Stockholm School of Economics's Center for Wellbeing, Welfare and Happiness, wanted to find out.
To this end, Dahlen conducted a happiness study. The survey established a baseline happiness index in Stockholm and the rest of Sweden, and then compared it to the weeks directly preceding and following the concerts.
The short answer is: yes, Taylor Swift did indeed make the people of Stockholm happier.
"Compared to the baseline, the average happiness in Stockholm did increase. The main contributing factors were joy, community, kindness, and a sense that the rest of the world also enjoyed Taylor Swift coming to Stockholm", Dahlen says.
Respondents were asked to grade several remarks, on several occasions, on a scale of 1-10. Statements like; "How satisfied are you with living in the town you are living in?" and "How would you rate your happiness right now?". This produced an overall happiness baseline value of 7.12/7.27 one month before/one month after the concerts. But in the weeks directly before and after Taylor Swift's visit, those same numbers had risen to 7.50 and 7.56, respectively.
It's a phenomenon Micael Dahlen calls Happyflation – how happiness and well-being can spread collectively through a city – and according to him, Taylor Swift was the perfect case study.
"Few artists can bring together as many people and create such a collective feeling of happiness. Joy is contagious, and cheerfulness is easily passed on. The hundreds of thousands of concertgoers shared their enthusiasm with Stockholmers, who then in turn passed it on".
Micael Dahlen‘s 5 best places in Stockholm
- The Stockholm School of Economics: "I love this place, The Stockholm School of Economics. It is a beautiful building, filled with beautiful people, students, and visitors from all over the world. We have greenery, we have arts, and a lot of fun public events. So please drop by!".
- Liljeholmskajen: "Just south of the city center there is this beautiful place that not enough people know about. It's close to the water, and there are many waterside cafés and restaurants. And, in the winter, you can go cross-country skiing in the area!".
- Djurgården: "The country-side island in the middle of Stockholm that has everything from the Skansen Open Air Museum to Gröna Lund Theme Park, to beautiful walks, public art, wild animals – maybe not lions, but quite a few other Swedish wild animals".
- Avicii Arena: "...or Globen as many people call it. A wonderful, spheric space that hosts so many great events; music, culture, sports, and all kinds of stuff. You can also go to the top of the Globe and see a magnificent view of Stockholm".
- Blasieholmen/Skeppsholmen: "Two places but they're connected via a small bridge. Absolutely beautiful with a lot of heritage going back to Stockholm's early days (almost one thousand years ago). There you have the Nationalmuseum, Moderna Museet, and also the place where ABBA spent quite a lot of time making beautiful music".