Nottingham will welcome the world of synchronised skating in 2027, hosting four World Championships across nine days, including the first-ever World Championships for the new Synchro9 discipline.
Nottingham ice skating legends Dame Jayne Torvill and Sir Christopher Dean were at the National Ice Centre and Motorpoint Arena Nottingham today (Friday 4 September) as plans for World Synchro 2027 were officially unveiled.
The championships will take place from Saturday 27 March to Sunday 4 April 2027, bringing around 1,100 skaters from 21 countries to Nottingham, alongside 300 officials and 200 volunteers. Around 20,000 spectators are expected across the nine days.
Nottingham will make sporting history by becoming the first city to stage the Senior and Junior Synchro9 World Championships, alongside the established Junior and Senior Synchronized Skating World Championships.
Speaking at the announcement, Sir Christopher Dean highlighted the significance of Nottingham being at the forefront of the new discipline, describing Synchro9 as “a whole new genre of skating” and adding that “it’s all going to start here in Nottingham.”
Synchro9 features teams of nine skaters and is designed to introduce a more energetic and acrobatic dimension to synchronised skating, including head-to-head competition.
The first Synchro9 events are due to take place in autumn 2026, before Nottingham stages the inaugural World Championships in March 2027.
For Dame Jayne Torvill, the championships also continue Nottingham’s longstanding relationship with skating. Speaking in the arena, she reflected on the city’s rich skating heritage and the significance of bringing another major international competition to Nottingham.
The pair also highlighted what competitors and spectators can discover beyond the ice, from Nottingham’s vibrant city centre to the legend of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest.
The championships will be particularly significant for Nottingham’s own synchronised skating community.
Esther Morris, one of the coaches working with the city’s skaters, said hosting a World Championship in Nottingham would give people the opportunity to see the sport being performed “at the highest level”.
Synchronised skating captain Claire said: “I’m so excited for the World Championships to be held in Nottingham.”
She highlighted the opportunity for local skaters to compete in front of friends and family who might not usually be able to watch them at an international championship, as well as welcoming teams and supporters from countries around the world to Nottingham.
The announcement was made by Martin Ingham, CEO of Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, and attended by Maggie Still, CEO of British Ice Skating; Tamara Cvijanovic, British Ice Skating Performance Pathway Manager; and Martyn Hindley, Head of Corporate Communications & PR at the International Skating Union (ISU).
Four World Championships in nine days
The programme for World Synchro 2027 will include:
Saturday 27 – Sunday 28 March 2027
ISU Synchronized Skating Synchro9 World Championships 2027
ISU Synchronized Skating Synchro9 Junior World Championships
Wednesday 31 March – Thursday 1 April 2027
ISU Synchronized Skating Junior World Championships 2027
Saturday 3 – Sunday 4 April 2027
ISU Synchronized Skating World Championships 2027
The event will bring the established discipline of synchronised skating and the emerging Synchro9 format together in one host city, showcasing both the current international elite and a new chapter in the sport.
A standard synchronised skating team has 16 skaters, with teams performing complex formations and routines together on the ice. The discipline includes both female and male skaters.
Synchro9 features nine skaters and will initially be a female-only discipline. The new format will introduce head-to-head battles and a more acrobatic style of competition.
The discipline is beginning its journey towards a potential 2030 Olympic debut, meaning some of the athletes competing in Nottingham in 2027 could go on to become the first generation of Synchro9 Olympians.
Continuing Nottingham’s ice skating legacy
World Synchro 2027 adds another chapter to Nottingham’s internationally recognised ice skating story.
The city is synonymous with the achievements of Torvill and Dean, whose gold medal-winning Boléro at the 1984 Winter Olympics remains one of British sport’s most celebrated moments.
Today, that legacy continues through the National Ice Centre, Nottingham’s skating clubs and the generations of young skaters training and competing in the city.
Hosting four World Championships will also provide a significant boost to Nottingham’s visitor economy, with competitors, officials and spectators travelling from across the world and staying in the city and wider county during the nine-day championship period.
The scale of the event further strengthens Nottingham’s position as a destination for major international sport, while giving a global audience the opportunity to experience the city where British ice skating history has so often been made.
Tickets for World Synchro 2027 go on sale on Friday 18 September 2026.
World Synchro 2027 at a glance
Dates: Saturday 27 March – Sunday 4 April 2027
Venue: National Ice Centre and Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
World Championships: 4
Skaters: 1,100
Officials: 300
Volunteers: 200
Countries represented: 21
Expected spectators: 20,000
Tickets on sale: Friday 18 September 2026
Posted on 04 September 2026
