Sweden is getting ready to soak in Olympic vibes. The SOC (Swedish Olympic Committee) is going to organize an elaborate Olympic Festival in Stockholm, during the upcoming Tokyo 2020. This unique festival will offer the sports-enthusiast children to follow the Olympic Games, meet their icon Olympians, and even give new fun sports a try.

This Olympic Festival is actually a much broader concept, to be implemented in a total of 11 countries over 4 continents. Along with Sweden, Cape Verde, the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Kosovo, Singapore, and Australia are also going to host International Olympic Committee-backed Olympic Festivals.

The Stockholm Festival

During the coming Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, SOC will conduct the festivities (August 4–6). The main venue of the festival is the Olympic Stadium of Stockholm. The SOC is busy building a festival area, with amenities like big screens and restaurants, but all complying with the current covid restrictions.

The Opportunities

Due to the pandemic situation, Tokyo is not allowing spectators at Olympic venues. The project manager of SOC Frida Nevalainen also has openly encouraged the sports fanatics to be part of the Stockholm Festival and enjoy a similar Olympic atmosphere together with friends and families at the Olympic Stadium. Most significantly, this festival is completely free of cost and open to all. According to Nevalainen, Stockholm Festival will provide the enthusiasts a once-in-a-lifetime chance to give sports included in Olympics a try, meet their favorite Olympians, and take part in various fun challenges and competitions.

Alongside the Olympic Stadium, opportunities to test various Olympic Games will be available also in Skeppsbron and Kungsträdgården, from July 23 – August 2, this year. The preparation of another event, a month-long Olympic exhibition in Stockholm Central Station, is also currently undergoing. With all its array of entertainments, the Stockholm Festival is all set to celebrate the Olympic spirit, full of fun and frolic for sports buffs from all ages.

It was almost a year ago when the Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021. Speculations, whether they will happen at all, haven’t stopped since. Two recent surveys of Japanese citizens showing that 80% of them don’t believe the games should or would take place only made matters worse. So, what’s the future of the Summer Olympics in the Japanese capital?

Olympic Games During a Pandemic: No or Go?

Despite the concerns of the public, it would seem that the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo organizers are moving forward with the 2021 plans. In fact, they recently released a 33-page “playbook” that provides insight into how the sports events will take place, the precautions before and during the games, the preparation of the athletes and attendees, and other relevant details.

As of mid-February, travelers will be required to show a negative test within 72 hours of departure as well as upon arrival. In addition to that, visitors will have to provide a detailed itinerary of their stay in Tokyo, including the people with whom they will be in close contact. Because the first edition of the playbook failed to answer some questions and only answered others with uncertainty, a second edition will be released in April.

What’s the Main Reason for Tokyo 2021 to Happen Despite Concerns

You guessed it — it’s money and politics. The organizers have already reportedly spent more than $25 billion on putting the Olympics together, and the majority of that money came from Japan’s public finances. If the games don’t happen this year, the country stands to lose even more money and find itself in a tricky economic turmoil.

The second reason why the Japanese government wants to make the games happen this year is political. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga made a series of questionable blunders regarding his response to the pandemic and is now desperate for a “political win,” according to Jeff Kingston, a professor of Asian Studies at Temple University’s Tokyo campus.

Whether the Summer Olympics will take place this year, however, will remain a mystery until the very last moment.