A mix of old and new as Rally Sweden unveils its planned route for 2027

Following the FIA’s confirmation of the 2027 FIA World Rally Championship calendar late last week, Rally Sweden has also submitted its event permit application to the County Administrative Board. The planned route for next year’s World Championship event can therefore now be presented.

– We are building on the popular stages we have established during our first years in Umeå. At the same time, we have several exciting new features that we believe both spectators and competitors will appreciate. It’s about continuing to develop the event and making the most of the opportunities we have here in Västerbotten, says Joakim Åström, Route Manager of Rally Sweden.

Thursday – rally action in the heart of Umeå

Rally Sweden 2027 gets underway on Thursday with the return of a spectator favourite. Shakedown will once again take place along the riverside promenade in central Umeå, giving fans the opportunity to see the world’s best rally drivers and cars up close ahead of the competitive action.

In the evening, the official opening ceremony takes place at The Red Barn Arena, where the rally’s first special stage will also be held. The longer Umeå stage finishes inside the arena, bringing the opening day to a close in front of a large crowd.

Friday – familiar stages in a new order

Friday features familiar stages from 2026, but in a different running order.

The day begins with Bäck, followed by Andersvattnet and Bygdsiljum. All three stages will be repeated in the afternoon before the crews return to Umeå for the final special stage of the day.

At The Red Barn Arena, Umeå Sprint awaits, once again giving spectators the chance to experience the rally cars in the spectacular arena setting.

Saturday – a reversed classic and a new ice loop

Saturday traditionally begins with Vännäs, one of the most familiar and popular stages since Rally Sweden moved to Umeå.

After that, several changes await.

Sarsjöliden has featured on the itinerary since the inaugural Umeå edition in 2022 and has become a regular part of Rally Sweden. For 2027, however, the stage will take on a completely new character as it is reversed and run in the opposite direction.

Holmbäckssjön will also feature something new. The stage is a further development of the former Kolksele stage and retains much of the 2026 route, starting at Pengfors Motorstadion. The major addition is a new, spectacular loop on the frozen lake at Holmbäckssjön.

The stages will be run twice before Saturday concludes with Umeå Sprint at The Red Barn Arena.

Sunday – a new stage ahead of the final showdown

Sunday brings another new addition as Risträsk makes its debut on the Rally Sweden itinerary.

The stage features an entirely new opening section before joining parts of the former Västervik stage.

Risträsk will be run twice before the rally concludes with the longer Umeå stage, which will once again serve as the event’s final Power Stage in 2027.

With the finish line inside The Red Barn Arena, spectators will have the opportunity to experience what will hopefully be a dramatic conclusion to Rally Sweden 2027 up close.

Preparations continue ahead of winter

With the route planned and the event permit application submitted, extensive preparations for next year’s rally are now continuing. At the same time, the organisers are hoping for favourable winter conditions when the world’s best rally drivers return to Västerbotten.

– Now we’re hoping winter arrives soon so we can start preparing the roads properly. We’d gladly welcome a little more snow than we had in 2026, and perhaps a few degrees warmer during rally week itself. That would give us all the ingredients for another fantastic edition of Rally Sweden, concludes Joakim Åström.

Rally Sweden 2027 takes place on 18–21 February in Umeå and Västerbotten. The event is the second round of the FIA World Rally Championship and the championship’s only true winter rally. First held in 1950, Rally Sweden is one of the most historic events in international rallying.

Please note: This is the planned route for Rally Sweden 2027. Final approval of the event permit is subject to a decision by the County Administrative Board.