PRESS RELEASE June 29, 2026

GGN'S PERMANENT ARENA HAS BEEN DEEMED LEGAL—A THREE-YEAR LEGAL BATTLE IS OVER.

After nearly three years of legal proceedings, it is now clear. The building permit and the necessary approvals for the Gotland Grand Nationals’ permanent track in Hejdeby have become legally binding. For the first time since the Swedish Armed Forces closed the Tofta firing range in 2023, the GGN’s future is legally secured.

When the Swedish Armed Forces announced in August 2023 that the Gotland Grand National (the world’s largest enduro race) could no longer be held at the Tofta firing range after 40 years, the organizer faced the greatest challenge in the race’s history. Since then, Nordic Sport & Event has invested nearly five million kronor in a brand-new venue, navigated five court cases and extensive regulatory reviews—all while the company built an entirely new race course in less than five weeks after the first temporary permit became legally binding. Despite the extreme time constraints, the Gotland Grand National was successfully held in Hejdeby in both 2024 and 2025. Now that all decisions have become final, the three-year legal process has come to an end, and the GGN’s future is permanently secured.

The decision calls for operations seven (7) months a year on parts of the track (two properties in Arena 1) between August 1 and the last day of February each year. This creates entirely new opportunities to develop test drives for companies, conference guests, and other activities, which in turn creates new opportunities for both Gotland and Nordic Sport & Event as the organizer.

For Nordic Sport & Event, this decision marks the conclusion of one of the most extensive permitting processes for a Swedish sporting event in recent years. At the same time, it signals the start of the next phase in the company’s development, as the focus now shifts from legal proceedings to the continued development of the Gotland Grand National as an international event and an even stronger driver of tourism on Gotland.

“Perhaps the most remarkable thing isn’t that we now have a permanent permit. The most remarkable thing is that, in the meantime, we managed to relocate the world’s largest enduro race, build a brand-new arena in less than five weeks, and host two successful events—all while the legal proceedings were still ongoing,” says Conny Bohlin, CEO of Nordic Sport & Event.

“On this journey, we’ve had tremendous support from government agencies, the business community, partners, participants, clubs, and automotive enthusiasts, and we already demonstrated in 2020 during the (COVID) pandemic that we can handle difficult situations and crises—as we were perhaps the only major event in all of Europe that was able to take place in the fall of 2020,” says Conny Bohlin.

“Now the next chapter in GGN’s history begins. Over the coming weeks, we will launch a new international brand for the Gotland Grand National and take the next step in our global expansion with a twelve (12)-hour live broadcast for viewers around the world,” concludes Conny Bohlin.

TIMELINE
– August 28, 2023: The Swedish Armed Forces announce that Tofta will be closed to GGN starting in 2024.
– 2024: After a legal process through five levels of court, the temporary permits become legally binding just weeks before the competition. A brand-new course is built in less than five weeks, and the GGN is held with great success.
– 2025: The GGN is held once again in Hejdeby while the legal proceedings continue.
– June 27, 2026: The appeal period expires. All decisions have now become final, and the permanent establishment is definitively secured.

FACTS
The Gotland Grand National is the world’s largest enduro race and attracts over 3,000 participants from several countries each year.
– The Gotland Grand National began in 1984 and has been held for 42 consecutive years
– Participants range in age from approximately 5 to 75 years old
– A course approximately 25 km long through Gotland’s terrain
– 28,000 guest nights during the competition week
– Approximately 100 million kronor in annual revenue for the local business community
– Approximately 800,000 kronor annually for community organizations
– 12 hours of live broadcast in 2026 (spread over two days)
– To be held October 22–24, 2026

For more information, please contact:
Conny Bohlin,CEO of Nordic Sport & Event AB
Phone:070-824 94 94.
Email: conny.bohlin@nordicsportevent.se