Lena Philipsson wants to meet us near Karlaplan. It ends with a meeting at the Historical Museum, in a hidden room behind the Baroque Hall.
Perhaps the pompous setting with the pulpit and gold-leaf Jesus figures would be perfect for the photo shoot of the artist with roots in the Bible Belt. But for now, the new show, “Lena från Vetlanda,” is just an idea in the head of the 60-year-old singer.
However, she already has the mood for it.
"I want you to feel like you're invited to a party," she says excitedly.
But anyone expecting heels on the roof may be disappointed.
I've come out of my shell like a mermaid, hung from ropes from the ceiling and jumped rope. It's been great fun, with a lot of costume changes, but the last show (“Jag är ingen älskling”, 2015) was more stripped down and I liked it. It feels like it's my new thing, where I am now!
New music
The audience can also expect music she has not performed before, Lena Philipsson reveals about what she would rather call a "summary" than an anniversary show.
Maybe I'll sing some songs I don't usually include. But I also thought I wanted to delve into things that have been important to me, from a bygone era.
Like a kind of financial statement?
No, not a financial statement because I am also taking a step into the future. I am also writing new music. But I want to include what has happened over the past 40 years.
Are there any secret rooms left inside you after so many years in the spotlight?
Well, the feeling is that there are some hidden things in me? Maybe there aren't. So instead it's just a lot of me.
Sabbatical
But first, the final gigs await on a nearly 1.5-year tour with Roxette.
I actually didn't plan on going on a world tour when I was 60!
It feels a bit like a sabbatical from myself! I'm singing a completely different repertoire and also abroad, where people don't know who I am.
In your autobiography “In the Event of My Death” you write that “I will regret at 60 that I was not more happy when I was 50”. Is that so?
But I'm happy! Things can happen in ten years. And considering who I thought I was when I was sitting there on the couch in Vetlanda, I actually feel very proud of everything I've accomplished.
Where will you be in 20 years?
I imagine I'm still making music. Maybe in a cottage in the woods. And a cat.
Age: 60 years.
Current with: The new show "Lena from Vetlanda", premiere at Chinateatern February 11, 2027, the ongoing world tour with Roxette which began in February 2025.
Career in selection: Had a breakthrough with "Kärleken är evig" in Melodifestivalen in 1986 and has since competed in the competition four times. In 2004 she won with "Det gör ont". Has done several of her own pub shows and released 14 albums. Has appeared in the film "Livet är en schlager" and the TV series "Torpederna", "Enkelstöten" and "Storm på Lugna gatan".
