Special Olympics announce location for 2027 World Games
By Ian Levy
In a special live-stream press conference today, Special Olympics announced the location for the 2027 World Games — Santiago, Chile.
According to an accompanying press release: "The world’s largest sports and humanitarian event is coming to Chile’s capital city. The Special Olympics International Board of Directors announced today that Santiago, Chile will be the host site for the 2027 Special Olympics World Games, marking the first time in the organization’s 55-year history that a World Games will take place in the Southern Hemisphere."
"In less than four years, Santiago will welcome more than 6,000 Special Olympics athletes from over 170 nations to compete in 22 Olympic-type sports at Santiago’s state-of-the-art competition venues. They will be supported by over 2,000 coaches and thousands of volunteers. The Games will also attract 6,000 family members, more than 2,000 international media, and 500,000 spectators. Home to rich cultural heritage, stunning architecture, and a long tradition of hosting global sporting events, Santiago is expected to leave a legacy of a social transformation for Chile, its people and the Latin American region."
This is a significant moment for Special Olympics and the nation of Chile as they partner to shine a spotlight on the Inclusion Revolution in a new area of the globe.
The Special Olympics World Games occur every two years. The most recent World Summer Games were held in 2023 in Berlin, Germany. At that event, over 6,500 athletes from over 126 countries participated. They were also supported by more than 18,000 international volunteers, over 3,000 coaches and support staff and 9,000 family members.
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