World Aquatics Announces Global Five-City Lineup for 2026 Artistic Swimming World Cup

World Aquatics has announced the five host cities across four continents for the 2026 Artistic Swimming World Cup, culminating in the Super Final in Toronto.

Entering its 10th season, the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup brings together the world’s top athletes on the global stage.

The 2026 tour will feature five stops, beginning in Medellin, Colombia, in February and concluding with the Super Final in Toronto, Canada, in June.

Here is the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup event schedule for 2026:

• Medellin (COL) – 13 to 15 February
• Paris (FRA) – 27 to 29 March
• Xi’an (CHN) – 1 to 3 May
• Pontevedra (ESP) – 29 to 31 May
• Toronto (CAN) – 19 to 21 June – Super Final

Stop 1: Medellin to Open 2026 Artistic Swimming World Cup with Landmark Debut

The Artistic Swimming World Cup opener in Medellin marks the first time Colombia will host a World Cup event. It will also be just the fourth time the country has staged an international aquatics competition, following the 1975 World Aquatics Championships in Cali and the Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Challenger Cups in Barranquilla in 2021. Colombia has also been making its mark in artistic swimming, with Gustavo Sanchez earning silver in the Men’s Solo Free at the Fukuoka 2023 Worlds and bronze in the Men’s Solo Technical at the Doha 2024 edition.

Since its debut at the 1973 World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, artistic swimming has been dominated by northern hemisphere athletes. Of the more than 360 medals awarded across 22 world championships, only two have gone to athletes from the Southern Hemisphere.

“For Medellin to host the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming World Cup is something truly special, not only for Colombia but for all of Latin America,” said Sanchez, the 2024 World Aquatics Male Artistic Swimmer of the Year. “Having this as the first World Cup ever held in our country just shows how far our sport has come. Growing up, artistic swimming was something we watched from afar, dominated by athletes in the northern hemisphere. To now welcome the world’s best to Colombia is an incredible source of inspiration for today’s athletes and for the next generation. This really is a dream come true for me and so many other artistic swimmers.”

The Complejo acuático Atanasio Girardot, recently renovated for the 2025 PanAm Aquatics Championships, will serve as the Medellin event venue.

Stop 2: World Cup Heads Back to Paris, a City Steeped in Aquatics Tradition

Following Medellin, the Artistic Swimming World Cup tour will next visit Paris, France. The stop builds on the success of the Paris 2024 Games, where artistic swimming’s global growth and advances in artistry and athleticism was clearly on display.

France has historically been a hotspot for aquatics, hosting 34 previous international competitions. This includes hosting the Artistic Swimming World Cup 10 times, with Paris set to welcome the event for a third consecutive edition. Drawing on the city’s aquatic heritage, the competition will take place at Piscine Georges Vallerey, the venue that hosted swimming, diving, and water polo at the Paris 1924 Olympic Games.

“I am really looking forward to competing again at the World Cup in Paris,” said French national team member Romane Lunel. “I love the enthusiasm of the French spectators. They bring so much energy. It’s really amazing.”

Stop 3: World Cup Heads Back to Xi’an, Highlighting China’s Rise in Artistic Swimming

From Paris, the Artistic Swimming World Cup will return to the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center Natatorium in China, which hosted last year’s Super Final. Artistic swimming continues to grow in China, where the country won its first-ever Olympic medals in the sport at the Paris 2024 Games. These achievements follow China’s recent successes at the World Cup and World Aquatics Championships. Xi’an also underscores China’s expertise in hosting global sports events and will mark the country’s 111th World Aquatics competition.

“China has an incredible passion for aquatics, and every time we compete at home, the energy in the arena is unforgettable,” said Chang Hao, an 11-time artistic swimming world champion who earned three team titles at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. “China takes great pride in hosting world-class events, and athletes from around the world often tell me how much they look forward to competing here because of the atmosphere and the way everything is organised. For me, having the chance to compete in Xi’an in front of our fans is very special and motivates me to give my very best.”

Stop 4: Pontevedra Set to Host Spain’s Eighth Artistic Swimming World Cup Event

After Xi’an, the Artistic Swimming World Cup moves to the northwestern Spanish city of Pontevedra for the fourth stop of the 2026 tour. Pontevedra will host Spain’s 49th World Aquatics event and its eighth Artistic Swimming World Cup. The competition was last held in Spain during the 2023 Super Finals.

Four-time world champion Iris Tio Casas says she’s already highlighted the Pontevedra event on her 2026 calendar.

“Artistic swimming has such a strong tradition in Spain, and every time we compete at home, we feel the incredible support from the community. I still remember the 2023 Super Final—so many artistic swimming clubs came to cheer for us, and after our performances, they wanted to meet us and share in the moment. That connection with the fans and fellow artistic swimmers made for an unforgettable event. Hosting the World Cup in Pontevedra will be another chance to feel that same energy, and I can’t wait to be part of it again.”

Stop 5: Artistic Swimming Returns to Toronto, Capping the 2026 Global Tour

The final stop of the Artistic Swimming World Cup returns to Toronto, with competition taking place at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, a premier facility with multiple Olympic-sized pools built for the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Canada has a strong legacy of hosting major international aquatics events, including the 2005 and 2016 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal and Windsor, as well as more than 119 other World Aquatics competitions. The country has also seen a recent rise in artistic swimming, highlighted by world titles at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.