About Halmstad

The best thing about Halmstad is that everything is close at hand. This is one of our biggest strengths! Halmstad is a place where culture, innovation, history, leisure activities, art and nature all come together, creating quality of life for visitors, residents and the business sector.

Our location in one of Sweden's fastest growing regions - the West coast - enables businesses to grow and tourism to thrive. Halmstad is a popular place to live in and the city’s population is growing. We are part of the cooperation body Greater Copenhagen External link, opens in new window. which promotes cooperation with Denmark and the county of Skåne.

Sustainable growth

Halmstad has a population of about 103,000 people, making it the 17th largest municipality in Sweden. We estimate we will have grown by another 50,000 inhabitants by 2050, and this must come about in a sustainable way. That is why there are many exciting projects linked to sustainable growth in Halmstad.

Accessible to everyone

For us, it is a matter of course that the city must be accessible to everyone regardless of circumstances. In recent years, Halmstad has held a top position in Humana's accessibility barometer, something we are very proud of. Their annual survey is based on a mapping of how municipalities work with accessibility in everything from sports facilities to communication.

Fullt med människor på after beach i Tylösand. Scen med artister på.

After Beach i Tylösand

A city of great experiences

Tourism

Halmstad is a popular tourist city. In the summer, hundreds of thousands of tourists come to Halmstad to enjoy its beaches, nature and wide range of culture and restaurants. Traces of our exciting Swedish-Danish history are clearly visible in the city centre, not least at Halmstad Castle. Our most famous beach is Tylösand, which can attract up to 40,000 bathers on a sunny summer day. Sweden's one and only manned lifeguard station is located here, as is the Nordic region's one and only lifeguard school.

For inspiration and tips before your visit, take a look at the official guide for tourists and residents at destinationhalmstad.se. External link, opens in new window.

Culture and entertainment

Our fine city library (swe) External link, opens in new window. is acclaimed for its unique architecture. It is a popular place for people thirsting for culture and knowledge. Halmstad is a true city of music. Many pop stars have seen the light of day here, for example, Per Gessle, Gyllene Tider, Linnea Henriksson, Basshunter and Mariette. Naturally, that has made a mark on the city. Halmstad Theater has been Halmstad’s main venue for culture and entertainment ever since 1954 and many stars have performed on its stages. Kulturhuset Najaden (swe) External link, opens in new window. is a centre for all kinds of music, dance and culture and has been developed together with representatives from Halmstad’s local culture.

Staty av tjur och människa

Europa och tjuren av Carl Milles

Art

Mjellby Art Museum, External link, opens in new window. located west of the city centre, is the residence of the Halmstad Group. External link, opens in new window. The Group's surrealist works are displayed in the museum's permanent exhibition. There are also a number of Halmstad Group works in Halmstad Theater. In the autumn of 2019, Halland Art Museum External link, opens in new window. reopened after major renovations and an extension had been completed. Hotel Tylösand is the only hotel in Sweden to have an art gallery that is open round the clock. It is run by Tres Hombres. External link, opens in new window. At Slottsmöllan, you will find the internationally famous photography art gallery, The Photo Gallery. External link, opens in new window. Halmstad’s public art is in a class of its own, where, for example, Picasso, Reuterswärd, Carl Milles, Walter Bengtsson and Olle Baertling are represented.

Sport

Halmstad offers many opportunities to both watch and play sports. Football, handball, tennis and table tennis are just some of the sports where Halmstad’s sportspersons excel, with stars such as Fredrik Ljungberg, Janne Andersson, Bengt "Benga" Johansson, Sofia Arwidsson and Jörgen Persson. Halmstad Arena (swe) External link, opens in new window. is a multi-arena with large areas and many opportunities for both amateur and elite sports. The table tennis World Cup was played in Halmstad Arena in 2018.

Halmstad is also one of Sweden's foremost golf cities, with as many as 153 golf holes spread over eight unique facilities with over 10,000 members. It is not surprising that Halmstad has been named the golf capital of Sweden! External link, opens in new window.

Handbollsmatch på Halmstad Arena med massa publik

Halmstad Arena. Foto: Fröken Fokus

Events and meetings in Halsmtad

To fulfil our ambition of offering visitors a wide choice of different experiences, we have a focused and long-term strategy for events and large-scale meetings. We have been implementing this strategy for more than ten years. For example, Halmstad has hosted the Solheim Cup, the World Cup in team table tennis, Titanic – the Exhibition, and the UEFA Women's European Championship, as well as several major meetings. All this experience has resulted in a culture of well-developed collaboration regarding events and meetings which means we have an efficient organisation for events of any size. Contact Halmstad Convention Bureau (swe) External link, opens in new window. for more information.

Halmstad's central location on the west coast makes the city an attractive all-year-round destination. You can easily get here by road, rail and air. There is also a ferry service between Halmstad and Grenå.

Halmstad – get more out of life

“Some people think it’s because of the close proximity of the sea and nature. Others say it’s because of the special light. It’s as if a little bit of summer lingers on in Halmstad – all year round. Here, there are so many opportunities to get more out of life.”

This is a film for those who live in Halmstad or are interested in coming here. Feel free to use it when talking about our municipality in different contexts. However, remember not to change the film in any way. The film was made in 2019.

Education and development

There are two higher education institutions in Halmstad that support the development of knowledge and innovation. The Military Academy in Halmstad External link, opens in new window. trains and promotes the professional competence of specialist and reserve officers. Halmstad University External link, opens in new window. is a popular university with a wide range of study programmes and outstanding research in, primarily, information technology, innovation science, and health and lifestyle. In addition, Halmstad University has been designated a national sports university by the Swedish Sports Confederation.

Dynamic business sector

Halmstad has a dynamic business sector where most companies are small or medium-sized. Many logistics companies establish themselves here and the service sector, retail and manufacturing industries are also prominent. The hospitality industry is one of our most important sectors, which is undoubtedly thanks to Halmstad’s wide range of events and sports, nature and countryside, culinary experiences and, not least, our excellent hospitality services.

Some of the largest employers in Halmstad are Halmstad Municipality (swe), External link, opens in new window. Region Halland (swe), External link, opens in new window. the Swedish Armed Forces (with the Military Academy, External link, opens in new window. Technical School, External link, opens in new window. Air Defence Regiment External link, opens in new window. and Halland Battalion), Halmstad University External link, opens in new window., Martin & Servera, External link, opens in new window. Albany International External link, opens in new window. and Getinge Sterilisation. External link, opens in new window.