After months of preparations and a final presentation before the Federation of Gay Games (FGG) in the seaside city of Brighton East Sussex, Valencia, Spain was chosen to host the 2026 edition of the Gay Games.
Following the presentation, officials from Valencia Bid City, Visit Valencia, the Municipal Sports Foundation (FDM), Lambda, ADI and the LGTBI+ Samarucs and Dracs sports clubs expressed their "joy and satisfaction" with FGG's choice, adding that Valencia "is a city that is at the height of an international event such as the Gay Games."
According to the Gay Games website, Guadalajara, Mexico; and Munich, Germany were the other cities in the final three. Auckland, New Zealand; Brisbane, Australia; San Diego, Taipei and Toronto also made bids to host.
Since 1982, the Gay Games has offered a safe environment for the LGBTQ+ community to practice sports. Principles such as participation, inclusion and diversity are key to these sports and cultural events. The next edition will be held in Hong Kong in 2022.