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REPORT

SE26 – Skellefteå opens up for the future

From May 27 to June 9, 2026, Skellefteå will be buzzing with life. During Society Expo 2026, SE26, the city will be filled with meetings, discussions, concerts, workshops, and exhibitions, all of which are linked in various ways to the rapid transformation we are currently undergoing.

But the party starts earlier. On May 14–16, the city will heat up with SE26 Preparty – a public festival at Nordanå and around the square with children's activities, local merchants, and cultural events. The preparty replaces the old Våryran and marks the start of an intense spring.

SE26 will take place at five locations around Skellefteå: Guldtorget and Sara Kulturhus, Nordanå, Campus Skellefteå, Kurjoviken, and Skellefteå Airport. In addition, there will be satellites such as Droneport, Arctic Center of Energy, and Wasteland Climate Action Park. At each location, visitors will encounter different themes – from sustainable energy and climate challenges to culture, research and everyday life.

The program is wide-ranging, including international conferences, technical study visits, open lectures, cultural experiences, workshops, and competitions. For two weeks, Skellefteå will be visited by researchers, companies, politicians, school classes, curious neighbors, and tourists.

It will be a wonderful mix!

Notable conferences include Euromine Expo on mining innovation, the Rural Parliament, Place X on place branding, a textile fair, Träfokus Västerbotten, and several hydrogen conferences. The County Administrative Board is also contributing with a program on gender equality in industry.

In addition, special signature projects are highlighted:

  • Arctic Center of Energy – on energy transition and climate.
  • Skellefteå Universities Alliance – on knowledge and skills.
  • Droneport – on the mobility of the future.
  • Wasteland Climate Action Park – where the history of contaminated land becomes a conversation about climate challenges.
  • Society Summit – focusing on housing, social sustainability, and climate.
  • SE26 Exhibition – exhibitions that tie all the themes together.

And amid all the seriousness, there are also lighter elements: Aviation Day, Port Day, Train Day, SE26 Kalas for children, and Taste of Society, which highlights food in a sustainable society. Music, theater, and art give the city extra energy.

And why does this matter?

For fourteen days, SE26 will be visible throughout Skellefteå – but the ideas and projects are intended to live on. Here, residents, associations, companies, researchers, and decision-makers meet to talk about what concerns us all: how do we build a society that lasts over time?

Or as Program and Event Coordinator Maria Rautio puts it:

"We are in the middle of the process. Skellefteå will not be finished during SE26, but these two weeks will serve as a platform for further work.

Everyone is welcome. You can attend a conference, listen to a lecture, bring your children to SE26 Kalas, or just stroll around the exhibitions and try out activities.

Follow SE26 on social media so you don't miss out on the program, which is constantly growing.

Text: Olov Antonsson

Photo: Jonas Westling