English is heard everywhere and about half of the large crowd are international students. Over 2,300 new students have gathered at Trädgårn for the kick-off event on Thursday night.
- 2,336 students registered. Tickets ran out on Monday and we've had many more asking if they can come, says Sofia Lindberg, project leader at Göteborg & co, one of the organisers.
The kick-off is one of the biggest events on the student calendar. New students are treated to free burgers and soft drinks, welcoming speeches and a dose of live music from Swedish acts Timo Räisänen, The Pusher, Satan Takes A Holiday andOh, Harry.
- We're meeting up with some friends that we met at the welcome day a few weeks ago, says French international student Torazzoni Brumj. He has just arrived and is here with his flat-mate.
Many of the students have only been in Gothenburg for around three weeks. Among them is Si Tou Ka Yan from Hong Kong. She is studying Scandinavian Studies at GU. What are her first impressions of Gothenburg?
- It's a beautiful city. I remember my first day, the sun was shining and I couldn't stop taking photos. Everything looked like a postcard.
Si is also meeting up with friends and is keen to make a new friend or two. She is here with Jane Vanden Dries, a Canadian business student studying at GU.
- I've only just arrived. It's a huge event, says Jane.
If you missed out on the kick-off event, the organiser Student Göteborg is also running a number of events throughout the autumn. For example, there is a "Speed-dating for friends" event at the Röhsska Museum, a treasure hunt in the city, workshops and sight-seeing tours.
