HAPPENING 17 to 25 October 2026 | Rotterdam hosts the 54th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Rotterdam Ahoy, bringing leading gymnasts from around the world to the city for nine days of qualification rounds and world-title finals. The championships are also the first opportunity for national teams to qualify directly for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
World gymnastics championships return to Rotterdam
The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships return to Rotterdam from Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October 2026. Rotterdam Ahoy hosts the event for the third time, following earlier World Championships in the city in 1987 and 2010.
Men and women compete for world titles in the team, all-around and individual apparatus competitions. Qualification rounds take place during the first three days, followed by six consecutive days of finals.
The event also plays an important role on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The top three eligible nations in both the men's and women's team finals qualify a five-gymnast team directly for LA28.
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Who to watch in Rotterdam
The final days before the championships have brought a clearer picture of the gymnasts to watch. Brazil's Rebeca Andrade returns to the World Championships after winning the 2022 world all-around title and multiple Olympic medals. She is expected to compete on several apparatus in Rotterdam.
In the men's competition, Japan's Daiki Hashimoto arrives as the three-time reigning world all-around champion and is chasing a fourth consecutive title. Paris 2024 Olympic all-around champion Oka Shinnosuke is also competing, while Algeria's Kaylia Nemour is among the leading contenders in the women's all-around competition.
The qualification draw is also complete. The Dutch women's team competes on Monday 19 October, with Great Britain among the countries in the same subdivision. Every qualification session includes a mix of established champions, national teams and individual apparatus specialists.
Competition schedule
The championships begin with men's qualification on 17 October and continue with men's and women's qualification on 18 October. The women's qualification rounds conclude on 19 October.
Key dates
17 October: men's qualification
18 October: men's and women's qualification
19 October: women's qualification
20 October: men's team final
21 October: women's team final
22 October: men's all-around final
23 October: women's all-around final
24 October: apparatus finals, day one
25 October: apparatus finals, day two
The top eight national teams from qualification advance to the team finals. The best 24 gymnasts in qualification reach each all-around final, with a maximum of two gymnasts per federation, while the top eight gymnasts on each apparatus qualify for the apparatus finals.
On 24 October, the men's medals are decided on floor, pommel horse and rings, while the women compete on vault and uneven bars. The remaining apparatus finals follow on 25 October, with men's vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar, plus women's balance beam and floor.
Each competition session also begins with a short opening show combining gymnastics, music and entertainment.
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Tickets for Rotterdam 2026
Tickets currently start at €24, although availability differs by session. Interest has increased as the championships approach, so it is worth checking availability before making plans.
Rotterdam Ahoy currently lists the women's team final on Wednesday 21 October as sold out. The sessions on Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October are down to the last tickets, while tickets remain available for several other days.
Buy through the official Rotterdam 2026 or Rotterdam Ahoy ticket channels and check the latest availability before travelling.
Epke Zonderland leads the event as Event Director
Olympic horizontal-bar champion Epke Zonderland is Event Director for the 2026 championships. Former Dutch internationals Eythora Thorsdottir and Bart Deurloo have also been appointed Gymnastics Ambassadors for the event.
The championships are presented under the theme Building Bridges, which connects elite competition in Ahoy with grassroots gymnastics, different generations, cultures and activities elsewhere in Rotterdam.
The event's orange mascot, Twist, appears at activities around the championships and throughout the tournament. A TeamNL Fan Zone at Ahoy also offers daily activities, competitions and information about the championships and the Dutch team.
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Getting to Rotterdam Ahoy
Rotterdam Ahoy is in Rotterdam-Zuid at Ahoyweg 10, 3084 BA Rotterdam. Zuidplein metro and bus station is around a five-minute walk from the venue.
Public transport is strongly recommended during the championships. Parking around Ahoy is limited, and roadworks and traffic measures are expected to cause delays throughout the event.
From 16 to 18 October, traffic disruption is expected around the Beneluxtunnel and the route from the Van Brienenoordbrug via Vaanplein towards Ahoy will be closed. From 19 to 23 October, the organisers warn of additional delays on the A15. On 24 and 25 October, drivers leaving Ahoy cannot access the A15 towards the Beneluxtunnel.
If you are travelling by car, allow extra time and check current traffic information before leaving. Travelling to Zuidplein by metro will usually be the simplest option.
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