The migration of dozens of moose in Sweden to their summer grazing grounds has followed the same path for thousands of years. Now, millions across the globe are getting a chance to experience the age-old journey live, one hoofbeat at a time — and straight from their living rooms.
“The Great Moose Migration” is Sweden’s wildly popular slow TV livestream currently gripping the world’s attention, according to the Associated Press. This week, it’s begun captivating viewers once again as the moose’s annual migration wends a path near the village of Kullberg in northern Sweden.
Read on for how to watch the viral event and why people across the world are hooked.
What is the “Great Moose Migration?”
“The Great Moose Migration” is a Swedish slow TV livestream that documents the springtime journey of moose migrating north through Sweden. In Sweden, the show is called “Den stora älgvandringen” and the series made its debut in 2019 on SVT Play, the country’s public broadcaster’s streaming platform.
In the first year, the show drew in a million viewers, according to Associated Press. Since then, viewership has multiplied nine times over with 9 million viewers tuning into the 2024 broadcast.
What makes it so special?
The show lets viewers go on a literal step-by-step journey with the moose as the great animals trek through forests and swim across rivers to reach their summer grazing spots.
According to Associated Press, moose have followed this precise route for thousands of years. That habit has allowed SVT to keep up with the moose route by laying down nearly 12 miles of cable and setting up 26 remote and seven night cameras to track the excursion from a 15-person control room in Umeå.
For viewers, a highlight is getting to see the moose swim the Ångerman River.
The big migration is being broadcast for 24 hours, 20 days straight. This means a front row seat to the wild phenomenon at nature’s pace. No edits. No scripts. No cuts to commercials. Just all the serenity and suspense that being out in the wild has to offer.
How to watch Sweden’s ‘Great Moose Migration’The livestream is available on SVT Play now through May 4. Streaming is 24/7, and the SVT Play app sends users push notifications when moose appear on camera.
What is ‘slow’ TV?
Ever been lulled into a trance by a crackling fireplace on your TV or the slow puff of smoke from a train on your Instagram feed? Slow television falls into a genre of show-watching experiences that are meant to be meditative and immersive.
“The Great Moose Migration” is part of that genre, which was popularised in the early 2000s by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), according to The New Yorker. The broadcast gained attention at the time for broadcasting a seven-hour train journey.
Moose, not meese
And in case you didn’t know, unlike goose/geese, the correct plural of “moose”… is “moose” not “meese” or “mooses.”
