Appeals Rejected & Building Permit for the GGN Track Upheld

PRESS RELEASE 2026-05-26

COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD REJECTS APPEALS – BUILDING PERMIT FOR THE GGN TRACK REMAINS VALID

On May 22, 2026, Nordic Sport & Event took a major step forward towards securing the permanent establishment of the GGN track in Hejdeby, Gotland.

Nordic Sport & Event, organizer of Gotland Grand National, was informed by the County Administrative Board of Stockholm on February 18, 2026, that it had taken over the handling of the appeals in cases no. 5306-2025 and 148-2026.

The reason the County Administrative Board of Gotland transferred the cases to another County Administrative Board was both due to limited resources and to allow an external authority to review Region Gotland’s decisions regarding the building permit.

“At first, the decision came as a surprise to us since the County Administrative Board of Gotland had been working with the GGN establishment in Hejdeby since the autumn of 2023, and we believed they could have handled the appeals themselves. However, looking back at it today, the process has become even stronger for us now that the County Administrative Board of Stockholm has thoroughly reviewed everything we have done since August 28, 2023, when we were informed that we could no longer remain at the historic Tofta military training grounds,” says Conny Bohlin, CEO of Nordic Sport & Event, in a press release.

On May 22, 2026, the County Administrative Board of Gotland decided in case no. 5306 to reject the appeal concerning the building permit for the GGN track.

The decision states:

“The County Administrative Board of Gotland rejects the appeal.”

The County Administrative Board of Stockholm has therefore reviewed and upheld Region Gotland’s decision to grant a building permit for an enduro track including service loop, parking area and service building.

“This means that the County Administrative Board has confirmed Region Gotland’s decision regarding a permanent enduro track in Hejdeby, Gotland,” continues Conny Bohlin.

On May 22, 2026, the County Administrative Board of Gotland also decided in case no. 148-2026 to reject the appeals in the matter concerning notification of environmentally hazardous activities related to the permanent enduro track for Gotland Grand National (GGN), including the assessment that the activity cannot be considered to cause significant environmental impact.

At the same time, the County Administrative Board referred a limited part of the matter back to the Regional Environment and Building Committee for supplementary permit and exemption review related to petroleum handling within a water protection area.

However, the County Administrative Board did not question the location, legality or overall environmental impact of the activity.

“Regarding the permits connected to petroleum handling, we have already operated under similar permits during both GGN 2024 and GGN 2025. In its decision of May 22, 2026, the County Administrative Board did not question the location, legality or environmental impact of the activity overall, but only determined that a formal supplementary exemption and permit review under the water protection regulations is required for parts of the petroleum handling within protected zones. We consider this supplementary review to be a manageable and limited part of the process since equivalent handling has already been approved during GGN 2024 and GGN 2025,” concludes Conny Bohlin.

Today, May 26, 2026, a request for expedited handling of the matter was submitted to Region Gotland.

GGN 2026 is being planned and will be carried out as scheduled. The event already has the necessary approvals under the Swedish Off-Road Driving Act and the Public Order Act.

FACTS
– Gotland Grand National is the world’s largest enduro race and attracts more than 3,000 riders from several countries every year.
– Gotland Grand National was founded in 1984 and has been organized for 42 consecutive years.
– Participants range in age from approximately 5 to 75 years old.
– Approximately 25 km course in classic Gotland terrain.
– Around 28,000 guest nights are generated during race week.
– Approximately SEK 100 million in annual revenue for the local economy.
– Approximately SEK 800,000 annually to local sports clubs and associations.
– 12 hours of live broadcast coverage in 2026 across two days.
– Event dates: October 22–24, 2026.

For further information, please contact:
Conny Bohlin
CEO, Nordic Sport & Event AB
Phone: +46 70 824 94 94
E-mail: conny.bohlin@nordicsportevent.se