It started with a simple idea to create a classic block party in the Meatpacking district of Stockholm. We got the chance to use this great space and didn’t hesitate a second, although we just had about three months to pull it off. I think we did pretty ok.

Last year, it was a two-day festival; this one, we split it with a club night in April and a full-day festival (fourteen hours) on May 26. Department doesn’t necessarily have to be a definite format but rather have several expressions. We want to grow organically and adapt ourselves by looking at the latest year, every year.

Oh, a lot of things make us proud! Obviously, Underworld to headline our first year was amazing. Tale of Us, Dixon, Peggy Gou, Axel Boman, Princess Nokia, Survive, Planningtorock and Stefflon Don. We continued to do a few selected nights as well with Maceo Plex and there’s more to come.

Very. We wanted to add something to the already established tech scene that has grown strong in Stockholm. At the same time, we wanted to offer international artists and combine them with some of our best Swedish acts – all under the same roof of Department.

Last year, we had a mix of hip-hop, house and techno but this year we chose to focus completely on electronic music. But the same applies here – we haven’t decided on next year’s content yet.

It is for sure a conscious choice. We want to offer equal parts of men and women at Department.

I would say it’s really good since we do have a lot of brilliant local acts and for sure a growing amount of clubbers that support this kind of events. There are as well a number of DJs and promoters that do amazing underground parties and their passion also makes the scene vibrate and grow.

We embrace everything that makes the culture grow. We don’t think that one excludes the other, rather the opposite.

Ultimately, it comes down to if you’re creating something that’s attractive to a specific crowd. If you’re in touch with what’s happening sound-wise and know what’s hyped at the moment, it creates an interest but that’s just part of it. It gets more interesting if you tell your story and help the audience experience something they didn’t know they wanted. If you are doing things that are too way ahead of your time, on the other hand, then you need a lot of time and some financial stamina.

We’re not supported nor helped by the government but we’re in good talks with the Stockholm Council and love their vision of creating interesting cultural events in the Meatpacking district, Slakthusområdet.

First and foremost, it’s a love thing, doing a festival. Everyone who’s trying to create events – including music – can attest to that. It needs to be driven by passion! The branding usually comes down to the fact that you want to cover the costs and to make a festival happening you need to invest not just a lot of time but also money. Our take on this is that we want to do it somewhat intimate and genuine by having a great location, finding the right type of artists and then spread the word. Sure, sponsors can help but you need to know why you want them and make sure it’s a natural progression and partnership.

The area was built in the early 20th century and Department is located in a building from 1912 that has twenty-meters-high ceilings, which is an optimal venue for this kind of event. With a strong industrial’s character, it contributes to the overall experience. We don’t consider that the constructions in the area affect Department in any way – not yet.

Department is primarily a festival that takes place in Slakthusområdet.

We always want to improve and evaluate what we do. How did this turn out? Could we twist it to make it better? It’s also an interaction between the ones who attended last year’s edition and getting their take on it. So, it’s a lot of things, which means it’s hard to even talk about a specific blueprint for a festival because each time there are different things that make every event or festival unique.

We accommodate about two thousand five hundred people and it looks like we’re selling out this year!

We’ve already started planning next year and hope to be able to present our first artists really soon. Music-wise, we will continue to focus on exciting electronic music but we don’t limit ourselves when it comes to venues or capacity. We create things that we want to attend ourselves and that perhaps present the artists in a new but suitable environment.

Get in time with an open mind.