About Kalas

The Kalas event is arranged by LiU with partners

The Kalas event is arranged by LiU together with Linköping Municipality, Norrköping Municipality and Region Östergötland. Its principal goal is to welcome all new students and introduce them to student life and Östergötland.

Welcome!

Congratulations, you are now part of an amazing university in continuous forwards motion! The Kalas event is part of the welcome activities for you, as you take the first steps into your new life as student – full of knowledge, joy and new friends!

Picture of student reception — Charlotte Perhammar

Student life – full to the brim

Linköping University has one of the best student experiences in Sweden, according to the students themselves. Both Norrköping and Linköping have been nominated as Student City of the Year in recent years. Student life is based to a large extent on student clubs and societies run on a voluntary basis, where everyone works to ensure that studying at LiU is better and more fun. The Kalas event allows you to meet 80-100 clubs and societies, whose purpose is to provide new students with the opportunity to experience life outside of the classroom!

The cities and the region

New in town? The Kalas event gives you a chance to get to know the university's campus cities and the region of East Sweden in a simple and concentrated way. You can meet local actors and companies at Kalas, they will be able to help you learn the type of activities you can participate in outside of your studies and what fun things you can do in East Sweden.

By students - for students

A director is appointed each year for the Kalas event. The Kalas management team plans and organises the reception events, together with Linköping University.
Volunteer workers, known as “Kalaspuffs”, have a crucial and fun job if everything is to proceed without any hitches – at the fair and in the event area.

Brief facts about Kalas

8000

Students

80-100

Exhibitors

200

Volunteers

8000

Students

80-100

Exhibitors

200

Volunteers

Kalas history

It all started in 2005 on the initiative of Norrköping and Linköping municipalities, together with LiU. The Kalas event was then – and continues to be – the culmination of the welcome activities for new students at LiU. The programme has always included: an extensive fair at which student clubs and societies, together with companies, present themselves, a stage show with speeches and entertainment from clubs and societies, and an action-packed concert with top-quality performers!

They played at Kalas

Artists in previous years have included:

2022 - Tove Styrke and HON
2020 - Tjuvjakt!
2019 - Thomas Stenström and Petter
2018 - Markus Krunegård and Timbuktu & Damn!
2017 - E-type and Timo Räisänen
2016 - Sabina Ddumba
2015 - Galantis
2014 - Movits!
2013 - Hoffmaestro
2012 - Veronica Maggio
2011 - Johnossi
2010 - Teddybears
2009 - Moneybrother
2008 - Mando diao
2007 - The Sounds
2006 - The Soundtrack of Our Lives
2005 - The Ark

Petter at the Kalas event 2019. MagnusAndersson

Thomas Stenström at the microphone on stage at Kalasmottagningen — Thomas Stenström at the Kalas event 2019. MagnusAndersson

Markus Krunegård at the Kalas event 2018. Göran Billeson

Sabina Ddumba at the Kalas event 2016. Josefine Loftenius

Digital Kalas events in 2020 and 2021

The Kalas event switched to digital mode in 2020 and 2021 due to the corona pandemic. The result was live, high tempo talk shows under the direction of Henrik Johnsson (2020) and Clara Henry (2021). In the live studio, competitions, music and visits by associations and regional and university actors were interspersed with vital facts for new LiU students.