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WCA taps Cape Town, Shenyang, Auckland and Bogotá to host the 2026 Continental Championships

A 3x3 Rubik's Cube positioned on a competition timer with a world map in the background highlighting Cape Town, Shenyang, Auckland, and Bogotá as the 2026 WCA Continental Championship host cities

Four continents, four new stages: WCA confirms 2026 hosts

The World Cube Association closed October 2025 by naming its host cities for the 2026 Continental Championships: Cape Town (Africa), Shenyang (Asia), Auckland (Oceania) and Bogotá (South America). While the post did not list a specific day, the selections were published in October 2025 and cap a year of record participation and milestone solves—setting the table for a consequential 2026 season. (worldcubeassociation.org)

What was announced

  • Africa: Cape Town, South Africa
  • Asia: Shenyang, China
  • Oceania: Auckland, New Zealand
  • South America: Bogotá, Colombia

The WCA also reminded readers that Europe had already been awarded to Arnhem, Netherlands, completing the 2026 major-championship map. (worldcubeassociation.org)

Why these cities make sense

  • Shenyang is already etched into modern cubing lore: on April 13, 2025, Xuanyi Geng set the 3×3×3 single world record of 3.05 seconds at Shenyang Spring 2025. Hosting Asia’s championship where the sport’s most iconic single was set creates a ready-made storyline for athletes and fans. (worldcubeassociation.org)

  • Auckland reflects Oceania’s ascendancy. New Zealand’s community has surged in depth and results, highlighted by Lachlan Gibson’s Clock world records this year. With Nationals headed to Auckland on December 12–14, 2025, the city will already be in “major event mode” going into 2026. (en.wikipedia.org)

  • Cape Town underscores Africa’s momentum. South Africa’s 2025 Nationals produced a string of continental records—Daniel Rush reset four African big-cube marks in Johannesburg—suggesting a deepening field ready for a continental spotlight. (worldcubeassociation.org)

  • Bogotá has become a year-round hub in South America, with frequent city competitions and an active organizing corps. The calendar even included an event on November 1, 2025—evidence of local capacity that should translate well to a continental-scale meet. (worldcubeassociation.org)

Why it matters

Continental Championships sit just below the World Championship on the WCA ladder. They shape international rankings, create qualification pressure, and help federations build pipelines. The 2025 World Championship in Seattle drew 1,864 competitors from 70+ nations; continentals are smaller by design, but they increasingly function as “regionals with world-class finals,” where new names emerge and established stars test event programs before Worlds cycles. (ich73.github.io)

The selections also balance geography and narrative:

  • Asia gets a host with recent record lineage (Shenyang),
  • Oceania returns to a nation whose community has produced recent world records and robust meet infrastructure (Auckland),
  • Africa elevates a city in a country delivering fresh continental records (Cape Town), and
  • South America spotlights a capital with consistent competition activity (Bogotá). (worldcubeassociation.org)

Meanwhile, Europe’s 2026 appointment to Arnhem confirms a compact calendar of four continentals plus Euros—helpful for athletes planning travel and peak cycles across multiple events. Expect more details on event dates, qualification windows, and schedules from each regional organization as venues are finalized and local partners sign on. (worldcubeassociation.org)

What’s next

  • Organizers will release dates, venue maps, and qualification policies in the coming months via WCA and regional channels. Watch the WCA posts page and your regional organization feeds. (worldcubeassociation.org)
  • National championships late in 2025 and early 2026 will double as form guides and qualification tune-ups—New Zealand Nationals in Auckland is an early preview of Oceania’s local logistics and athlete flow. (worldcubeassociation.org)
  • Storylines to track: whether Shenyang’s fast-hardware culture produces more 3×3 fireworks; whether Cape Town’s field converts African records into continental podium depth; how New Zealand’s clock and side-events translate on home soil; and how Bogotá’s dense schedule scales up to a continental footprint. (worldcubeassociation.org)

Bottom line: the WCA’s 2026 map prioritizes places where the sport is already vibrant—and where a championship can elevate entire regions. With hosts now set on four continents (and Europe locked in at Arnhem), teams and fans can start planning for a year that should both crown champions and broaden the base of elite cubing. (worldcubeassociation.org)