The winter classic will be held in its traditional February slot as the second round of the 2026 season, with Umeå once again serving as the rally base.
In 2026, the rally will feature a total of 18 special stages covering around 300 kilometres. Most of the route is familiar from last winter’s edition, though there are some tweaks.
“We don’t have any completely new stages for 2026. But both the promoter and the international federation, the FIA, require us to refresh parts of the route, and we will do so by running the Kolksele and Västervik stages in the opposite direction,” explained Rally Sweden’s route manager Joakim Åström.
“In addition, the Bygdsiljum stage will feature an entirely new opening section of around six kilometres before joining the previous route and finishing as it did this year.”
According to Åström, last year’s route worked well for both the drivers and the fans, which is why the organisers have only made fine adjustments this time.
In 2025, Rally Sweden introduced a new shakedown stage along the Ume River boulevard in Umeå. While the character of the stage differed from the rally’s main tests, it proved to be a highly effective solution for the organisers.
The shakedown, located right on the edge of Umeå city centre, drew large crowds to the roadside, so the rally cars will once again be tuned to competition mode on the same stage next year.
“Shakedown on Strandpromenaden was clearly a new and successful initiative when we introduced it this year. It became a hit with the fans, and we in the organisation received a great deal of positive feedback. Not only from the spectators, but also from the WRC Promoter, who really liked the idea of bringing the rally close to the public,” Åström said.
Rally Sweden will take place from 12–15 February 2026.
