Pétanque in Sweden

Pétanque, known in Sweden simply as boule, has evolved from a niche hobby into a well-organized national sport with a dedicated following. While casual play is common in parks during the summer, the country boasts a highly competitive scene managed by the Svenska Bouleförbundet (SBF).

History & Royal Patronage

According to the SBF, boule came to Sweden from France: it was introduced in the 1940s by French immigrants, and Prince Bertil (1912-1997) made it widely known. A dedicated enthusiast who discovered the sport on the French Riviera, the "Boule Prince" became the game's greatest ambassador. He famously played with friends in a greenhouse at Rosendal Garden in Stockholm, and his legacy lives on through Prins Bertils Boulehall on Djurgården, opened in 1989, which remains a central hub for the Swedish pétanque community.

Organized competition followed in the 1970s: the national federation was founded in 1977, and the first Swedish Championships were played the following year. Stockholm's Jacques Adlivankin, an early promoter of the game in the capital, served as the federation's second chairman from 1979 to 1986.

Svenska Bouleförbundet (SBF)

Founded in 1977 and a member of the Swedish Sports Confederation (Riksidrottsförbundet) since 1989, the SBF oversees the sport's development. According to the federation, it today counts roughly 12,000 members (about 5,000 of whom hold competition licences) across some 230 clubs, organized into eight regional district associations (SDF). The strongest regions are Skåne, West Sweden and the Stockholm area. The federation runs the national league system (Seriespel) and the SBF Online platform for competition calendars, results and league tables.

The federation's highest body is the biennial federation meeting. Hannele Kangas has chaired the SBF since the 2026 federation meeting, succeeding Herman Thorell (chair 2020-2026).

Federation Contact

The SBF's national office (kansli) is at Idrottens Hus, the Swedish sports movement's central office building in Stockholm. Postal address: Box 11016, 100 61 Stockholm; visiting address: Skansbrogatan 7, 118 60 Stockholm. General enquiries go to kansli@svenskboule.se.

Major Tournaments

• Boule-SM (Swedish Championships): The premier annual event, first held in 1978 in Bara, Skåne. The 2026 edition, the 46th, ran 5-11 July at Frihamnen Arena in Gothenburg and drew around 2,000 players. Swedish champions are crowned in 37 events: singles, doubles and triples (seven classes each), mixed doubles (six), mixed triples (five), precision shooting (four) and a generation triples event, across Open, Women's, Junior, Younger Junior and Veteran (V55, V65, V75) classes.
• Svenska Cupen: An indoor competition for club teams, played in Women's, Open, V55 and V65 classes, with preliminary rounds around the country followed by a final round. The winner of the Open class represents Sweden in the European Club Cup. The 2026 women's final is scheduled for 17-18 October and the V55/V65 finals for 14-15 November.
• Prins Bertils Juniorcup: An annual doubles tournament for juniors aged 13-17, with players selected by the districts. The 2026 edition was played 3-4 October at Prins Bertils Boulehall in Stockholm, where Gabriel Brixvi Strende and Jael Roolf won a nine-team field.
• Seriespel (League Play): The SBF runs national leagues for the Open class, headed by the Elitserien, and a veterans' league (Veteranelitserien), while the districts run regional leagues below.

See the full 2026 Sweden tournament calendar for SBF-sanctioned events.

World Championship 2027 in Gothenburg

To mark its 50th anniversary, the SBF will host the 2027 Pétanque World Championships in singles and doubles at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, 2-5 September 2027. Up to 50 nations are expected, each sending two women and two men, with world titles decided in women's singles, men's singles, women's doubles, men's doubles and mixed doubles. It will be the first time Sweden hosts the World Championships in this format; the country previously hosted the 1991 youth World Championship in Malmö and the 1998 women's World Championship in Stockholm.

International Results

Sweden's European Championship (CEP) medal record includes:

• 2026, Lorca (Spain): Jessica Johansson won the women's singles title, beating France's defending champion Aurélie Bories 13-9 in the final. See our full results from Lorca.
• 2026, Loutraki (Greece), U23: silver for the women's triples team (Linnéa Berglund, Felicia Hansen Grip, Alicia Köhalmi and Amiee Sundqvist Mason), who lost the final to France, and bronze for Tim Duvenfelt in precision shooting.
• 2025, Santa Susanna (Spain), Veterans: triples silver (Mikael Gustafsson, Patric Larsson, Staffan Stjerholm, Roger Söder).
• 2024, Martigny (Switzerland): men's singles silver for Ivar Liljegren.
• 2018, Savigliano (Italy): singles bronzes for Charlotta Larsson and Ali Abdi Aden.
• 2016, Halmstad (Sweden, home soil): women's singles silver for Jessica Johansson and men's singles bronze for Rickard Nilsson.
• 2007, Ankara (Turkey): women's triples gold at the 4th European Women's Championship for Lotta Larsson, Jessica Johansson, Lotta Bromér and Sara Lindelöf, ahead of the Czech Republic, with the Netherlands and Italy sharing bronze.
• European Club Cup: Nobel Pétanque Malmö won the title in 1998, Lindome BK took silver in 1999.

At the time of writing, a Swedish team (Therese Ekengren, Camilla Csapo, Nina Roth and Annelie Westin) is competing at the 2026 women's European triples and precision shooting championship in Loutraki, 8-11 October.

The Indoor Culture: Boulebar

Due to the Scandinavian climate, Sweden has pioneered a unique indoor boule culture, with dedicated halls such as Prins Bertils Boulehall hosting club play through the winter. The Boulebar chain has taken the game to a younger, urban audience by combining indoor gravel courts with a French bistro atmosphere. Born in Stockholm, the concept has grown to 13 venues: five in Stockholm, two in Malmö, one each in Gothenburg and Örebro, two in Copenhagen and two in London.

Notable Players

Sweden has produced several world-class players who have achieved success on the international stage:

• Jessica Johansson: One of Sweden's most decorated players, with European Championship gold in Singles at Lorca, Spain (2026), World Championship silver in Women's Doubles (2019), European silver in Singles (2016) and in Precision Shooting (2016), European women's triples gold (2007), and 25 Swedish Championship (SM) gold medals.
• Rickard Nilsson: A Coccinelle Pétanque Club player who became the first player to win three straight SM singles golds (2009-2011), and took European bronzes in Precision Shooting (2009, Nice) and Singles (2016, Halmstad).
• William Silfverberg: A BK Kärnan shooter who won SM Open Singles gold in 2017, 2018 and 2022, and in 2023 became just the 42nd player in Swedish boule history to be named a "Stor Spelare" (Great Player), on the strength of 135 national-team caps, two European Championship bronzes and a Nordic Championship gold.

Clubs & Hotspots

Major clubs like Coccinelle Pétanque Club (Malmö), Lindome BK (near Gothenburg), and AIK Pétanque (Solna) form the backbone of the competitive scene. In the summer, hotspots like Rålambshovsparken in Stockholm and Slottsskogen in Gothenburg become vibrant centers for both casual and competitive play.