Sport Ireland has launched its programme for European Week of Sport 2026, with more than 500 events set to take place across every county between September 23rd and 30th.

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan and Minister of State with special responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy Charlie McConalogue joined Sport Ireland to launch this year’s campaign, which will run under the theme #BeActive. Your Way.

A new interactive online map will sit at the centre of the campaign, allowing members of the public to search for activities by county, activity and audience.

Local Sports Partnerships, National Governing Bodies, clubs, workplaces, schools and community organisations can also add activities through a new self-service registration system, with approved events appearing on the public-facing map.

Dublin City Council’s SportsFest will be one of the most visible ways in which the activities are being brought to life, and we will cover those events and others in full throughout next week.

The initiative takes on an additional European dimension this year with Ireland holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2026.

The European Commission established European Week of Sport in 2015 to encourage greater physical activity across EU member states.

“European Week of Sport comes at a special moment for Ireland this year, as we hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union,” said Minister O’Donovan.

“It’s a chance to show, in a very practical way, what an active and connected Europe looks like. I’d encourage everyone, whatever their age or level of fitness, to find an event near them and get involved.”

 

Focus on younger participants

Young people aged between 16 and 26 are a particular target for the 2026 programme, alongside specific initiatives aimed at schools, workplaces, older adults, women and girls, people with disabilities and migrant and new communities.

Student Sport Ireland activators will deliver events on college campuses during the week, while the Get Ireland initiative involving Swim Ireland, Athletics Ireland, Cycling Ireland and Mountaineering Ireland will provide opportunities to sample a number of sports.

One of the largest national activations will come on Friday, September 25th, when more than 400 primary schools are expected to participate in European School Sports Day, committing to 120 minutes of physical activity.

The following evening, #BeActive Night will take place across the country, with Ireland’s eight Active Cities – Galway, Waterford, Cork, Limerick, Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown – joining Donegal Local Sports Partnership to deliver free evening activities.

The Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena will also stage a week-long #BeActive Open Week, providing free beginner-friendly access to activities including fitness classes, gymnastics, archery, scuba diving and pan-disability sport.

“We know from every year we run this campaign that there is a huge appetite across Ireland to get out and get active together,” said Sport Ireland Chief Executive Dr Úna May.

“This year we’ve made it easier than ever to find an event, with a live map you can search by county, activity, and audience.”

 

Building a route into regular sport

A Sport for All Community Connection Event on September 26th will focus on people living in IPAS centres and Direct Provision and those with refugee status.

Delivered through Sport Ireland’s Ethics and Integrity Unit alongside Active South Dublin, Sanctuary Runners, IOM Dublin, the Irish Centre for Diversity, SARI and other partners, the emphasis will be not only on introducing sport but also on connecting participants with clubs and opportunities to remain active afterwards.

“Making sport and physical activity open to everyone is at the heart of what we do,” said Sport Ireland Director of Participation, Ethics, Integrity and Research Mary Van Lieshout.

“These events give people who might not always see themselves reflected in sport, or who experience barriers to participation in sport, a warm welcome and a way in.”

The official opening ceremony for European Week of Sport will take place at the National Indoor Arena on the Sport Ireland Campus on September 23rd.

 

Sport for Business Perspective

The scale of European Week of Sport is significant, but perhaps the more interesting development for 2026 is the attempt to make hundreds of separate events easier to discover through one digital entry point.

Participation campaigns ultimately succeed when they turn an initial experience into a lasting habit.

That makes the connection between the event finder, Local Sports Partnerships, National Governing Bodies and individual clubs particularly important. A free taster session can generate activity for a day; providing a clear pathway into a club, class or regular programme can have a considerably longer impact.

The focus on groups which traditionally experience greater barriers to participation also reflects the direction of travel across Irish sports policy, where measuring success increasingly means looking beyond headline participation numbers to who is taking part and who remains outside organised sport.

Ireland’s EU Presidency gives the 2026 campaign an additional platform, but the longer-term value will be determined closer to home: whether those attracted by the hundreds of events taking place next week are given a reason and an opportunity to keep moving once European Week of Sport is over. 

 

 

 

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Image Credit: Sport Ireland

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