It is a law from another time that Sweden is preparing to repeal. The country’s bars and nightclubs will soon no longer need permits to organize dance parties, the government announced on Thursday. Parliament is therefore expected to soon put an end to 67-year-old legislation that has been debated for decades.
It dates back to 1956, when politicians tried to put a stop to the proliferation of dance parties in this Scandinavian kingdom, where unaccompanied young people consumed alcohol and listened to what some considered at the time to be immoral music.
“Not reasonable for the state to regulate dance”
“This is long overdue pro-freedom reform,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said in a statement. “It is not reasonable for the state to regulate dancing,” he continued, noting that removing the requirement for a license would also reduce the amount of red tape for businesses.
In 2016, the Swedish Parliament had already decided that it was time to get rid of this law. After which the previous government had decided to open an investigation in this direction. The latter, completed in 2018, had however concluded that obtaining authorization was useful in terms of safety and only suggested that it be revised.
The issue was put on hold when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, resulting in the limitation of social interactions. For dance events in public spaces, however, their organizers will need to continue to inform the police so that potential security issues can be assessed.