The Winter Swimming World Championships will return to Oulu in the European Capital of Culture year 2026

The Winter Swimming World Championships will return to its roots in Oulu in 2026. The World Championship pool will be built in the Raatti beach, and the Raatti Sport Centre will serve as the competition centre. The Winter Swimming World Championships will be one of the international high points of the European Capital of Culture year 2026.  

International swimmers are particularly happy that the competition returns to Finland. The internationality of the competition arguably began in Oulu after the Championships were held here in 2006.  

The 2026 championship city was announced as the climax of the 14th World Championships held in Tallinn on March 4–10. The competition held in Tallinn was the largest ever. The chairperson of the International Winter Swimming Association Mariia Yrjö-Koskinen was proud to hand the hosting duties to her hometown, Oulu.  

City of Oulu’s Administration Manager Ari Heikkinen accepted the duty amid loud cheers. “Tallinn’s competition organization set the bar for the Championship arrangements and atmosphere very high, but I believe in the capability of Oulu, especially in the European Capital of Culture year 2026”, Heikkinen states. 

1500 swimmers from 40 countries participated in the week-long competition in Tallinn. There were 236 Finnish swimmers representing different clubs. 

Read more about the Tallinn Winter Swimming World Championships: tallinnwc2024.ee