Nationalteaterns Rockorkester

The music must carry on. That was Ulf Dageby’s conviction – and now it is up to Nationalteaterns Rockorkester to make it a reality. In December, they bring the music to Debaser Strand.

“Whatever happens, keep playing.”

Those words have taken on a new meaning following Ulf Dageby’s death in the summer of 2025. For Nationalteaterns Rockorkester, it is no longer about trying to fill the void left by one of the band’s founders, singers and most important songwriters. It is about carrying the music forward, bringing it to new people and continuing to develop the stories that have made Nationalteatern an integral part of Swedish music history.

That was also how Ulf saw the band. An ever-changing line-up where new musicians and voices could step in and carry on the work. To him, keeping the music going mattered more than who was on stage.

And there is every reason to believe that the stories will live on. “Barn av vår tid”, “Livet är en fest”, “Kolla kolla”, “Bängen trålar”, “Men bara om min älskade väntar”, “Hanna från Arlöv” – the songs continue to find new listeners and new contexts. They are about growing up, class, exclusion and vulnerability, but also about life here and now. That is why they can continue to mean something to generations who have not even heard them yet.

“In this band, the individual ego isn’t important; it’s the stories that matter. Sad as it is, these songs are still relevant and need to be played,” says Matilda Sjöström, one of the singers in Rockorkestern.

Ages 18 and over (13 and over when accompanied by a parent or guardian)