The Swedish women's national team will play their historic home European Volleyball Championship with their own official anthem.
The song "Hur vi skimrade" ("How We Shone"), performed by Gothenburg-born singer Jackie Mere, has already been released on Spotify. It will be performed live in "Scandinavium" immediately before Sweden's first match at EuroVolley 2026 – against Montenegro on August 21. You can listen to the songhere.
This is the first time in history that an official song has been created specifically for a Swedish national volleyball team.
Isabelle and Anna Haak participated in the creation
Interestingly, two of the national team's stars – sisters Anna and Isabelle Haak – participated in the process of creating the song.
What's more – the big star of Swedish volleyball, Isabelle Haak, can also be heard in the recording itself. The opposite hitter plays a piano part in "Hur vi skimrade."
"It's incredible that we have our own song for EuroVolley! It brings a great mood and I can't wait to hear it in 'Scandinavium'. This is exciting also because it shows what a big event this championship is for Swedish volleyball," said Isabelle Haak.
The Swedish star also revealed more about her unusual role in the recording.
"Anna was involved in the creative process from the very beginning, and it was a lot of fun for me to play the piano part. Piano is one of my hobbies outside of volleyball. It was great to see how the creative process unfolds behind the scenes. The people who created the song are true professionals, and Jackie is amazing," added Haak.
The idea was born more than a year ago
The project began more than a year ago, based on an idea by Tobias Winsnes, who is responsible for the organization of EuroVolley in Gothenburg.
"I felt that our fantastic women's national team deserved their own song when they would play a major championship on home soil for the first time. I had worked with Simon Ljungman before, so I called him right away. That's how it all started," said Winsnes.
The song is performed by Jackie Mere, and its authors are Stina Lindberg and Simon Ljungman. The producer is Andreas "Hyena" Söderlund.
The message: Keep fighting
"Hur vi skimrade" is built around the themes of unity, courage, and belief in one's own abilities – messages that the organizers associate with the rise of the Swedish women's national team in recent years.
"I wanted to write lyrics with a bigger message and a sense of inclusion. A song about continuing to fight, believing in yourself, and at the same time thanking all the people around you. Deep down, we are all winners," explained lyricist Stina Lindberg.
Musically, the song combines the atmosphere of large sports arenas with the traditions of the Gothenburg music scene.
"We wanted to create something that the audience could immediately sing along to. The choruses are inspired by songs in the stands, and the melody started from a simple piano part, which later became the distinctive motif of the song," said Simon Ljungman.
Producer Andreas Söderlund describes the sound as an attempt to bring together "the best of Gothenburg," with a strong presence of choirs and rhythms, combined with Jackie Mere's voice.
Live premiere before Sweden – Montenegro
Jackie Mere will perform "Hur vi skimrade" live at Scandinavium on August 21, just before Sweden begins its participation in EuroVolley 2026 against Montenegro.
The choice of performer also has symbolic significance – Mere was born in Gothenburg.
"The fact that Jackie is also from Gothenburg is especially nice, as the championship will be held in Scandinavium. She really left her own mark on the song," said Tobias Winsnes.
A historic week for Swedish volleyball
Gothenburg will host the matches of Group D of EuroVolley 2026 from August 21 to 27.
A total of 15 matches will be played in the legendary Scandinavium arena over seven days.
Sweden will face Montenegro, Slovakia, world and Olympic champion Italy, Croatia, and France in the group stage, with the goal of qualifying for the knockout phase.
The tournament has historical significance for the country – for the first time, Sweden is hosting matches from a major women's national team championship.
And when Isabelle Haak and her teammates step out in front of their home crowd in Scandinavium, this time they will also have their own soundtrack.
photo: cev.eu
