Umeå Event Highlights 2025: A Year of Excitement and Culture
Planning a visit to Umeå in 2025? Get ready for an action-packed year featuring events that will attract motorsport enthusiasts, music lovers, food connoisseurs, and outdoor adventurers. Here are nine must-experience events that showcase the vibrant culture of this northern Swedish city.
1. Rally Sweden – World-Class Motorsport Spectacle
For the fourth consecutive year, Umeå hosts Rally Sweden, a premier event in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). Experience breathtaking speed and spectacular ice roads as the world’s top rally drivers compete. With over 120 million TV viewers, this is Sweden’s largest annual sporting event and the only winter rally in the championship.
Dates: February 13-16, 2025
2. Littfest – Sweden’s Largest Literature Festival
Don’t miss Sweden’s biggest literature festival, featuring approximately 20,000 seminar attendees and over 150 invited participants across three intense days. The program includes international stars and local literary gems – a must-visit for book lovers and culture enthusiasts.
Dates: March 13-15, 2025
3. Brännbollsyran – Northern Scandinavia’s Largest Music Festival
What began as a small student baseball tournament has grown into one of Sweden’s largest music festivals. Brännbollsyran offers days of celebration, music, and community at Mariehemsängarna and Noliaområdet. A new feature this year is the Skeppsbron city festival, featuring some of Sweden’s most iconic artists.
Dates: May 28-31, 2025
4. European Silver League Volleyball Championship
The Swedish men’s national volleyball team, with European Championship aspirations, will play two matches in Umeå. The Umeå Energi Arena Vatten will transform into a blue and yellow volleyball fortress, featuring local talents like Axel Enlund showcasing their skills on home ground.
Dates: June 6-8, 2025
5. Umeå Taste Festival – Gastronomic Delights
Food lovers, rejoice! Umeå Taste Festival returns with more food trucks, breweries, and local culinary experiences in the city center. The festival offers free lectures, panel discussions, and competitions centered around gastronomy.
Dates: September 4-7, 2025
Other Exciting Events in 2025
- Älskarinnorna at Norrlandsoperan (March 8-29): A modern, emotionally charged opera exploring love, power, and relationships.
- Powerpose FM Festival (September 26-27): A new indoor festival showcasing Sweden’s most exciting emerging musical talents.
- Hajka Hiking Festival (October 3-5): A weekend filled with outdoor activities for hiking enthusiasts and nature lovers.
- Umeå Jazz Festival (October 23-25): One of Europe’s most prestigious jazz festivals with approximately 30 concerts.
Original source: Visit Umeå Press Release
