6 November 2026
- Balearic island to stage the third stop from 23-24 April 2027, marking its third successive year on the competition calendar
- Season begins in Cancún (Mexico) on Friday, with Somabay (Egypt), Golfo Aranci (Italy) and Setúbal (Portugal) also providing the backdrop to landmark edition
- Rights-free imagery from last year’s event in Ibiza is available to download via the World Aquatics Media Pool.
As the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup 2026/27 is set to begin today, Ibiza has been confirmed as the host venue for the competition’s third stop, completing the schedule for the sport’s first-ever season held over two calendar years.
With Cancún, Somabay, Golfo Aranci and Setúbal already confirmed as hosts for the upcoming campaign, this latest reveal sees the World Cup return to the picturesque Balearic island for the third successive year.
The event will be held from 23-24 April, and with the pristine waters of Golfo Aranci in Sardinia hosting the fourth stop from 30 April to 1 May, athletes and fans can look forward to back-to-back weekends of competitions on the Mediterranean coast.
World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Cup 2026/27 – schedule:
• Cancún (MEX) – 6-7 November 2026
• Somabay (EGY) – 19-20 March 2027
• Ibiza (SPA) – 23-24 April 2027
• Golfo Aranci (ITA) – 30 April - 1 May 2027
• Setúbal (POR) – 28-29 May 2027
The announcement comes on the day the season launches in Cancún, with Men’s and Women’s 10km Finals taking place on Friday, and Men’s and Women’s 3km Knockout Sprints scheduled for Saturday.
Among the competitors vying for glory in Cancún and across the season are last year’s Overall World Cup Leaders, Australia’s Moesha Johnson and Hungary’s David Betlehem – both of whom celebrated victories in the longer and shorter races in Ibiza back in April.
The 2026/27 season will be the first time the competition has been staged across two calendar years, following feedback from the open water community to better align with the global calendar of major competitions and support athlete preparation.
With Setúbal staging the season’s fifth and final chapter in May, the competition provides a fitting competitive lead-in to the World Aquatics Championships – Budapest 2027, with the Open Water Swimming competition taking place from 3 to 8 July.
World Aquatics President, Husain Al Musallam, said: “We are excited to confirm Ibiza on the Open Water Swimming World Cup calendar for the third consecutive year. As well as offering a spectacular backdrop for elite racing, they have proven themselves to be excellent hosts of World Cup competitions.
“Staging the 2026/27 competition across five renowned destinations in Mexico, Egypt, Spain, Italy and Portugal provides an outstanding platform to showcase the sport and its athletes to audiences around the world. We look forward to seeing the competition build throughout the season and towards the ultimate stage of the World Aquatics Championships 2027 in Budapest.”
Reflecting on the announcement, President of RFEN Aquatics, Fernando Carpena, said: “We are delighted to welcome back the Open Water Swimming World Cup for the third successive year. The island has established itself as a fantastic destination for open water swimming, offering a spectacular setting for this world-class competition.
“Momentum around the sport is high, particularly with the first event taking place this weekend, and we expect to see anticipation build as the season progresses and as our preparations advance ahead of 23 and 24 April.”