Will Sweden bring back gold at the Winter Olympics? Will the Melodifestivalen music contest throw up any half decent songs? Here are some of the main things happening in Sweden in February.
Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics
For Sweden, with its world-beating cross-country skiiers and biathletes, the Winter Olympics is almost more important than the summer variety. So you can expect heavy coverage on Swedish TV of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics when it is held between February 6th and February 22nd.
This year, Sweden’s woman athletes are seen as particularly strong, while the men aren’t expected to bring in nearly as many medals.
Cross-country skiiers Sandra Näslund, Ebba Andersson and Jonna Sundling are all tipped to win medals. The Öberg sisters, Hanna and Elvira, are leading contenders in biathlon events, while Sara Hector is tipped to win medals in Alpine skiing.
The women’s curling team (and possibly even the men’s) are also potential medal winners. Most observers tip Canada and the USA as favourites to win the men’s ice hockey, but the Swedish team is always a strong contender.
Sweden’s long road to Eurovision kicks off
The 66th edition of Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s Eurovision trials, will kick off on January 31st, for five weeks of music, entertainment and fun – or a lifetime of earworms and wondering why you ever moved to Sweden. You can watch it on SVT Play from anywhere in the world.
The competition kicks off in Linköping on January 31st, with the second heat in Gothenburg on Feb 7th. The third is in Kristianstad on Feb 14th, the fourth in Malmö on February 21st, the fifth in Sundsvall on February 28th and the final will be in Stockholm on March 7th.
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The Gothenburg Film Festival
The 2026 edition of Sweden’s biggest and best film festival starts on January 23rd and finishes on Sunday February 1st, when the winner of the Ingmar Bergman Competition and the Draken Film Award will be shown. The Danish film Three of a Kind, one of the highlights of the festival, will also be shown on the 1st (unfortunately it’s already sold out).
Sweden starts sending out pension statements
The pensions agency started sending out pension statements in January, but most people will receive them in February or March. You don’t need to do anything in response – it’s just a statement to keep you up to date – but if you want to plan your pension, there are a few tricks.
People living in Västmanland, Dalarna, Gävleborg, Västernorrland, Jämtland, Västerbotten and Norrbotten typically receive their statement from February 19th-23rd, Stockholm February 16th-20th, and pensioners living abroad from February 9th. The rest of Sweden will receive their statement in March.
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Jfokus Developers Conference, Stockholm
Sweden’s largest conference for programmers who use Java is being held at Stockholm Waterfront Congress Center between February 2nd and February 4th.
Sweden’s book sale gets under way
Sweden’s annual book sale, when bookshops across the country sell books at reduced prices, will get under way on February 24th. Here’s a list of book recommendations from The Local’s archive.
Valentine’s Day
February 14th is Valentine’s Day, or Alla hjärtans dag (“All hearts’ day”). Valentine’s Day is a relatively recent import to Sweden so it’s not always celebrated among couples, but make sure to check with your partner before you forego a card this year.
If you’re single and looking to find yourself a Swede, look no further – here are some of The Local’s guides from our archives to help you out:
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School holiday dates for February
Sweden’s sportlov school holiday, when Swedes traditionally take to the slopes, takes place at the end of February, with dates varying depending on where in the country you live.
Here are the dates for 2026 in Sweden’s three biggest cities:
Stockholm: February 27th-March 1st
Gothenburg: February 9th-13th
Malmö: February 16th-20th