BWF World Championships 2026: dates, winners and guide
BWF World Championships, first held in 1977, is played in New Delhi. Here's when it's on, who won it and what to know before you watch or go.
Latest edition: 2026
Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi
About World Championships
- The World Championships started in 1977 (Malmö, Sweden). It was held every three years until 1983, every two years from 1985 to 2005, and has been held every year since 2006 except in Summer Olympic years, so there was no edition in 2024.
- Along with the Olympic Games, it is badminton's most prestigious individual competition and awards the most ranking points (14,500 to the winner).
- The 2026 edition, the 30th, was held in New Delhi from 17 to 23 August 2026, India's first time hosting since Hyderabad in 2009.
- In 2026 Alex Lanier beat Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 to become France's first men's singles world champion, and An Se-young beat defending champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14 for her second world title.
- France won two golds in New Delhi (men's singles, and mixed doubles through Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue), its best ever World Championships.
- The 2025 edition was held in Paris (Adidas Arena), 25–31 August 2025; Canada won its first ever World Championships medal through Victor Lai.
- The 2023 edition was held at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, 21–27 August 2023.
- The host city and dates of the 2027 World Championships had not been announced as of November 2026. From 2027 BWF major championships move to a 12-day format.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · outlookindia.com · mykhel.com · ecns.cn
Recent World Championships champions
| Year | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Alex Lanier 🇫🇷 | An Se-young 🇰🇷 |
| 2025 | Shi Yuqi 🇨🇳 | Akane Yamaguchi 🇯🇵 |
| 2023 | Kunlavut Vitidsarn 🇹🇭 | An Se-young 🇰🇷 |
Today's top players: the badminton world rankings.
World Championships dates by year
202617–23 August 2026
Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
For badminton coaches
Turn the big tournaments into busier lessons
Run a themed session
When the All England or the World Championships are on, pick one skill from the matches — the net kill, the deceptive drop — and build a session on it.
Get ready for 3×15
BWF's new scoring (best of three games to 15) starts in January 2027. Practise shorter, sharper games with your juniors.
Fill your hall slots
Big tournaments bring new players. Share your booking link and term fees while badminton is on TV.
TopSpinCRM runs the admin for badminton coaches.Players book and pay online, lesson packs and reminders run themselves, and you can share progress notes with parents.
More about TopSpinCRM for badminton coaches.
World Championships: questions people ask
Where were the 2026 BWF World Championships held?
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In New Delhi, India, from 17 to 23 August 2026.
Who won the 2026 badminton World Championships?
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Alex Lanier (France) won the men's singles and An Se-young (South Korea) won the women's singles. The other titles went to Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang (China, men's doubles), Baek Ha-na/Lee So-hee (South Korea, women's doubles) and Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (France, mixed doubles).
Where are the 2027 BWF World Championships?
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As of November 2026, BWF had not announced the host or dates. It said they would be confirmed separately from the 2027–2028 World Tour calendar.
Is there a badminton World Championships every year?
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Yes, every year since 2006, except in Summer Olympic years (for example, none was held in 2024).