Silesia awarded 2028 European Athletics Championships
by 24th April 2026
Silesia has been confirmed as the host venue for the 2028 edition of the European Athletics Championships on the first day of the European Athletics Council Meeting in Birmingham on Friday (24).
Poland has been a regular host of major European Athletics championships over the last decade, including the 2017 European Athletics U23 Championships, 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships and the 2019, 2021 and 2023 European Athletics Team Championships.
However, this will be the first time that the European Athletics Championships will be held on Polish soil in the event's 92-year history. The 2028 European Athletics Championships will be held from 3-8 June in the Slaski Stadium, one month before the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The 2028 European Athletics Championships will be the biggest athletics event prior to the 2028 Olympic Games and will also offer athletes an excellent chance to secure qualifying standards and ranking points on the road to Los Angeles.
"We are delighted to confirm the 2028 European Athletics Championships will be held in Silesia. This marks a historic moment as it will be the first time Poland has hosted our flagship event.
"Silesia has consistently demonstrated its capability to deliver world class competitions, with strong regional support and organisation from the Polish Athletic Association underpinning the successful staging of events such as the 2021 and 2023 European Athletics Team Championships, the 2021 World Relays as well as the annual Kamila Skolimowska Memorial,” said European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov.
He added: “This will be the fourth time the European Athletics Championships will take place in the same year as the Olympic Games and it is not an exaggeration to say that Silesia 2028 will provide us with a glimpse into the future.
"Indeed, eight athletes who won titles at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome went on to win gold medals just a few weeks later at the Paris Olympics.”
European Athletics CEO Christian Milz said: “Over the past decade, Silesia has established itself as one of Europe’s leading hosts of major athletics events, consistently delivering competitions of the highest standard.
"This demonstrable track record, and Silesia’s excellently detailed bid for the 2028 European Athletics Championships, gives us confirmation that Silesia will stage a championships of the very highest quality in 2028.”
Poland is the sixth most successful nation in European Athletics Championships history with 59 gold medals and 185 medals in total. It is far from inconceivable that Poland could win their 200th medal in European Athletics Championships history during Silesia.
Reacting to the historic announcement, President of the Polish Athletic Association, Sebastian Chmara said: “Poland has never before hosted Europe’s premier outdoor athletics event which makes today’s decision by European Athletics a truly landmark moment.
“We are launching an ambitious and exciting project that will become a flagship for Polish athletics in the years ahead. Together with our key partners — the Silesian Voivodeship and the Ministry of Sport and Tourism — we are fully committed to delivering a world class event that will inspire athletes, engage fans across Europe and showcase the very best of our sport.”
Marshall of the Silesian Voivodeship Wojciech Saluga said: “We did it. For the first time in history, the European Athletics Championships will be held in our country.
"The Silesian Voivodeship will be the first host in Poland. This is the result of our ambition and many years of effort. When we modernised the Silesian Stadium, our vision was to host prestigious events of this kind.
"The National Athletics Stadium has already welcomed the world’s top sporting events. By organising the World Relays, the European Athletics Team Championships, and the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial – part of the Diamond League – we have proven our professionalism.
"We are among the world’s leading organisers of athletics events. We meet the highest standards, we have created a home for athletes from around the world, and we are highly regarded by experts and competitors alike.
"On top of that, we know how to fill the stadium with a passionate crowd supporting the athletes. I would already like to invite fans to the European Athletics Championships in 2028."
Poland won six medals at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, including two gold medals. Natalia Bukowiecka won the 400m title in a Polish record of 48.98 and Wojciech Nowicki won the hammer title.
The 2026 European Athletics Championships will be held in Birmingham, Great Britain from 10–16 August.