European Games Kraków 2023
The promotion of sporting competition, fair play, healthy lifestyles, the cultural and educational heritage of the host country, and friendship between nations are the goals behind this year's European Games.
For Małopolska, the European Games are an opportunity to develop and promote the region and present the host country as an efficient organiser of such a prestigious sporting event. Most importantly, however, it will be an unforgettable sporting experience for tourists and residents.
Tickets for all sporting events can be purchased at: promotion.european-games.org/pl/ticketing-discount/
Where in Małopolska will the competitions be held, and in which disciplines?
- Kraków: table tennis, archery, 3x3 basketball, canoe slalom, canoe sprint, fencing, modern pentathlon, rugby 7, teqball, paddleball, triathlon, kickboxing
- Tarnów: badminton, beach football, beach handball, sport climbing
- Krynica-Zdrój: mountain biking, judo, taekwondo
- Krzeszowice: cycling BMX freestyle
- Zakopane: ski jumping
- Nowy Targ: boxing
- Nowy Sącz: breaking
- Oświęcim: artistic swimming
Outside Małopolska, competitions in other disciplines will be held in:
- Bielsko-Biała: karate
- Rzeszów: water jumping
- Wrocław: shooting
- Chorzów: athletics
The slogan for this year's European Games is "We Are Unity". The shape of the European Games logo refers to the Olympic flame and unity. The mascot of the European Games is "Krakusek" the dragon and "Sandra" the salamander. The dragon strongly alludes to the legends and traditions of Kraków, while the salamander is an amphibian native to southern Poland and under partial protection. In addition, the term salamander means "living on fire" so together with the dragon, they converge in the promotional dimension of the event in a regional sense and are a reference to the Olympic flame. Art students could also demonstrate their creativity in a competition to create a collector's poster for the European Games. The winners were students from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków.
Of the 28 disciplines of the European Games in Kraków, 21 are Olympic disciplines, and 19 have the rank of a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Twelve games for the European championship will also be held as part of the European Games. Disciplines throughout the European Games include badminton, boxing, judo, canoeing, cycling, 3x3 basketball, athletics, archery, beach soccer, shooting and table tennis. The new disciplines are teqball, padel, modern pentathlon, beach handball, sport climbing, BMX freestyle, ski jumping, kickboxing, and rugby 7. A complete novelty that will also be present during the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo will be breaking, which combines sports with a dance popular in the 1980s in Europe.
There are 11 host cities, although most sports extravaganzas will be in Kraków, Tarnów and Krynica-Zdrój. Other cities are Nowy Sącz, Zakopane, Chorzów, Krzeszowice, Oświęcim, Rzeszów, Wrocław and Nowy Targ. They were selected following the criterion of the sports infrastructure corresponding to the organisational needs of the European Games. The official opening and closing of the European Games will take place in Kraków at Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium. A Competitors' Village will be built on the Student Campus of the AGH University of Science and Technology to accommodate participating athletes in comfort and style.
The 2023 European Games in Kraków are completing the subsequent stages of preparations for the arrival of athletes vying to win medals. Infrastructure improvements and promotional activities are dynamically influencing city spaces and the awareness of residents about this unique sporting event.
For more information see: https://ie2023.pl/en/
The European Games provide an opportunity to admire the bravura performances of athletes from various disciplines. Małopolska, as the host region, cordially invites you to support the athletes, and go sightseeing between the games. In Małopolska, everyone will find an activity to suit their needs and abilities. Whether traversing the mountain trails, riding a bicycle or sitting comfortably on Kraków's Main Market Square, listening to the trumpet call sounding from the spire of St. Mary's Basilica.
We already invite and encourage you to familiarise yourself with the offer of cities in which the individual competitions will take place.