Rally Sweden is facing opposition from locals

Rally Sweden is set to be the second round of the 2025 WRC season, with the event being the championship's only snow rally. However, with just two months to go before the start, the organisers are facing opposition from the Sami villages in the area.

Rally Sweden moved to Umeå in 2022 in search of more snow, but the move has seen the event's organisers struggling to see eye to eye with the local villages, who oppose the event's route due to the rally disturbing the reindeer grazing happening at this time of year. 

Reindeer might face increased stress and disruption in migration patterns caused by noise and vehicle traffic along the rally routes, whch would affect the local Sami communities, as they are reliant on reindeer herding.

These issues saw 2 stage cancellations in 2022, the first time the event was held in Umeå.

The past two versions of the rally were run with little to no issues, as the event's organisers made agreements with the local communities to plan the event's route in a way so that it keeps the disruption of reindeer at minimal levels.

However, for 2025, these agreements have expired, and new ones have not been able to be put in place yet, thus putting the event in jeopardy. 

The Sami villages of Rans and Grans have argued that the grazing looks set to be worse this winter. And that the reindeer therefore need larger areas to move around.

Poor grazing means that reindeer move over areas, so it is not possible to guarantee a reindeer-free rally route, as per Swedish site, Folkbladet.

The Rally Sweden organisers currently have 14 out of the event's 18 stages in areas opposed by the Sami people, with only the Umeå Sprint and Umeå stages remaining unaffected. 

The situation is set to be resolved this week.

Event director Erik Åström, has refused to comment on the ongoing matter, out of respect to everyone involved.

Source: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/sapmi/rally-sweden-planerar-rallystrackor-pa-betesmarker-trots-samebyarnas-protester