Helsinki awarded 2030 European Athletics Championships
by 22nd October 2026
The 2030 European Athletics Championships was awarded to Helsinki, Finland at the 181st European Athletics Council Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland on Thursday (22).
Helsinki was one of two bidders for the 2030 European Athletics Championships along with Brussels.
This will be the fourth time the European Athletics Championships will be held in the Finnish capital after previous editions in 1971, 1994 and 2012, making Helsinki the most prolific host city for a championships which dates all the way back to 1934.
The 2030 European Athletics Championships will be held in the city's historic Olympic Stadium which reopened in 2020 after extensive renovation.
European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said: "We are delighted to award the 2030 European Athletics Championships to Helsinki, a city with an outstanding place in the history of our sport.
This will be the fourth time Helsinki has hosted the championships, more than any other city in the near 100-year history of the event. This is a testament to Finland’s enduring passion and connection with athletics.
"We are absolutely confident Helsinki will provide another magnificent stage for Europe’s best athletes.
"The recently renovated Olympic Stadium in Helsinki is one of the most historic athletics stadiums in the world and I’m sure it will serve as an unforgettable backdrop for spectators in the stadium as well as for the millions watching across Europe and around the world."
European Athletics CEO Christian Milz said: "Finnish athletics fans are among the most passionate and knowledgeable in Europe and the consistently exceptionally strong television audiences for the European Athletics Championships in Finland demonstrates just how deeply our sport resonates with the Finnish public.
"Indeed, the 2026 European Athletic Championships yielded an average market share of 74 percent across the week and television audiences peaked at 1.3 million for Alisa Vainio’s victory in the women’s marathon on the final day of the championships.
"We are certain the championships will generate huge interest not only locally but across the rest of Europe and beyond."
Prolific host city of major events
As well as three previous iterations of the European Athletics Championships, Helsinki also hosted the 1952 Olympic Games along with the 1983 and 2005 editions of the World Athletics Championships, becoming the first city to stage the championships twice.
Finland won two gold medals at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham courtesy of Silja Kosonen and Alisa Vainio in the women’s hammer and women’s marathon respectively.
President of the Finnish Athletics Federation Riikka Pakarinen said: "This was a fantastic conclusion to a three-year bid project and the starting gun for the operational work to create a memorable event at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium for both athletes and spectators.
"A huge thank you to the City of Helsinki, the Finnish Government and the dozens of other partners and supporters behind this project.
"Hopefully this will also encourage other Finnish sports to bid for major international events in Finland.
"We have a world-class stadium, ready infrastructure, a strong athletics heritage and growing public interest. With Finnish athletics still enjoying a strong upswing, the conditions for successful European Championships are in place."
Deputy Mayor of Helsinki Paavo Arhinmäki said: "Helsinki is a cool city, in every sense. Our northern climate provides athletes with excellent conditions for top performances, but Helsinki is also a cool city to visit.
"Walkability, public transport and safety make Helsinki the perfect host city, both for athletes and for the international audience."
Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Mika Poutala said: "For decades, we have proven that we are able to organise high-quality and safe sporting events for athletes, spectators and international federations alike.
"I believe the championship summer will be a memorable experience for Finnish athletes and sports fans."
The 2028 European Athletics Championships will be held in Silesia, Poland from 3-8 June.