Karlsruhe will be the first city to host The World Games twice. It staged the event in 1989, and from July 19 to 29, 2029, it gets another turn.
The International World Games Association (IWGA) confirmed the full programme on Sept. 3 from Lausanne, Switzerland. It covers 36 sports and 62 disciplines, and the IWGA expects around 4,000 athletes from more than 100 countries. The list includes the sports invited by the host city and the sports for athletes with impairment. The IWGA Executive Committee and the Karlsruhe 2029 Organising Committee both signed off on it, building on an initial programme announced after the association’s annual general meeting in April.
The organisers’ own website puts the number at 63 disciplines and calls it the most diverse line-up in the history of the Games. The two counts differ, and the organisers have not explained why.
What organisers are saying
IWGA CEO Constance Terrier said the programme reflects “the diversity, quality and global appeal” of the movement. Sports Director Sebastian Garvens said the aim was a programme that is “balanced, athlete-focused and operationally sustainable,” and that finalising it gives federations clarity as qualification pathways start.
Martin Wacker, CEO of The World Games 2029 Karlsruhe GmbH, pointed to the practical side: existing sports venues, barrier-free access, short distances and fair ticket prices. He also wants people from Karlsruhe and the surrounding region involved. His local sports director, Alain Blondel, singled out para sports as an integral part of the programme.
Venues and tickets
No new venues will be built. The city plans to use existing competition and event sites, or ones already in the planning stage, topped up with a few temporary venues in the city centre. Key locations include the Festplatz festival grounds, the Convention Centre with the Schwarzwaldhalle and the modernised Stadthalle, and the Trade Fair Centre.
The event is organised by the city in cooperation with the state government of Baden-Württemberg, the federal government and the German Olympic Sports Confederation. Wacker chairs the organising committee, with Pascal Rastetter as CFO and Markus Leonhard as COO.
Tickets are not yet on sale. The committee says they will probably go on sale well ahead of the Games, and details on schedules, qualification systems and medal events will follow.
Sources
- The World Games 2029 Karlsruhe – Confirmed Sports Programme and Disciplines
- The World Games 2029 Karlsruhe
