Cardiff will be first UK host city of LGBTQ+-inclusive EuroGames multi-sport event in 2027
Pride Sports Cymru successful in securing bid to host EuroGames in 2027; the result comes after a tightly contested vote at the EGLSF (European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation) Annual General Assembly in Antwerp; “The legacy the games will create is enormous,” says Sport Wales’ Jess Williams…
EuroGames is coming to Cardiff in 2027 – a first for a UK host city – after Pride Sports Cymru‘s bid to host the LGBTQ+-inclusive multi-sport event won out in a tight race.
The Welsh capital was selected over a rival bid from Munich in Germany during the Annual General Meeting of the European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation, held in Antwerp last weekend.
EuroGames is the largest Europe-wide multi-sport event for LGBTQ+ athletes and allies in Europe and aims to accommodate athletes of a range of abilities and experience.
The first EuroGames was held in The Hague in 1992 and the event in Cardiff in three years’ time will be the 24th edition. It has never previously been held in Britain.
Pride Sports director Lou Englefield said of the outcome: “We’re delighted to be bringing a EuroGames to Wales. It is a huge privilege for Pride Sports Cymru.
“Hosting a EuroGames is an opportunity to showcase Cardiff as a world-class sporting city, and to highlight Wales’ commitment to become the most LGBTQ+-friendly nation in Europe.”
The announcement comes in a week during which ILGA Europe, the LGBTI equality and human rights organisation for Europe and Central Asia, launched its annual review of LGBTI human rights.
Their report highlights a rise in hate crime, particularly hate crime targeting trans people, attacks on pride events across the region, and a rise in anti-LGBTI reporting in European media.
Joining Englefield on the team for Cardiff 2027 are Charlotte Galloway, chair of Cardiff Dragons FC, and Jess Williams, head of service and partner development at Sport Wales.
Cardiff EuroGames 2027 will bring a programme of 27 sports, including touch rugby, volleyball and tennis, along with more than 5,000 athletes to the city.
Pride Sports Cymru is working with many of Cardiff’s LGBTQ+ sports groups as well as Welsh governing bodies of sport to realise their plans for the event.
Alongside the competition schedule, a EuroGames also includes opening and closing ceremonies, a cultural programme, and a Games village planned for the heart of the city.
With upwards of 10,000 athletes, visitors and volunteers attending the event and existing facilities being used for the sports competitions, a EuroGames is also set to generate millions for the local economy.
The team are working on a robust legacy plan for the Games, which will see a growth in sport and physical activity amongst LGBTQ+ people in Wales, and the growth of community-organised sports in Cardiff.
Team member Williams explains: “A EuroGames in Wales will be transformative for LGBTQ+ people in sport, and indeed the whole community.
“The legacy the games will create, and opportunity for positive change, is enormous. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to our beautiful capital city.”
Pride Sports is the longest-standing LGBTIQ+ sports development and inclusion organisation in the UK, working across England and Wales to ensure LGBTQ+ people get access to safe and fulfilling sport and physical activity.
Established in 2006 in Manchester, Pride Sports also runs the well-known Football v Homophobia campaign and has been working for over eight years in Wales, last year launching its official Pride Sports Cymru brand.
For more information, visit the Pride Sports Cymru website and follow @eurogamescdf2027 on Instagram.
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