World Climbing Youth Championship

Arco, the world capital of youth climbing

From July 18 to 25, 2026, the town of Arco, in the province of Trento (Trentino-Alto Adige), will host the World Climbing Youth Championship, the Youth World Championships for sport climbing organized by the Italian Sport Climbing Federation (FASI) under the aegis of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). The event will take place at the Arco Climbing Stadium, the facility of the FASI Federal Technical Center on Via Caproni Maini, confirming the town's status in the Upper Garda region as one of the world's temples for the sport, having already hosted the famous Rock Master event and the Youth World Championships in 2015 and 2019.

725 athletes from 68 delegations

The event will attract approximately 725 young athletes from 68 international delegations, accompanied by hundreds of coaches and staff, totaling over 960 official delegates. The competitions are divided into Under 17 and Under 19 categories, both male and female, across the three Olympic climbing disciplines: Lead (difficulty, over 400 entries), Speed (nearly 200 athletes), and Boulder (the most popular specialty with over 430 participants). The Italian national team will field 28 athletes supported by 11 technical staff members.

Competition schedule

The calendar opens on Friday, July 17, with an opening ceremony featuring local cultural groups. Competitions begin on Saturday, July 18, with the Lead Under 17 qualifiers, followed on Sunday, July 19, by the Lead Under 19 qualifiers, and on Monday, July 20, by the Lead semi-finals and finals for both categories.

• Tuesday, July 21 — Speed: trials, qualifiers, and finals for Under 17 and Under 19
• Wednesday, July 22 — Boulder: Under 17 qualifiers
• Thursday, July 23 — Boulder: Under 19 qualifiers
• Friday, July 24 — Boulder: Under 17 semi-finals and finals
• Saturday, July 25 — Boulder: Under 19 semi-finals and finals, and the grand finale of the event

Free entry and Village

Access to the Arco Climbing Stadium is completely free for the public, with no ticket required. Surrounding the competition arena, a Village will come to life with plenty to offer: food trucks and refreshment areas, technical gear and official merchandise stands, yoga classes, a skate park, a children's climbing wall, and experiential areas. The competitions will be broadcast via free live streaming, in Italian on Climbing TV (Sportface) and in English on the World Climbing YouTube channel.

Arco and the Upper Garda Trentino

Nestled between the vertical rock faces that have made it famous among climbers worldwide, Arco combines a rich climbing tradition with the charm of the Mediterranean climate of the Upper Garda. The event, supported by the Autonomous Province of Trento, the Municipality of Arco, and the Department for Sport, is a perfect opportunity to explore the Garda Trentino region, with its crags, olive groves, historic center, and the famous Castle of Arco.