What Quarnevalen does

Quarnevalen is a non-profit student association (kårförening) affiliated with THS, the student union at KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) in Stockholm, Sweden. The organization runs a triennial student carnival — Quarnevalen — featuring the Quarnevalståget parade of student-built carnival floats (equipage) through Stockholm's inner city, complemented by an Öltältet beer tent, the MelodifestiValen music competition, and the SM-i-Fest gasque championships. In off-years between the main carnival editions, the organization runs Squvalp, an annual aquatic carnival. The tradition dates to 1910 at KTH and was formalized under the Quarnevalen name in 1977.

The core "products" are event experiences rather than technology offerings. Builders register through the Bygga.re platform, submit equipage design bids, and receive all construction materials (wood, steel, fabric, paint, tools, motors) from the organization for free during build week. Participation requires an adult team (recommended 10–50 people) and costs 2,500 SEK per builder, partially offset by 50 BRUX newspaper/tickets (50 SEK each) that builders sell to the public. The Brux (Quarnevalen) and Blasq (Squvalp) newspapers carry advertisements and serve as entry tickets to the beer tent, which charges 50 SEK per non-builder.

Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) builder registration fees, (2) corporate sponsorships ranging from simple ads to event-hosting collaborations, and (3) BRUX ticket/beer tent sales. Corporate sponsorship is the dominant commercial channel, with a 2026 sponsor stack comprising four main sponsors (THS, RN eventteknik, Stiftelsen, USAB) and at least eight secondary sponsors including Hitachi Energy, DanaLim, Teknos, BE Group, Linde, Milwaukee, Truckreparatören, and Jossefssons. The organization is operated by a volunteer student staff (Quarnevalstaben) of roughly 11–50 members led by a General, with no equity funding, no commercial shareholders, and no disclosed financials.

Name

Quarnevalen

Legal name

Quarnevalen

Website

https://www.quarnevalen.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quarnevalen is a non-profit student association at KTH in Stockholm that organizes a triennial student carnival featuring student-built parade equipages, the Öltältet beer tent, and the MelodifestiValen music competition, funded by builder registration fees, BRUX ticket sales, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Event Organization

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur Event & Tournament Organizers (Meets, Invitationals, Opens) (MPAKACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Collegiate & Scholastic Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAG)

Keywords

• Carnival parade management
• Student association events
• Community event planning
• Student carnival organization
• Student event services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Participant registration fees: Each participant (builder) pays a 2,500 SEK registration fee. In return, they receive 50 BRUX tickets (value 50 SEK each), effectively making participation free if all tickets are sold. The fee covers participation in the carnival, access to the beer tent (Öltältet), and entry to the final celebration (slutfesten).
2. Corporate sponsorship: Quarnevalen generates revenue through corporate sponsorships. Sponsors receive brand visibility and marketing exposure in exchange for financial or material support. Opportunities range from simple advertisements to larger collaborations such as hosting events.
3. BRUX ticket sales: BRUX is the carnival's newspaper/ticket. Additional BRUX beyond the 50 provided per builder can be purchased for 50 SEK each. BRUX also serves as entry tickets to the beer tent (Öltältet).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Quarnevalen is a non-profit student organization under THS (Tekniska Högskolans Studentkår) at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm that organizes a triennial student carnival featuring a main parade, equipage (floats) building, a Squvalp water carnival, an Öltältet beer tent, and the MelodifestiValen music competition. The organization formalizes student groups ("spexen") that build floats and perform during the event, providing construction materials, financial support, and event infrastructure. Revenue is generated through builder registration fees, corporate sponsorships, and ticket sales for associated events and publications.

Product overview

Quarnevalen is a student carnival organization affiliated with THS at KTH in Stockholm that organizes a triennial carnival event featuring the famous Quarnevalståget (carnival parade). The portfolio includes the main Quarnevalen carnival event, the annual Squvalp event in off-years, and supporting activities such as the MelodifestiValen music competition, SM-i-Fest party championships, and the Öltältet beer tent. The organization provides student teams with building materials, tools, and registration systems (Bygga.re) to create elaborate carnival floats called equipage. Additionally, they publish Brux and Blasq newspapers. Quarnevalen is not a technology or software product company; it is a student event organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Squvalp: An annual water carnival organized by Quarnevalen in years when the main Quarneval is not held. Squvalp was created in 1980 when THS refused to financially support the regular carnival.
• MelodifestiValen
• SM-i-Fest
• Öltältet

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200,000 spectators at historical events; thousands at recent editions

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RN eventteknikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRN eventteknik provides event technology services, specifically mentioned as delivering the magical light show for Melodifestivalen 2026. Listed as a main sponsor.
• THS (Tekniska Högskolans Studentkår)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHS is Quarnevalen's primary institutional partner and main sponsor. As the student union at KTH, THS provides organizational support, affiliation, and presumably financial backing. Quarnevalen is a guild (kårförening) under THS. The 2026 edition is co-branded with THS.
• Hitachi EnergyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHitachi Energy is listed as a sponsor of Quarnevalen 2026, providing financial or material support in exchange for brand visibility at the event.
• DanaLimminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanaLim is listed as a sponsor of Quarnevalen 2026.
• TeknosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTeknos is listed as a sponsor of Quarnevalen 2026, likely providing paint and coating materials for equipage construction.
• BE GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBE Group is listed as a sponsor of Quarnevalen 2026, likely providing steel or construction materials.
• LindeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLinde (Linde plc) is listed as a sponsor of Quarnevalen 2026.
• MilwaukeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMilwaukee Tool is listed as a sponsor of Quarnevalen 2026, likely providing power tools and hand tools for the build.
• TruckreparatörenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTruckreparatören is listed as a sponsor of Quarnevalen 2026, likely providing truck/vehicle maintenance or services for the parade.
• JossefssonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJossefssons is listed as a sponsor of Quarnevalen 2026.
• StiftelsencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStiftelsen (The Foundation) is listed as a main sponsor of Quarnevalen, alongside THS, RN, and USAB.
• USABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSAB is listed as a main sponsor of Quarnevalen, alongside THS, RN, and Stiftelsen.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lunds Studentkarneval (Lund University Carnival): The student carnival organized by and for students at Lund University, the most direct Swedish parallel to Quarnevalen. Both are triennial collegiate carnivals with parade floats, beer tents, and corporate sponsorship — directly comparable in structure, scale, and audience.
• Uppsala Studentkarneval (Uppsala University): Triennial student carnival at Uppsala University with comparable tradition, structure, and student-builder participation model. Operates as a similar non-profit student organization with sponsorship and builder-fee revenue streams.

Regional players

• Studenterfest i Bergen / UKEN: Large annual student festival (Uken) organized by students in Bergen, Norway. Comparable in scale and student-builder participation culture, but operates annually rather than triennially and in a different Nordic geography.
• Wappu (Helsinki University Student Festival): Annual Walpurgis Night (Vappu) student festival tradition at the University of Helsinki — closely comparable as a Nordic student-organized public celebration with shared Walpurgis roots predating KTH's 1910 carnival.

Others

• THS (Tekniska Högskolans Studentkår): Quarnevalen's parent student union and primary sponsor. Comparable as a KTH-affiliated student organization but operating as an umbrella union rather than a single-event carnival organizer.
• Nottingham Goose Fair: Historic European street fair tradition dating back centuries. Comparable as a long-running public street event with parade and spectacle elements, though municipally rather than student-organized.

Broad incumbents

• Kölner Karneval (Cologne Carnival): Major German street carnival tradition with parades, public events, and large sponsorship base — broadly comparable in format (public parade, beer/festival culture) but at vastly larger scale and city-wide, year-round cadence.
• Karneval der Kulturen (Berlin): Annual multi-cultural street parade and festival in Berlin. Comparable as a large-scale public parade event with floats and broad community participation, though professionally produced rather than purely student-run.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/quarnevalen
• Instagraminstagram.com/quarnevalen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Quarnevalen