Marijo Možnik: Arena Zagreb Will Be a Venue of Top-Tier Sport
Croatia Hosts the Largest European Gymnastics Championships in History, with 640 Athletes from 43 Countries.
Croatia Hosts the Largest European Gymnastics Championships in History, with 640 Athletes from 43 Countries.
From August 13 to 23, 2026, Zagreb will be the center of European gymnastics. The Arena Zagreb will welcome 640 gymnasts from 43 countries for the European Championships in Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics, making it the largest edition in the history of the competition. Details of the upcoming spectacle were shared by Dr. Marijo Možnik, who heads the Croatian Gymnastics Federation and the Organizing Committee.
Možnik emphasizes that hosting the championship is the crowning achievement of the most successful period in the over 120-year history of the Croatian Gymnastics Federation. "This is the greatest possible recognition for Croatian gymnastics and a confirmation of everything we have built over the last twenty years," said Možnik. During this period, two Olympic silver medals were won, Filip Ude in 2008 on pommel horse and Tin Srbić in 2021 on high bar, along with five World Championship medals (including Srbić's world title in 2017) and ten European medals.
"I think we can rightly say that Croatian gymnastics is currently experiencing its most successful period in the over 120 years of the Croatian Gymnastics Federation, and hosting the European Championships is the pinnacle of that development," he added. Organizing the largest European Championships in history, he stresses, brings great responsibility but also an opportunity for Croatia to once again show what it can do, building on the experience from the DOBRO World Cup in Osijek.
The Zagreb edition will also be remembered as the first European Championships in history to introduce a prize fund for athletes and their coaches. "This is an extremely important step forward," Možnik emphasized. "Zagreb will be the first European Championships in history to introduce a prize fund for athletes and their coaches. With this, we want to clearly show that athletes and coaches are the very reason we organize such competitions."
Due to the specific organization, the Arena Zagreb will have a capacity of around 5,000 seats, and Možnik believes that will be enough for a fantastic atmosphere. "The home crowd can often make a difference," he said, recalling the experience from Osijek where the arena was regularly filled. In addition to Croatian stars, the audience will have the chance to see numerous Olympic champions and world and European champions, given that the championship serves as a qualifier for the World Championships, which leads to the Olympic Games.
The European Championships go beyond the sporting aspect. Co-organized by the University of Zagreb Faculty of Kinesiology and the Croatian Gymnastics Federation, on August 22, 2026, at 9 a.m. at the Westin Hotel (Panorama Hall on the 17th floor), the international scientific and professional conference "Smarter Gymnastics" will open. The panel discussion will include delegates from the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, the City of Zagreb, the International Olympic Committee, European Gymnastics, and other bodies. Over two days, authors from more than ten European countries will present around forty papers.
Additionally, during the women's finals on August 15 and 16, the Young Leaders Forum will take place, and on August 24, the European Gymnastics Members Forum, a meeting of representatives from national federations with the leadership of European Gymnastics, will be held.
Možnik announces a rich accompanying program. At the opening ceremony, the audience will enjoy performances by Mia Dimšić, Baby Lasagna, Ana Rucner, Transform Crew, TeamGym, and other artists. In front of the Arena, there will be a parkour course, rhythmic gymnastics will be showcased, and a children's corner is prepared for the youngest. "During those ten days, the Arena Zagreb will be a place of top-tier sport, entertainment, and a great atmosphere for the whole family. That's why we rightly call this European Championship the blockbuster of the summer," concluded Možnik.
According to estimates, the championship will result in approximately 10,000 overnight stays for official participants, with an additional 10,000 overnight stays expected from fans, athletes' families, and other guests. In total, nearly 2,000 accredited participants are expected, including the organizing committee and volunteers. The organization is supported by the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the City of Zagreb, and partners led by the Žito Group.
