1st May, 2024, London. The Invictus Games Foundation is pleased to announce that Washington DC, USA and Birmingham, UK have been shortlisted to host the Invictus Games in 2027. This shortlist has been confirmed after a detailed process which was launched last year. A final decision by the board of trustees will be made by the end of July.
The bid from the city of Washington, led by Events DC, has outlined several potential venues in and around the city, with a focus on the George Washington University campus, alongside an indicative sports schedule which includes the nine core Invictus Games sports, plus the addition of esports.
The UK government-backed bid focuses on the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, and draws the connection to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak and wider Defence Medical assets in the region . Birmingham also seeks to utilise the nine core sports alongside esports, as well as exploring the addition of a team triathlon as a potential new sport.
Lord Allen, Chair of the Invictus Games Foundation, said, “We were delighted to receive such a strong field of applications to host the Invictus Games in 2027, which gives us tremendous confidence for this next iteration of the Games following Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 presented by ATCO and Boeing. Both cities now shortlisted for 2027 have kept the experiences of the competitors and supporters at their core, building different but hugely exciting bids. We look forward to the next stage of the process and selecting another inspirational iteration of the games over the Summer.”
Helen Helliwell, CEO Invictus Games 2027 UK Bid, said, “We were privileged to make initial presentations to the Invictus Games Foundation Board earlier this month and are thrilled to move forward to the shortlist. We have a truly compelling bid to bring the Games back to the UK, showcasing the best of our Armed Forces communities and delivering on our pledge to make this the best country in the world to be a Veteran. As well as delivering an amazing week of the Games Festival at the NEC Birmingham (a Commonwealth Games venue in 2022), we want to use the platform of the Games to improve opportunities for adaptive sport, arts and employment, enabling communities to thrive, both in the run up to the Games and as a legacy from them, across the UK and beyond.”
Angie M. Gates, Events DC President & CEO, said, “It is an incredible honor for Washington, DC to be selected as a finalist for the 2027 Invictus Games. As the culture capital, Washington, DC is a diverse and vibrant community that welcomes meaningful competitive sports that honor our veterans. We are a world-class city united by sports and a top-tier destination, which makes us the ideal host for the Invictus Games 2027.”
The dates of the Invictus Games in 2027 are still to be confirmed and will depend upon the winning bid. In addition to selecting the venue for the Invictus Games in 2027, the Invictus Games Foundation is also working with a number of organisations interested in hosting future iterations of the Games in 2029 and 2031.
This year, the Invictus Games Foundation celebrates its 10th year anniversary since the inaugural Invictus Games London 2014. The next Games taking place are in Canada: the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 presented by ATCO and Boeing will be a Winter hybrid edition, held from February 9th to February 16th.
Notes to Editors
About the Invictus Games Foundation
The Invictus Games Foundation offers a recovery pathway for international wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women (WIS). We collaborate to provide opportunities for post-traumatic growth: enabling those involved to reclaim their purpose, identity and future, beyond injury.
The Invictus Games was set up in London 2014 by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, now Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation. As governing body for the Invictus Games, the Foundation selects host cities, oversees the delivery of the competition, including categorisation, sports rules, and international broadcast rights, and provides continued guidance for the organising committee in the run up to delivery. The Games are a biennial multinational adaptive sporting competition involving 23 nations, with over 500 competitors, 1,000 friends and families and more than 100,000 visitors.
The focus of the Invictus Games is on participation rather than the medal table, celebrating personal achievement which could be as simple as making it to the start line. Taking part in an Invictus Games is transformative for competitors as well as their friends and family, as seen in the recent Netflix documentary ‘Heart of Invictus’.
To be selected to represent your country at the Invictus Games is life-changing, but the work does not stop there, and the number of community members engaged beyond the Games now exceeds those competing and this community is growing daily. Through international opportunities for sport, esports and adventurous challenge, the Foundation improves long-term physical and mental health, enabling post traumatic growth connecting WIS service personnel around the world.
For more information please visit www.invictusgamesfoundation.org.
About the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, presented by ATCO and Boeing, is an international adaptive sporting competition for wounded, injured, and sick service members and Veterans. Taking place from February 8th – 16th 2025, the seventh Invictus Games will bring together up to 550 competitors from up to 25 nations to British Columbia, Canada. Through the power of sport, the Games will inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who have served their country.
As the first-ever Winter hybrid Games in Invictus Games history, The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will see competitors given the opportunity to participate in both winter and core adaptive sports. These Games will feature new winter adaptive sports including: Alpine Skiing & Snowboarding, Biathlon, Nordic Skiing, Skeleton, and Wheelchair Curling, in addition to the core adaptive sports of Indoor Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Rugby.
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will be held on the traditional territories of the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. The organizing committee is committed to collaborating with the Four Host First Nations, addressing Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and respecting Indigenous protocols in all aspects of the Games.
True Patriot Love Foundation, the Government of Canada, and the Province of British Columbia are the Founding Partners of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025. For more information, visit invictusgames2025.ca.
Media contacts:
Media Washington:
communicationsandmarketing@eventsdc.zendesk.com
Media UK:
Georgie Holden georgia.holden@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Richard Rebbeck: Richard.Rebbeck100@mod.gov.uk
Media IGF:
Sam Newell, media@invictusgames.org
