Free entry planned for Swedish museums

Both tourists and locals are set to benefit from the proposals which would see a return to free entry at some of Sweden's most popular cultural attractions including the modern art Moderna museet venues in Stockholm and Malmö, the Naturhistorika riksmuseet (Swedish Museum of Natural History) and the Världskulturmuseet i Göteborg (Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg).

 

Prime Minister Stefan Löfven's Social Democrat party introduced a similar scheme when it last was in power ten years ago, but fees were reintroduced by the centre-right Alliance government in 2006.

 

Culture Minister Alice Bah Kuhnke told Swedish broadcaster SVT on Tuesday that she hoped the move would encourage people from a more diverse range of backgrounds to attend exhibitions.

 

"We need to open up and show our shared treasures to reach groups other than those who usually go to museums," she said.

 

READ ALSO: Ten must-see museums and galleries in Stockholm

 

A tourist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. Photo: Pontus Lindahl/TT

 

The government previously suggested it would introduce the initiative last year, but was unable to do so after its last autumn budget was blocked by the nationalist Sweden Democrats, resulting in a political crisis.

 

But Sweden's mainstream parties went on to strike the December Agreement deal, which should ensure that the coalition's financial plan for the coming 12 months gets through parliament without any hassle.

 

READ ALSO: What is the December Agreement all about?

 

Bah Kuhnke has indicated that museums will be given 80 million kronor of state funding to help them deal with their drop in public income, telling SVT that this amount could be "adjusted" if it turns out to be too little, as some critics have argued.

 

Entry to Swedish museums is currently relatively pricey by European standards.

 

For an adult's ticket to the Moderna Museet in Stockholm the fee is 120 kronor ($14.50). By contrast it costs $9 to visit Berlin's Museum of Modern Art, Photography and Architecture and around $10 to visit Barcelona's contemporary art museum. It is free to visit London's largest contemporary art space, The Tate Modern. However in Paris, the Pompidou centre is priced at $14.

 

 

The full list of museums set to be free from 2016

Armémuseum (Army museum)

Etnografiska museet (Museum of Ethnography)

Flygvapenmuseum (Swedish Air Force Museum)

Historiska museet (History Museum)

Kungl. myntkabinettet (Royal Coin Cabinet)

Livrustkammaren (Royal Armoury)

Marinmuseum (Naval Museum)

Medelhavsmuseet (Mediterranean Museum)

Moderna museet (Modern Museum)

Nationalmuseum (National Museum)

Naturhistoriska riksmuseet (Swedish Museum of Natural History)

Sjöhistoriska museet (Maritime Museum)

Skoklosters slott (Skokloster Castle)

Statens centrum för arkitektur och design (Architecture and Design Museum)

Världskulturmuseet (Museum of World Culture)

Östasiatiska museet (Museum of East Asia)