Helsinki has been selected to host the 2030 European Athletics Championships, with the Finnish capital set to stage the continental event at its recently renovated Olympic Stadium.
The city was chosen ahead of Brussels and will host the European Athletics Championships for the fourth time, following previous editions in 1971, 1994 and 2012.
The Olympic Stadium, which reopened in 2020 following a major €350 million renovation, has a seated capacity of 36,300. The historic venue previously hosted the 1952 Olympic Games and has also staged major athletics events, including the 1983 and 2005 World Athletics Championships.
European Athletics president Dobromir Karamarinov highlighted Helsinki’s long-standing connection with the sport and said the renovated Olympic Stadium would provide a strong setting for athletes and spectators.
The 2030 championships will add to a busy sporting calendar for Helsinki. The city is also scheduled to co-host the 2030 Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship with Riga, Latvia.
Riikka Pakarinen, president of the Finnish Athletics Federation, said the successful bid marked the beginning of operational preparations for the event, highlighting Finland’s athletics heritage, existing infrastructure and growing public interest in the sport.
Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium originally opened in 1938 and was planned to host the 1940 Olympic Games before the event was cancelled following the outbreak of World War II. When Helsinki eventually hosted the Olympics in 1952, the stadium had a capacity of around 70,000.
The 2026 European Athletics Championships are being held in Birmingham, while the 2030 edition will follow the 2028 championships in Silesia, Poland.
European Athletics has also awarded the 2029 European Athletics Indoor Championships to Toruń, Poland. The city previously hosted the indoor championships in 2021 and staged the World Athletics Indoor Championships earlier in 2026.