February is when Swedish families go skiing, so the mountains fill while the cities stay calm. Here is which weeks are crowded, what the month costs, what the weather does and what is on in 2027.
When you need this
You’re picking a February week for a ski trip and want to know which weeks are already full. Or you’re weighing a February city break against a mountain trip. Maybe you want to time a visit to the Jokkmokk market, Sámi National Day or a Melodifestivalen heat, or you’re wondering whether Lapland’s Arctic resorts and mountain huts are open yet.
Two Februaries: crowded mountains, quiet cities
“Is February peak season?” has two answers, and the official statistics give both. SCB, Statistics Sweden, publishes monthly bed occupancy for hotels, cabin villages and hostels by county. In 2018 and 2019, the last two years before the pandemic in its open monthly series, Dalarna and Jämtland had their busiest month of the whole year in February, ahead of July. Those are the counties of Sälen, Mora, Åre and Vemdalen.
The rest of Sweden looks the other way. Nationally, February filled well under 40% of beds, against more than 60% in July, and Stockholm County was near its quietest of the year. Prices agree: SCB’s national hotel price index rises about 7% from January to February but stays about 15% below the year’s peak months. That index is dominated by city hotels, so it says nothing about mountain lodging. The exact figures are in Practical information below.
| If you’re going to… | February is… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Åre, Sälen, Vemdalen, Mora | The busiest month of the year | Sportlov plus late-winter skiing |
| Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö | Quiet and moderately priced | Hotel demand near its yearly low |
| Kiruna, Abisko, Jokkmokk | Busy, but not at Lapland’s yearly peak | Norrbotten’s peak month is July |
Sportlov week by week
The reason for the mountain crowds is sportlov, the one-week school winter break. No national rule sets it: each municipality picks a week between 7 and 10, so Sweden’s children are spread across four consecutive weeks. Independent schools may choose a different week from the municipality around them.
| Week | 2027 dates | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 15–19 February | Gothenburg, Jönköping, Borås |
| 8 | 22–26 February | Malmö, Uppsala, Örebro |
| 9 | 1–5 March | Stockholm, Karlstad, Borlänge, Luleå |
| 10 | 8–12 March | Umeå, Östersund, Sundsvall |
The trap is booking “the week after” one city’s break: it is another city’s break. In February 2027 the only clear window is 1–12 February, before week 7 begins. Swedish school holidays has the full lookup by town. For resort choice and ways around the crowds, see skiing in Sweden.
Weather by region
February’s weather is January’s, with more light. These are SMHI’s 1991–2020 normals, the national weather agency’s 30-year averages.
| Place | February normal | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Lund, Skåne | +1.0 °C | Spring arrives on 5 February on average; little lasting snow |
| Stockholm | −1.0 °C | Still winter; spring arrives in early March |
| Östersund, Jämtland | −5.6 °C | Inland winter; Åre’s upper mountain open from 8 February |
| Kiruna, Lapland | −11.2 °C | Deep cold; aurora season still running |
Lapland can go far below its normal: the Jokkmokk market recorded −40 °C in 2012. Our packing guide for a Swedish winter has the layers, and Sweden’s weather month by month compares February with its neighbours.
February 2027 calendar
February has no public holidays, so shops, museums and offices keep normal hours all month.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 February | Jokkmokk winter market, the 422nd |
| Until Sunday 7 February | Göteborg Film Festival, 50th edition |
| Saturday 6 February | Sámi National Day; Melodifestivalen heat 1, Karlstad |
| Monday 8 February | Åre’s upper-mountain lifts (högzon) open |
| Tuesday 9 February | Shrove Tuesday: last day of semla season |
| Saturday 13 February | Melodifestivalen heat 2, Gothenburg |
| Monday 15 February | Sportlov week 7 begins |
| Thursday 18 February | Riksgränsen’s season opens |
| Saturday 20 February | Melodifestivalen heat 3, Malmö |
| Monday 22 February | Sportlov week 8 begins |
| Wednesday 24 February | Nordic World Ski Championships open in Falun |
| Late February | STF mountain huts open for the winter season |
| Friday 26 – Sunday 28 February | Vasaloppet winter week starts; Melodifestivalen heat 4, Halmstad (27th) |
| Next | Stockholm’s sportlov 1–5 March; Vasaloppet 7 March; Melodifestivalen final 13 March |
Sámi National Day, 6 February, marks the first Sámi congress, held in Trondheim in 1917. Many municipalities fly the Sámi flag, but it is neither a public holiday nor an official Swedish flag day. Our guide to Sámi National Day explains how to join in respectfully.
Shrove Tuesday, 9 February 2027, is fettisdagen, the day of the semla, a cream-and-almond-paste bun. Bakeries sell it until that day, and then the season ends. See our semla guide.
Melodifestivalen is SVT’s contest to pick Sweden’s Eurovision song. Its heats fall on Saturdays 6, 13, 20 and 27 February 2027, in Karlstad, Gothenburg, Malmö and Halmstad, and you can watch on TV or in the arena. Melodifestivalen explained covers the format.
Lapland and the Arctic resorts
Lapland in February means cold, snow and the year’s big Sámi market, but opening dates decide what you can do.
- The Jokkmokk winter market always starts on the first Thursday of February and runs Thursday to Saturday: 4–6 February 2027. The market area is open 10:00–18:00, and entry is free, though some side events charge. Don’t arrive on the Sunday. Read the Jokkmokk winter market guide first.
- Riksgränsen has published its 2027 season: 18 February to 23 May. Arrive earlier and it is shut.
- Björkliden opened on 6 February in 2026 and will announce its 2027 dates before the season.
- STF’s mountain huts open for the winter season only at the end of February, so an early-February ski tour has nowhere to sleep.
- The Icehotel names February, with December, as a busy month; rooms are easier in January, March or April. See the Icehotel guide.
- The aurora season in the Kiruna area runs from September to March, and February evenings are still dark. Displays are often most active between 21:00 and 23:00. Northern lights in Sweden covers the odds.
For the trip north, SJ’s winter-sports period runs from 11 January to 4 April 2027, with tickets on sale from the end of October 2026; see the night train to Lapland.
Dalarna’s crowded end of February
Late February 2027 stacks three crowds in one county. The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships run in Falun from 24 February to 7 March. The Vasaloppet winter week starts on 26 February with Vasaloppet 30, followed by Tjejvasan on the 27th and Öppet Spår on the 28th, and ends with the 90 km Vasaloppet from Sälen to Mora on Sunday 7 March. Sportlov weeks 8 and 9 fall in the same fortnight.
If you want the atmosphere without the main-race weekend, the first weekend of the winter week is the alternative. Whatever you choose, book beds near Falun, Mora or Sälen early. The Vasaloppet guide has dates, fees and spectator logistics, and the Sälen ski guide covers the resort.
Cities in February
City February is grey, cold and calm. Hotel demand is near its yearly low, there are no holiday closures, and Stockholm’s congestion tax stays at low-season rates until 1 March (congestion tax explained). Gothenburg closes its film festival on 7 February and hosts a Melodifestivalen heat on the 13th. Plan the semla before the 9th.
Staying safe on ice and in the cold
| Risk | What the authorities say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Ice on pavements | Slipping is the most common cause of pedestrian falls (Trafikverket) | Wear broddar, ice grips for shoes |
| Wind chill | SMHI warns at a mean wind of 10 m/s and an effective −28 °C, when frostbite risk is great | Cover skin; see cold safety |
| Driving | Winter tyres are compulsory in winter conditions, 1 December–31 March, foreign cars included | See winter driving in Sweden |
| Deep cold in the north | Jokkmokk has no engine-heater (motorvärmare) rental at its car parks | Plan how your car will start in deep cold |
SMHI’s warnings come in yellow (some risk), orange (danger to the public) and red (great danger). Check them before a long drive or a mountain day: SMHI weather warnings.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| SCB hotel price index (2020 = 100) | February 2025: 141.1 (January 132.0; May peak 165.3). February 2026: 144.0 (January 134.1; September 171.1) |
| Bed occupancy, February 2019 (2018) | Dalarna 52.6% (53.4%), year’s highest; Jämtland 49.4% (51.6%), year’s highest; Sweden 37.8% (38.6%) vs July 63.0% (61.3%); Stockholm County 42.9% vs August 67.6% |
| Public holidays | None in February |
| Sportlov | Weeks 7–10, 15 February – 14 March 2027, by municipality |
| Jokkmokk market | 4–6 February 2027, 10:00–18:00; free entry to the market area |
| Riksgränsen | 18 February – 23 May 2027 |
| Åre upper mountain | From 8 February 2027 |
| Falun world championships | 24 February – 7 March 2027 |
| Vasaloppet winter week | 26 February – 7 March 2027 |
| Congestion tax | Low season in Stockholm all February |
| SJ winter-sports night trains | 11 January – 4 April 2027; on sale from end of October 2026 |
FAQ
Is February a good time to visit Sweden?
Yes, for snow and winter events, if you book the mountains early. February brings longer days than January, the Jokkmokk market, Sámi National Day and the semla, and the Arctic resorts open mid-month. The catch is sportlov, weeks 7–10, which makes February the busiest month of the year in Dalarna and Jämtland. Cities stay quiet and around freezing.
When is sportlov in February 2027?
Sportlov runs in weeks 7 to 10, from 15 February to 14 March 2027, and each municipality picks its own week. Gothenburg has week 7 (15–19 February), Malmö and Uppsala week 8 (22–26 February), Stockholm week 9 (1–5 March) and Umeå week 10. Independent schools may differ, so check the municipality’s own page.
Is February expensive in Sweden?
It depends where. In the mountains, yes: Dalarna and Jämtland filled more beds in February than in any other month in 2018 and 2019. In the cities, no: SCB’s national hotel price index rises about 7% from January but stays roughly 15% below the summer and autumn peaks, and Stockholm’s hotels are near their quietest.
How cold is Sweden in February?
About as cold as January. SMHI’s 1991–2020 February normals are +1.0 °C in Lund, −1.0 °C in Stockholm, −5.6 °C at Östersund and −11.2 °C in Kiruna. On average spring arrives in Lund on 5 February, while Stockholm stays in winter until early March. Lapland can be far colder: Jokkmokk’s market once recorded −40 °C.
What events are there in Sweden in February 2027?
The Jokkmokk winter market (4–6 February), Sámi National Day (6 February), Shrove Tuesday with its semla (9 February), Melodifestivalen heats on Saturdays from 6 February, the Nordic World Ski Championships in Falun from 24 February, and the Vasaloppet winter week from 26 February. The Göteborg Film Festival ends on 7 February.
Are there public holidays in Sweden in February?
No. None of Sweden’s public holidays falls in February, so shops, museums and offices keep normal hours all month. Sámi National Day on 6 February is celebrated widely, and many municipalities fly the Sámi flag, but it is neither a public holiday nor an official Swedish flag day. Shrove Tuesday is an ordinary working day.
Can I ski in Lapland in February?
Yes, from mid-month at the Arctic resorts. Riksgränsen opens its 2027 season on 18 February and runs to 23 May; Björkliden opened on 6 February in 2026 and has not yet published 2027 dates. STF’s mountain huts open for ski touring only in late February. Åre’s upper mountain, further south, opens on 8 February 2027.
Related guides
- Swedish school holidays — every sportlov week by town, so you can book around them.
- Skiing in Sweden — resorts compared, season dates and how to dodge the crowds.
- Vasaloppet — the 2027 winter week, fees and how to watch.
- Sweden in January — the quiet, cheaper month before sportlov.
- Sweden in March — the month after: late sportlov, Vasaloppet and spring skiing.
Facts verified 2026-10-14. Sources: SCB (Statistics Sweden) and Tillväxtverket, SMHI, Sveriges riksdag (Lag 1989:253, Förordning 1982:270, Lag 2004:629), Transportstyrelsen, Trafikverket, Sametinget, the municipalities of Gothenburg, Stockholm, Malmö and Umeå, Jokkmokks marknad, Vasaloppet, Visit Dalarna, SkiStar, Riksgränsen, Björkliden, STF, SJ — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.