Police in Sweden on Monday said they had recovered a bag that contained explosives in central Stockholm.

The explosive device was found in a park that was one of the venues of the annual Stockholm Culture Festival on Sunday night.

"The police assess that the bag, which was found on Sunday, at Kungstradgarden contained an explosive charge," the police said in a statement.

The area was cordoned off, and the bomb squad disarmed the device.

"It is only after a full examination at the national forensic center that we will be able to say whether the dangerous object was functional," said Erik Akerlund, local police chief at the Norrmalm police in Stockholm.

Police did not say who or what the possible target was.

Sweden is gearing up for a general election in less than three weeks.

The five-day Stockholm Culture Festival ended Sunday with a concert by Iranian pop singer Ebi, whose real name is Ebrahim Hamedi and who is a known Iranian dissident.

lo/rt (AP, Reuters)