European Volleyball Championship

Sweden and Gothenburg are honored to host the historic event of the Women's Volleyball European Championship in 2026, alongside Turkey, the Czech Republic, and an as yet undisclosed host. Scandinavium will become the volleyball fortress where a total of 15 group stage matches will be played.

2026 will be a historic year! For the first time ever, Sweden will host a Women's Volleyball European Championship. One of the four EM groups will be held in Sweden. The other EM groups will be hosted in Turkey, the Czech Republic, and an as yet undisclosed host, with the former two also hosting the knockout phase.

Scandinavium will be the venue for 15 group stage matches over the course of eight days, starting in the latter half of August 2026. Sweden's successful women's volleyball team will play a total of five EM matches at Scandinavium.

Sweden's third consecutive European Championship finals

A total of six national teams will compete in the group held in Gothenburg. Sweden's opponents will be determined by draw after the completion of the EM qualifiers in early August 2025.

As the host country, the Swedish women's national team is directly qualified for the 2026 European Championship. With boundless energy and constantly exceeding expectations, the team has made significant progress in recent years. In addition to two consecutive EM finals (2021, 2023), they have secured double European Silver League titles as well as silver in both the Golden League and the Challenger Cup. These historically strong results have led to significant advancements in the world rankings, and this year, they have the opportunity to qualify for the Volleyball World Cup for the first time ever.

First time in 37 years

The last time Sweden hosted an international volleyball championship at the senior level was in 1989 when the Men's Volleyball European Championship was held in Stockholm and Örebro. Under the leadership of coaching legend Anders Kristiansson, Sweden was in the midst of its golden age and managed to secure a historic silver medal in front of packed crowds at the Globe Arena.

There was total volleyball fever, especially after defeating the Soviet Union in the semifinals, a team that entered the championship with nine (!) consecutive EM gold medals and was considered unbeatable until facing Sweden.

Fast forward 37 years to 2026, and a new magnificent volleyball celebration is set to take place on Swedish soil—this time in Gothenburg and Scandinavium.