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Swedish Public Holidays: What Closes and What Runs

Updated 3 min read

Swedish public holidays, marked in red on any Swedish calendar as "röd dag", genuinely close things — shops, offices, and many services scale right back or shut entirely, more thoroughly than a typical bank holiday in some other countries. Landing on one without knowing changes what your first day can realistically look like.

This guide lists the main holidays and eve days, and what to expect from each in terms of what's actually open.

On this page
  1. The main public holidays
  2. Eve days ('afton') matter as much as the holiday itself
  3. What actually stays open
  4. If your trip lands on one
  5. Planning around a holiday trip

The main public holidays

Sweden's calendar includes New Year's Day, Epiphany, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday, May Day, Ascension Day, National Day (6 June), Midsummer's Day, All Saints' Day, and Christmas Day and Boxing Day, along with Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, which function similarly to full holidays even though they aren't officially red days.

Eve days ('afton') matter as much as the holiday itself

Midsummer's Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are, in practice, treated like the holiday itself by most Swedes — shops often close early or entirely, and offices frequently close for the day well before the official holiday begins. If you're planning around one of these, assume the eve day is affected too, not just the date on the calendar.

What actually stays open

Restaurants and some tourist-facing venues generally stay open on public holidays, sometimes with adjusted hours, and larger supermarkets often keep at least reduced hours. Government offices, most retail outside tourist areas, and many services close entirely — worth checking specifically if a holiday falls during your trip and you have plans that depend on something being open.

  • Midsummer, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are the most disruptive — plan around the eve day, not just the holiday itself
  • Restaurants and tourist venues generally stay open, often with adjusted hours
  • Offices, most retail and many services close entirely

If your trip lands on one

There's no surge pricing or holiday surcharge on a booked transfer regardless of the date — the fixed price is the same whether you land on an ordinary Tuesday or Midsummer's Eve, which is one less thing to plan around on a day when much else is closed.

Planning around a holiday trip

If a public holiday falls during your visit, it's worth checking specific opening hours for anything your plans depend on — a particular museum, a restaurant you'd like to book, a shop you need for something specific — a few days ahead rather than assuming normal hours apply. Booking your transfer in advance is one part of the trip that doesn't need that same checking, since flight tracking and a fixed price work exactly the same on a holiday as on any other day.

What every Förare booking includes

The fixed price you see before booking is the price on your receipt — 6% VAT included, whole car, not per person.

  • Flight tracked — pickup follows your live arrival
  • 45 minutes free waiting, from your driver's confirmed arrival
  • No terminal fee
  • No surge pricing, ever
  • Free cancellation up to 12 hours

Questions people ask before booking

Do shops close on Swedish public holidays?

Many do, more thoroughly than a typical bank holiday elsewhere — larger supermarkets sometimes keep reduced hours, but general retail and offices are commonly closed entirely.

What is an 'afton' day?

The eve of a major holiday — Midsummer's Eve, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve — treated in practice like the holiday itself by most Swedes, even though it isn't officially a public holiday.

Are restaurants open on public holidays?

Generally, yes, often with adjusted hours — restaurants and tourist-facing venues tend to stay open more reliably than general retail or offices.

Does landing on a public holiday cost more for a transfer?

No — there's no surge pricing or holiday surcharge. The fixed price is the same regardless of the date.

Which Swedish holiday closes the most things?

Midsummer's Eve is widely considered the quietest and most closed day of the year, alongside Christmas Eve.

Book your Arlanda pickup

Enter the address and you will see the price for the whole car before anything is paid. No account needed.

  • One fixed price for the whole car, 6% VAT included, shown before you pay.
  • We follow the live arrival and move the pickup to the actual landing time.
  • Cancel free of charge more than 12 hours before pickup, refunded in full.
See your fixed priceSee the price list

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