Sweden is abolishing an almost 70-year-old rule that has made it difficult to do spontaneous dances in pubs or discos. On 1 July, a permit requirement that has stipulated since 1956 that bars, restaurants and nightclubs in Sweden need a permit to allow their guests to dance will be lifted.
Until now, bar owners had to intervene if, for example, there was spontaneous dancing at the counter – if they didn't, they could lose their licence to serve beer. Many saw the scheme as old-fashioned and unnecessarily bureaucratic. The Swedish parliament in Stockholm approved on Wednesday, at the suggestion of the government, that this regulation will now be abolished.
In the future, it will be sufficient for organizers to report dance events to the police orally and free of charge. For dance events in public places such as parks, on the other hand, you still need a permit.