2027 Winter World University Games

2027 Winter World University Games
2027年国际大学生体育联合会冬季世界大学生运动会
Host cityChangchun, China
MottoDreams Ignited, Youth United
(Chinese: 逐梦冰雪, 长驻青春)
Events108 in 13 sports
Opening15 January 2027
Closing25 January 2027
Main venueNortheast Asia International Expo Center[1]
Websitehttps://changchun2027.fisu.net/

The 2027 FISU Winter World University Games, also known as the 33rd Winter Universiade [a], is an upcoming winter multi-sport event for student and youth athletes, scheduled from 15 to 25 January 2027 in Changchun, Jilin, China. This will be the second time that the event will be held in China, after Harbin in 2009.[2][3][4]

Bidding process

The following cities and regions had all expressed an interest in hosting either the 2027 and 2029 Winter World University Games.[5]

On 12 November 2025, during a meeting of the FISU Executive Committee, it was announced that the organization had received only one formal bid project proposed by China Student Sports Federation to host the 2027 FISU World Winter University Games. It was not revealed which province or city was interested at that time, but rumors suggested it was Changchun, Beijing, or Harbin. Some days later, it was confirmed that the proposal came from Jilin province. At that meeting, the Executive Committee also authorized the FISU Steering Committee to proceed with the technical evaluation of the application. FISU did not disclose, at that time, any other formally submitted applications for the event, although there had been preliminary expressions of interest from other cities months earlier. Following the evaluation visit and authorized procedure, the Steering Committee confirmed the awarding of the 2027 edition to the city of Changchun on November 26, 2025.[9][10]

Development and preparations

Venues

Changchun

Venue Events Capacity Status
Northeast Asia International Expo Center Ceremonies TBA Existing
Nanguan Ice Arena Ice hockey (women's) 2,460
Jilin Speed Skating Oval Speed skating 2,146
Changchun Wuhuan Gymnasium Figure skating 10,488
Short track speed skating
Changchun Ice Arena Curling 225
Changchun Olympic Park Ice Arena Ice hockey (men's) 8,552
Jingyuetan Ski Resort Cross-country skiing TBA
Lianhua Mountain Ski Resort Freestyle skiing (aerials) TBA
Beihu Park Biathlon TBA Temporary
Ski orienteering
Changchun World Sculpture Park Cross-country running TBA
Venue Events Capacity Status
Beidahu Alpine skiing TBA Existing
Freestyle skiing TBA
Snowboarding TBA
Songhua Lake Ski Resort TBA
Ski mountaineering TBA

Promotion

On 15 January 2026, at 18:00, a one-year countdown event was held during the Changchun Siji Nanhe 'Powder Snow' Carnival.[11]

On 21 March 2026, a 300-day countdown event was held at Xinmin Avenue. The emblem, slogan and mascots were revealed at this event.[12]

Volunteers

On February 28, 2026, the volunteer recruitment for the Games was officially launched. It is expected that 8,000 volunteers will participate in providing service and support for the Games.[13]

The Games

Sports

A total of 108 medal events in 13 sports are scheduled for the Games, featuring the ten compulsory sports alongside two optional sports and a special status sport. The current compulsory sports of the Winter World University Games consist of ten disciplines: alpine skiing (including para alpine skiing), biathlon, cross-country skiing (including para cross-country skiing), curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, short track speed skating and snowboarding. This will be the first edition in which ski orienteering will be part of the mandatory program, after being an optional sport in the previous two editions. Furthermore, speed skating will return as an optional sport for the first time since 2023. Among the optional sports, the Chinese organisation chose to keep ski mountaineering, which had already been included in the program in 2025, and to include cross-country running, which appears as a second optional sport for the first time in the history of the Games..[14][15]

Marketing

Emblem

The emblem of this Winter Universiade was created by a design team from the Jilin University of Arts. The design was led by the core members of the team responsible for 'Shuey Rhon Rhon,' the mascot of the 2022 Winter Paralympics. The group has also developed the visual identities and torch designs for the 2025 World Games, the 2025 Asian Winter Games, and recent editions of the National Winter Games of China, among other major national sporting events. The emblem is officially titled 'Chun Chang' (Eternal Spring). The design is based on the Chinese calligraphy 'Cursive Script' (Caoshu) for the character 'Chang' (长), seamlessly integrated with the 'U' element, as mandated by FISU. This composition reflects the regional characteristics of Changchun while conveying the sense of speed and the youthful vitality of ice and snow sports. The design also incorporates visual elements representative of the city’s identity, such as the rhythm of filmstrips (honouring Changchun's cinematic heritage) and the trajectories of winter sports. The overall silhouette forms an upturned smiling face, with a primary color palette of blue and white, accented by various vibrant colors to highlight the ice and snow theme and the spirit of youth. Semantically, the name 'Chun Chang' echoes the city's name ('Changchun') while symbolizing the hope for world peace and long-lasting prosperity."[16]

Mascots

"The mascots for this Winter Universiade are 'Ji Bing' and 'Ji Xue'.

'Ji Bing' is a Sika deer, whose antlers symbolise vitality and energy. The character wears blue and white attire to reflect an open and inclusive attitude, complemented by red elements that echo the historical and cultural traditions of Jilin. A snowflake pattern is incorporated to express the competitive nature of ice and snow sports.

'Ji Xue' features ginseng as its design core. Its clothing incorporates elements of Northeast China's traditional floral fabrics, showcasing the local lifestyle and folk customs. The blue and green scarf symbolises the Songhua River system, reflecting regional characteristics and a vision of development. Both mascots are presented as athletes, aiming to convey the vitality and enthusiasm of winter sports."[16]

Slogan

"The thematic slogan for this Winter Universiade is 'Dreams Ignited, Youth United'. The slogan aims to reflect Changchun's identity as both a 'City of Ice and Snow' and a 'Youthful City,' while providing a comprehensive expression of the event's atmosphere and core values."[16]

Notes

  1. ↑ The former name of the event, Universiade, is being used by the organising committee for these Games.

References

  1. ↑ Changchun 2027 Official Website (26 March 2026). "Venues". Retrieved 26 March 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ "Changchun to host the 33rd Winter Universiade in 2027". Fisu.net. 26 November 2025.
  3. ↑ 姜立娟 李宏宇 (29 January 2026). "【走近2027长春大冬会】2027长春大冬会筹备工作专班开始集中办公". 长春新闻 (in Chinese). Retrieved 4 March 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ↑ "长春市成功申办2027第33届世界大学生冬季运动会". tyj.changchun.gov.cn. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  5. ↑ Berkeley, Geoff (31 July 2023). "Exclusive: France among four nations interested in bidding for 2027 FISU Winter World University Games". Inside the Games. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  6. ↑ Berkeley, Geoff (7 February 2023). "Exclusive: Lillehammer confirm interest in staging 2027 FISU Winter World University Games". Inside the Games. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "FISU Secretary General Eric Saintrond visits Slovakia's top sports venues". FISU. 9 September 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  8. ↑ Palmer, Dan (2 October 2023). "Eder says Zakopane would be "ideal" host of Winter World University Games". Inside the Games. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  9. ↑ FISU (12 November 2025). "The last EC meeting of the year concludes with two nominations and a potential FISU Winter Games host". Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  10. ↑ FISU (26 November 2025). "Changchun to host the 33rd Winter Universiade in 2027". Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  11. ↑ 腾讯网 (14 January 2026). "长春2027第33届世界大学生冬季运动会倒计时一周年活动明日启幕_腾讯新闻". news.qq.com (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "长春市文化广播电视和旅游局". wglj.changchun.gov.cn. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  13. ↑ 姜立娟 李宏宇 (29 January 2026). "【走近2027长春大冬会】2027长春大冬会筹备工作专班开始集中办公". 长春新闻 (in Chinese). Retrieved 4 March 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ↑ China Daily (27 November 2025). "Changchun wins bid to host 2027 Winter Universiade". Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  15. ↑ FISU (13 February 2026). "REGULATIONS FOR THE CHANGCHUN 2027 WINTER UNIVERSIADE" (PDF). Retrieved 30 March 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 "2027长春大冬会会徽、吉祥物、赛事口号正式发布-中国吉林网". news.cnjiwang.com. Retrieved 21 March 2026.