Neighbors Seek Closure of Gröna Lund's Popular Ride

For years, two neighbors have attempted to shut down Ikaros at Gröna Lund.

Ikaros – a 95-meter high free fall ride, where riders are tilted forward and plummet towards the ground – was launched as one of Gröna Lund's flagship attractions in 2017.

However, for two neighbors next to the amusement park, the attraction has become a nightmare.

When Ikaros falls from 95 meters, a "sharp, dull tone that significantly drowns out all other noise from the park" is heard, according to the neighbors. They claim this sound exceeds the Public Health Agency's guidelines and recurs every minute during the park's opening hours.

The neighbors have therefore waged a long campaign to stop Ikaros entirely – first through the environmental department, then the county administrative board, and finally in court.

Court "Understands"

The Land and Environment Court in Nacka stated in its ruling on August 11 that the municipality has already conducted several noise measurements, both inside and outside the neighbors' residence.

The results show that Ikaros sometimes exceeds the guidelines but only marginally. The court concluded that it is not the five seconds when Ikaros is noisiest that should be assessed, but the guidelines apply to the average noise level over a longer period.

"The court understands that the short, recurring noise from Ikaros can be perceived as disturbing. But it does not constitute grounds to demand restrictions on Ikaros' operation," the court wrote in its decision.

The neighbors' appeal is thus rejected once again.

Political Criticism

The conflict over Ikaros and the noise at Gröna Lund has been ongoing since 2017 and has now been tested in several instances.

Meanwhile, the debate has reached a certain political level.

Last spring, Dennis Wedin, a moderate opposition councilor in Stockholm, strongly criticized the complaining neighbors.

"It provokes me when people who have chosen to live near places like Gröna Lund or Södra Teatern then complain about the noise," he told Mitt i at the time.

Kägelbanan, at the historic Södra Teatern, is a concert venue in Stockholm that was forced to close indefinitely after 132 years – following complaints from neighbors in the area.

One who reacted then was rapper Petter.

"A city must be allowed to live and pulse. Living super centrally and complaining about noise doesn't add up," the artist wrote on Instagram.

Dennis Wedin's advice to Gröna Lund's neighbors has been clear:

"Move to Skövde," he told Mitt i last spring.