The countdown to “Nottingham27” is officially on! Unveiled today at a special press conference at Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, the 2027 ISU Synchronized Skating World Championships concept will set the stage for an extraordinary nine-day celebration in the heart of the city. From March 27 to April 4, 2027, Nottingham welcome the world’s best synchronized skaters for three major World Championship events, including the inaugural ISU Synchro9 World Championships – a dynamic new format recently added to the programme for the Alpes 2030 Olympic Winter Games.
In just seven months, Nottingham will be transformed into a global stage for synchronized skating, welcoming more than 1,100 skaters, 300 officials and 200 volunteers from 21 countries, with around 20,000 expected spectators. Combining the team spirit, artistic unison and emotional appeal of traditional synchronized skating with the speed, intensity and energy of the new Synchro9 format, Nottingham27 will offer fans a first taste of an emerging Olympic discipline – and put Nottingham at the centre of the sport’s next chapter.
This announcement also brought together skating’s remarkable past and promising future, with 1984 Olympic Champions in Ice Dance Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean joining the launch. Their presence celebrated Nottingham’s skating heritage while shining a spotlight on the next generation of athletes who will take to the ice next year, many of them beginning their own journey towards Olympic ambitions.
Looking ahead to 2027, Nottingham27 will take the excitement of synchronized skating far beyond the ice and into the heart of Nottingham. An ambitious city-wide programme will invite fans, residents, visitors and those discovering the sport to get closer to the athletes, experience the thrill of Synchro and join in a celebration of everything that makes this sport so spectacular.
From Nottingham Olympic Champions to the next generation
Nottingham’s skating story is inseparable from Torvill and Dean, whose journey from the city to Olympic gold has inspired generations. As the sport enters a new Olympic chapter, athletes competing in Nottingham27 will be among those beginning the journey towards Alpes 2030. Some could ultimately go on to make history as the first-ever Synchro9 Olympic champions.
Team Ice United of Netherlands performs during the ISU Synchronized Skating World Championships 2026 at Salzburg Arena on April 10, 2026 in Salzburg, Austria.
Torvill & Dean said: “Nottingham has always been very special to us and to skating. To see the city preparing to welcome a new generation of skaters and a new discipline is incredibly exciting. We know from our own experience that an Olympic journey starts long before the Games themselves. Nottingham27 could be a defining moment in that journey for some of these young athletes, and we are delighted to be here to celebrate this launch.”
1984 Olympic Champions in Ice Dance Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean giving interviews during the Nottingham27 Press Conference, on September 4, at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham.
Four World Championships. Nine days. One city-wide Festival
The combination of four World Championships in a single host city will create a unique global sporting experience on and off the ice, bringing together the established synchronized skating discipline – 16 skaters performing together - with the arrival of the new Synchro9 format – 9 skaters competing in a faster-paced and entertainment-driven format, with knockout rounds.
ISU President Jae Youl Kim said: “Nottingham27 will mark an extraordinary new chapter for Synchronized Skating and the ISU, with the entire Synchro community coming together to celebrate a truly historic moment – the first-ever Synchro9 World Championships. As this exciting new format takes its first steps on the road to the Olympic Winter Games, its World Championship debut in Nottingham will be a moment to remember and an opportunity to showcase the speed, energy and creativity of a format with a hugely exciting future. Bringing four World Championships together over nine days will create an unprecedented celebration of our sport, uniting the world’s best skaters in one city and introducing new audiences to the unique spectacle of synchronized skating. Nottingham27 is about celebrating where skating has come from, embracing where it is going, and inspiring the next generation to dream big and make their own history on the Olympic stage in 2030.”
Celebrating Synchro: Nottingham in Sync
At the core of the event concept is a simple ambition: to turn a world-class sporting event into a city-wide cultural moment. Through four interconnected pillars – City in Sync, Fans in Sync, Athletes in Sync and The Fan Village – the Championships will bring the excitement of synchronized skating and the new Synchro9 Olympic format to everyone. The city itself will become part of the Championship experience, with interactive activities, athlete encounters, entertainment and fan experiences creating a vibrant festival atmosphere.
The world will be watching. Nottingham will be in sync.
Key Dates:
Ticket sales will be open from Friday, 18 September, 2026.
More information about the event can be found on the dedicated event webpage.