Beijing's recently released 2026 sports event calendar reveals that the city will host over 1,000 sporting competitions at various levels this year. Among these, 206 premium events are included in the "Dual Olympic 100" event system. What are the key highlights of this year-long "sports feast" worth anticipating?

The National Stadium "Bird's Nest" (left) and the National Aquatics Center "Water Cube" at night.

■ Highlight One: Saturated Utilization of Olympic Venues ■ The Beijing Olympic Center Area, home to iconic venues including the National Stadium, National Aquatics Center, National Indoor Stadium, and National Speed Skating Oval, forms a "Dual Olympic Park." In 2025, it welcomed 109 million local residents and tourists, an increase of approximately 18% year-on-year. Sporting events undoubtedly serve as a crucial engine driving the coordinated development of public sports, competitive sports, and the sports industry.

The 2025 World Aquatics Diving World Cup Finals were held at the "Water Cube." From January 22 to 25 this year, the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships took place spectacularly at the National Indoor Stadium. Upcoming events include the Diving World Cup Finals during the May Day holiday, the Speed Skating World Cup Beijing station at year-end, and the World Short Course Swimming Championships, which will continue to fuel the sports enthusiasm of the "Dual Olympic City."

The 2025 Beijing Half Marathon.

■ Highlight Two: A Year-Round Spectacle ■ Reviewing the event calendar, the Beijing Half Marathon in spring complements the Beijing Marathon in autumn. The humanoid robot half-marathon in April and the World Humanoid Robot Games in August are set to push the topic of "whether robots can surpass humans" to the top of trending searches once again.

A demonstration of a humanoid robot football match. The World Challenge Cup in Rhythmic Gymnastics, sanctioned by the International Gymnastics Federation, will be held in Beijing in June. During the National Day holiday, the China Open tennis tournament and the WTT China Grand Slam will join forces again to create a "Golden Week of Events." The winter sports season will feature events like the Short Track Speed Skating World Tour, the FIS Big Air World Cup for Snowboard and Freestyle Skiing, along with competitions in Alpine Skiing, Bobsleigh, and Luge, ensuring the Winter Olympic legacy continues to thrive.

The FIS Big Air World Cup Beijing station for Snowboard and Freestyle Skiing.

■ Highlight Three: Debut of the "Event+" Service Package ■ The service package consists of two parts: "Spectator+" and "Participant+." The "Spectator+" package for attendees will integrate benefits with ticket stubs at the point of sale, designing various spectator experience bundles tied to event tickets. These will be coordinated citywide with key commercial districts, tourist attractions, restaurants, and stores, making "ticket stub economy," "second viewing venues," and "traveling with the events" continue as popular trends.

An outdoor viewing area for the China Open tennis tournament. The "Participant+" service package targets athletes, referees, technical officials, international organization representatives, and media journalists. It plans to provide services including catering, accommodation, and transportation to enhance the participant experience, showcasing the sports culture and operational expertise of the "Dual Olympic City."

The 2025 Beijing TOP Swimming International Open.

■ Highlight Four: Beijing TOP Swimming International Open Goes Global ■ This new event IP, launched in 2025, is a significant component of Beijing's "Dual Olympic 100" event system. The Beijing TOP Swimming International Open is pioneering a brand event overseas expansion plan, with various measures to be implemented progressively from 2026 to 2028.

According to the event's development plan, 2026 will see the establishment of a bilateral competition system enabling mutual recognition of results between China and Australia, alongside the addition of domestic qualifying events. In 2027, the scale of Chinese youth training and competition participation in Australia will be expanded, with selection trials and club leagues established in Australia to identify talented young swimmers through two-way selection. By 2028, efforts will focus on continuously upgrading event quality, increasing the number and scale of domestic and international qualifying events, and promoting international youth exchanges.

The Shougang Park in Beijing, which hosts the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Grand Slam. In February of this year, the "International Event City Influence Index Report 2025" was launched in Lausanne, Switzerland. The report indicated that Beijing and Shanghai rank among the world's leading international event cities. Leveraging its unique status as the world's first "Dual Olympic City," Beijing has achieved outstanding results in event hosting, industry integration, and global cooperation, becoming a key benchmark among leading cities.

The Workers' Sports Ground Station on Beijing Subway Line 3 has become the city's first football-themed subway station. In 2026, the highly popular and acclaimed events will accelerate the "Dual Olympic City's" transformation into an "International Event City," simultaneously promoting the integrated development of culture, commerce, sports, and tourism to highlight the city's charm.