The FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 are taking place in Aachen, Germany, from 11 to 23 August 2026. The championships are being held at the Allianz Park and bring together 799 athletes from 67 nations across six equestrian disciplines. Dressage, Eventing, Jumping, Para Dressage, Driving and Vaulting are all being contested in Aachen.
The event is being organised by the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV) together with the FEI. The theme of the championships is “Welcome Home”, reflecting Aachen's long association with international equestrian sport. The opening ceremony takes place on 11 August, with the championships concluding on 23 August.
The 2026 FEI World Championships are divided between two locations. Aachen hosts six disciplines, while the World Championship for Endurance is scheduled separately in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, on 17 October 2026.
Why Aachen Is Important To The World Championships
Aachen is one of the world's most recognised equestrian venues and previously hosted the FEI World Equestrian Games in 2006. The return of the Eventing World Championship to Aachen in 2026 is particularly significant because the discipline is returning to the venue for the first time since those 2006 championships.
The FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 bring six World Championship disciplines together at the Aachen Soers complex. Competitors will be involved in individual and team competitions across the different disciplines, with numerous World Championship titles decided throughout the 13-day programme.
Dressage At Aachen 2026
Dressage is one of the first disciplines to take centre stage at Aachen 2026. The Grand Prix takes place on 11 and 12 August and determines the team championship as well as qualification for the individual medal competitions.
The Grand Prix Special is scheduled for 14 August, followed by the Grand Prix Freestyle on 15 August. These competitions determine the individual Dressage medals.
The Dressage field includes leading riders such as Great Britain's Charlotte “Lottie” Fry with Glamourdale, Carl Hester with Fame and Becky Moody with Jagerbomb. Other major competitors include Germany's Isabell Werth, Katharina Hemmer and Frederic Wandres, Denmark's Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Belgium's Justin Verboomen.
Britain is seeking its first World Championship team gold in Dressage. Lottie Fry is defending her individual world titles, while Germany and Denmark are among the major team rivals. Justin Verboomen is also a significant contender after becoming European champion and reaching No. 1 in the FEI Dressage World Rankings in June.
Eventing Returns To Aachen
Eventing takes place from 13 to 16 August and combines Dressage, Cross-Country and Show Jumping. The first part of the Eventing Dressage competition is held on 13 August, followed by the second part on 14 August.
The Cross-Country phase takes place on Saturday 15 August and is scheduled to begin at 09:15 CEST. The final Show Jumping phase takes place on Sunday 16 August from 12:30 CEST, when the team and individual medals are decided.
The return of the Eventing World Championship to Aachen is a major feature of the 2026 championships. The previous Eventing World Championship at the venue was held in 2006, making the 2026 competition a return 20 years later. The championship also has a connection with qualification for Los Angeles 2028.
Vaulting At The FEI World Championships
Vaulting is another of the disciplines being contested in Aachen. The sport combines gymnastics and artistic movements performed while the horse canters around a circle.
The Vaulting programme begins on 13 August with the Individual Female Compulsory, Individual Male Compulsory and Squad Compulsory competitions. Technical competitions and the first round of the Pas de Deux take place on 14 August, followed by individual and squad Freestyle competitions on 15 August.
The final Pas de Deux competition and Official Team Competition take place on 16 August. The Official Team Competition combines individual vaulters and a squad, with the best eight teams qualifying for the final.
Para Dressage At Aachen 2026
Para Dressage takes place in Stadium 3 from 19 to 23 August. Competitors are divided into five grades, from Grade I through Grade V, reflecting different levels of impairment.
The Individual Grand Prix A competitions begin on 19 August for Grades I to III, followed by Grades IV and V on 20 August. The Team Grand Prix B competitions are scheduled for 21 and 22 August, with Grades I to III competing first and Grades IV and V following.
The Individual Freestyle finals take place on 23 August. There are 15 individual Grand Prix A medals because each of the five grades has its own medal competition. The Freestyle is limited to the best eight combinations in each grade, subject to the qualification requirements.
Jumping World Championship
Jumping begins on 19 August with the First Competition, which is a Speed Competition and establishes the initial rankings. The Second Competition begins on 20 August and continues on 21 August, with the second round taking place under floodlights.
The team championship is decided through the first competition and the two rounds of the Second Competition. The individual World Championship final takes place on Sunday 23 August.
The FEI lists 500,000 euros in prize money for the individual final. The jumping competition is one of the major attractions of the second week of the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026, with the individual champion being crowned on the final day.
Four-In-Hand Driving
Four-in-Hand Driving takes place from 20 to 23 August. Drivers control four horses while competing through three phases: Dressage, Marathon and Cones.
Driving Dressage is held on 20 and 21 August, followed by the Marathon on 22 August. The Cones competition takes place on 23 August before the team and individual medal ceremonies.
The Marathon course is between seven and nine kilometres long and contains eight obstacles. It has an average speed of around 14 kilometres per hour. Each driver has four horses and a reserve horse, while the final classification is determined by combining the penalty points from all three phases.
Among the leading names highlighted for the competition are Dries Degrieck, Bram Chardon and Australia's Boyd Exell.
The Aachen 2026 Competition Venues
The main stadium is used for Dressage, Jumping and Eventing Show Jumping, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies and major entertainment. Stadium 2 is used primarily for Eventing Dressage and Driving Dressage.
Stadium 3 hosts Vaulting and Para Dressage. The Cross-Country and Marathon courses in the Soers area are used for Eventing Cross-Country and the Driving Marathon.
The overall championship site is known as Allianz Park.
FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 Tickets
Tickets for the championships are available through the official Aachen 2026 ticket shop. Different sessions and disciplines have different tickets, including Jumping, Dressage, Eventing, Vaulting, Driving and Para Dressage and Village tickets.
There are also tickets for the Opening Ceremony and VIP packages. The Village Ticket includes access to the Village and Para Dressage from 19 to 23 August.
Children up to and including six years old can enter the showgrounds free of charge, although they do not receive their own seat.
Travel And Transport To Aachen
Aachen is well connected by rail. Aachen 2026 tickets are valid on the day of the relevant event for travel to and from the showgrounds on regional buses and trains within the AVV network.
Park & Ride facilities are also available, with shuttle buses transporting spectators to the venue. APAG parking facilities provide free shuttle transport to and from the showgrounds.
How To Watch The FEI World Championships Aachen 2026
The FEI provides an international broadcast guide for the World Championships. Coverage varies according to discipline and territory, with broadcasters including Eurosport in the United Kingdom, ARD/WDR and ZDF in Germany, France TV, NOS, CBC, ORF Sport+, RTBF, DR, CCTV 5, MIGU and YLE.
The FEI also provides live coverage, video on demand and highlights through FEI.TV, depending on broadcasting rights in each territory. The official Aachen 2026 website and FEI results information provide further details about the competition programme and results.
The Official Aachen 2026 App
The official Aachen 2026 app brings together information about the championships in one place. It includes start lists, results, competition information and the latest updates, as well as general event information.
The app is intended to provide a central mobile resource for following the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026.
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony takes place on Tuesday 11 August 2026 at 20:15 CEST in the Main Stadium. Its theme is “Welcome Home”.
The ceremony brings together athletes, international guests, music, dance and Aachen's equestrian heritage. It marks the formal beginning of the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026.
Closing Ceremony
The championships conclude on Sunday 23 August. The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for 17:50 to 18:40 CEST in the Main Stadium and is included with the “Jumping Sunday” ticket.
The ceremony celebrates the gold medallists from the six disciplines held in Aachen and provides the final farewell to the participating nations.
Aachen And The Wider Championship Programme
The World Championships extend beyond the competition venues into Aachen itself. The city centre hosts an “Aachen WM Special”, featuring artists, rider talks, panel discussions, art installations, food and equestrian-themed activities.
An Allianz Park Day is scheduled for 17 August and is designed particularly for families. The programme includes demonstrations, different horse breeds and riding styles, children's activities and a treasure hunt.
The Athletes And Nations
The Aachen 2026 championships feature 799 athletes representing 67 nations. The participating nations range from Argentina and Indonesia to Uzbekistan.
The field also covers a wide age range. Among the competitors is 11-year-old Belgian vaulting talent Lotte Berghman-Pukova, while Canadian Para Dressage rider Eleonore Elstone is 74 years old.
Key Stories At Aachen 2026
Germany's performance at home is one of the central features of the championships, with the nation possessing considerable strength in Dressage, Eventing and Jumping. The home crowd at Aachen provides an important setting for the German competitors.
Great Britain's Dressage team is also an important storyline, with Lottie Fry, Carl Hester and Becky Moody competing for a first World Championship team title in Dressage. Denmark's Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Belgium's Justin Verboomen are among the leading individual names in the Dressage competition.
Eventing's return to Aachen 20 years after the 2006 World Championships is another major feature. In Driving, Australia's Boyd Exell and Belgium's Bram Chardon are among the prominent names, while the Jumping World Championship individual final provides one of the major conclusions to the second week.
Aachen 2026 And Los Angeles 2028
The FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 are also part of the qualification pathway towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The 2028 Olympic equestrian programme includes Dressage, Eventing and Jumping, with 200 equestrian quota places available.
The Aachen championships therefore form part of the qualification process for the next Olympic cycle, particularly within the Olympic equestrian disciplines.
World Championship Titles At Aachen
The six disciplines held in Aachen contain numerous individual and team competitions. Dressage awards team and individual medals through the Grand Prix Special and Grand Prix Freestyle, while Eventing awards team and individual titles.
Jumping has team and individual championships, while Para Dressage awards individual medals across Grades I to V, together with team and Freestyle competitions. Driving awards team and individual titles, while Vaulting includes Female Individual, Male Individual, Squad, Pas de Deux and Official Team championships.
The Final Days Of Aachen 2026
The final days bring together several of the championship's major competitions. The Driving Marathon takes place on 22 August, while Para Dressage continues through its final competitions.
Sunday 23 August is the final day and includes the Jumping Individual Final, the Driving final and Para Dressage Freestyles. The Closing Ceremony then brings the FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 to an end.
The FEI World Championships Aachen 2026 bring six equestrian World Championships together in Aachen from 11 to 23 August, with 799 athletes from 67 nations competing in Dressage, Eventing, Jumping, Para Dressage, Driving and Vaulting.
The programme includes the return of Eventing to Aachen 20 years after the 2006 World Championships, major individual and team competitions, and a closing day featuring the Jumping Individual Final, Driving, Para Dressage and the Closing Ceremony. With competitions taking place across Allianz Park, the championships also extend into Aachen through the city's supporting programme.
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