The European Para Championships is a multisport event. It will be staged every four years and will always be hosted by a major European city in the year preceding the Paralympic Games. In 2023, the European Championships of ten different parasports will be organized simultaneously in one host city, for the very first time. The inaugural edition will take place in Rotterdam, the Netherlands from Tuesday 8 to Sunday 20 August 2023.
At the event, 1,500 Paralympic athletes from forty-five different European countries will compete to become European Champions.
Sports
The ten sports on show during the #EPC2023 are:
- Para Archery
- Para Badminton
- Boccia
- Para Cycling
- Goalball
- Para Judo
- Shooting Para Sport
- Para Taekwondo
- Wheelchair Basketball
- Wheelchair Tennis
For more info: check the Sports page.
Venues
The hub of the European Para Championships is Rotterdam Ahoy. Eight of the ten sports will be played there. Only Para Cycling, Wheelchair Tennis and Para Archery take place fully outside Rotterdam Ahoy.
Six City Centre Courts have been created in the city of Rotterdam. Access to the City Centre Courts does not require an entry ticket – registration at the door is sufficient!
The venues are:
- Schouwburgplein
- Kop van Zuid
- Scheepsvaartkwartier
- Willem-Alexanderbaan
- TV Victoria
- Rotterdam Ahoy – Outside
In these City Centre Courts, sport is brought to the people. The Wheelchair Tennis and Boccia finals will be played on Schouwburgplein, while the Para Archery finals will be organised on the Kop van Zuid, on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas. The preliminary rounds of the Para Archery will be held outside Rotterdam Ahoy, in the car park. No entry ticket is required for this. The preliminary rounds of Wheelchair Tennis will be held at TV Victoria, in Rotterdam Kralingen.
Cycling fans can indulge themselves at Scheepsvaartkwartier and Willem-Alexanderbaan, where the Team Relay and Time and Road Races will be raced, respectively.
For more info on the locations, check the dedicated page.
Schedule
The #EPC2023 will take place from 8 to 20 August. In these 13 days, medals will be distributed on 12 days in at least one of the 10 sports. Click on the image below for the whole programme!
Side events
Want to get more out of your experience at the European Para Championships? Then come along to one of the side events! In Rotterdam Ahoy, in the Zuiderpark, but also in the city centre and near Rotterdam Central Station, there are plenty of things to do to experience parasports yourself! More info? Check the side events page!
Opening ceremony
On the eve of the first European Para Championships, Monday 7 August, between 20:00 – 21:00 hours, the Opening Ceremony will take place in Rotterdam Ahoy.
Do you want to be there? There are no tickets for sale, only through the official #EPC2023 app you can have a chance to win a place. Don’t miss this historic sports moment and enter now for a chance to win tickets!
Merch
Totally enchanted by the colourful style of #EPC2023 or just want a permanent memento of your experience in Rotterdam? Then take a look at the Merchandise stand in Rotterdam Ahoy! Can’t join us or forgot to stop by? The official Merchandise can also be found through the webshop.
