Experiencing Swedish Identity Through Anglophone Sound at the Way Out West Festival in Göteborg

This article examines the environment, politics, and sounds of the Way Out West festival in Göteborg, Sweden, to comment on the complex identity of the event, which blends together three main concepts: the local environment of the Slottsskogen gardens and surrounding neighborhoods of Göteborg; well-known national political interests, such as gender equality, environmental protection, and animal welfare; and transatlantic, Anglophone popular music styles. Using a hybrid method of quantitative performance data over a five-festival period during 2018–2024 combined with on-the-ground fieldwork in 2018, this article argues that the two main identities of the festival are split between the senses: Swedishness is experienced through the sights, smells, and flavors of the festival, while Americanness is heard in the sounds. The article also contends that this conclusion can only be effectively determined by methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative measures