Multi-Sport Event: The Finals - One Event, 24 Sports, and One Exception

Hannover is set to become the hub of German elite sports for four days as it hosts "Die Finals 2026" from Thursday to Sunday. This major multi-sport event will crown German champions in 24 different sports, awarding a total of 143 national titles. This edition marks the sixth iteration of the event, which was first held in Berlin in 2019.

The concept behind "Die Finals" is to bring together multiple German championships, often spread across different locations and times, into a single, cohesive event. After interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hannover becomes the sixth host city, with Stuttgart scheduled to host the event next year.

This year's event boasts an expanded program, featuring 24 sports. Alongside traditional disciplines like swimming and gymnastics, the event includes newer sports such as 3x3 basketball, breaking, and climbing. Beach volleyball, weightlifting, ju-jitsu, rapid surfing, sailing, and windsurfing will make their debut at "Die Finals."

Many German swimmers will use the event as a final tune-up before the European Championships in Paris. However, at "Die Finals," they will compete in less conventional formats, including elimination races and combined events, as the main German championships for Olympic disciplines were already held in Berlin in late April.

A notable exception is athletics. Due to the absence of a suitable stadium with a running track in Hannover – the HDI Arena, home to Hannover 96, has not had one since its renovation for the 2006 FIFA World Cup – almost all athletics titles will be decided in Bochum's Lohrheidestadion. Only the pole vault competitions will take place in Hannover on Thursday and Friday as part of "Die Finals," serving as a prelude to the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham from August 10 to 16, the season's highlight for track and field athletes.