The Asian Games 2026 will be held in the city of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and the rest of Japan from September 19 to October 4. It will be the third time that Japan hosts this multi-sport event after Tokyo 1958 and Hiroshima 1994. The host organising committee AINAGOC aims to deliver an efficient, comfortable and environmentally-friendly Games through the use of existing transportation infrastructure.
The organisers are also aiming to cut costs by using an existing luxury cruise ship as a ‘floating’ Athletes’ Village instead of building a new one. The vessel will be docked at the Nagoya Port and will house about a third of the 15,000 athletes and officials who will attend the Games.
Esports will be a medal sport for the first time in 2026, with 11 medal-contending titles confirmed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The selection includes four more games than at Hangzhou, including variations of popular titles PUBG and League of Legends. Similarly, a variety of martial arts have been added to the programme.
The additions to the sports roster are in line with the OCA’s ‘Sport for All’ vision. Other additions include surfing and cricket, which will make a return to the Olympic fold after a century. MMA is set to feature six medal events and will be classified as a combat sport alongside kurash and jujitsu. Breaking has also been officially included as a DanceSport discipline, further strengthening its global recognition and elevating it to an international platform for elite B-boys and B-girls from around the world.