Major competition dates, and how the Grand Prix Series works
Season & Competitions
The season startson July 1.
The figure skating season runs from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. Competitions start with junior events in August and continue until April of the next year.
Season startJul 1, 2026Season endJun 30, 2027
A Final spot is earnedover 2 Grand Prix events.
The 2026-27 Grand Prix Series runs from late October to late November, with one event every weekend in 6 countries.
A skater can enter up to 2 of the 6 events.
Each event awards points by placement. A skater adds up the points from 2 events, and the top 6 skaters in each discipline go on to the Grand Prix Final.
The Final is held in Chongqing (Dec 10–13). Only the 6 skaters in each discipline who advanced from the series compete.
Fall broadcasts talk about standings and points because skaters are competing for the 6 places in the Final.
2026-27 season locations
- FranceAngersOct 23–25
- CanadaKelownaOct 30–Nov 1
- ChinaShenzhenNov 6–8
- USAEverettNov 13–15
- FinlandHelsinkiNov 20–22
- JapanTokyoNov 27–29
Competitions run from August to April of the next year.
The highlight of the 2026-27 season is the World Championships in March. Before that, the Grand Prix Final and the Japan Championships take place in December, and the continental championships in January and February.
Major competitions and locations, 2026-27 season
Aug 19–Oct 10Junior Grand Prix7 countries
Series for junior skaters (7 events)
Oct 23–Nov 29Grand Prix Series6 countries
Series for senior skaters (6 events). The top 6 in each discipline go to the Final
Dec 10–13Grand Prix FinalChongqing
The top 6 in each discipline from the series compete. The junior Final is held at the same venue
Dec 24–27Japan ChampionshipsOsaka
Decides Japan’s national champion
Jan 25–31European ChampionshipsLausanne
For skaters from European countries
Feb 9–14Four Continents ChampionshipsAstana
For skaters from the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania
Feb 22–28World Junior ChampionshipsSofia
The world championships for juniors
Mar 15–21World ChampionshipsTampere
The peak of the season. Its results also set next season’s entry spots
Apr 8–11World Team TrophyTokyo
A team competition between countries. The last major event of the season
Schedule sources: ISU event calendar (announced April 2026), ISU Grand Prix guide, Japan Skating Federation event pages (Japanese).
World Championships results set next season’s entry spots
A country can send up to 3 skaters to the World Championships. That number is set by adding up the placements of the country’s top two skaters at the previous season’s World Championships. The higher they place, the more entry spots the country gets for the next season.
Olympic entry spots also come from the World Championships
The number of skaters a country can send to the Olympic Winter Games is also decided mainly by the results of the World Championships in the season before the Olympics. This is why broadcasts talk about “spots”.
An exhibition is a show of performances unlike those in competition
An exhibition, or gala, is a show held at the end of a competition, featuring the top finishers and other skaters. Unlike a competition, it has no set elements, scores or rankings, and the skaters choose the music, costumes, props and staging freely. With nothing to win or lose, skaters focus on entertaining the audience, with playful programs and kinds of expression you do not see in competition.
Ice shows are held in the off season.
They focus on entertainment on ice and are not bound by winners and losers or the strict rules of a competition. Olympic medalists, top skaters from the World Championships and professional skaters, among others, perform and express themselves freely. You can enjoy new programs, group numbers with many skaters and performances with other artists, which you do not see in competition.