A record 24 national teams are set to compete at PVE’s flagship event.

The competition will take place from 21 to 28 August 2027, with official arrival scheduled for 17 August and departure on 29 August. The Opening Ceremony and first matches will be held on Saturday, 21 August, while the champions will be crowned during the final matches on Saturday, 28 August, followed by the Closing Ceremony.

For the first time in the history of the European Championships, 12 men’s and 12 women’s national teams will compete for the continental titles, making Leipzig 2027 the largest European Sitting Volleyball Championship ever staged.

The event will also carry major sporting significance on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games, with Leipzig forming an important part of the qualification pathway towards LA28.

European elite returns to Germany

The announcement marks the return of Europe’s top sitting volleyball competition to Germany 12 years after the 2015 European Championships in Warendorf.

Leipzig has developed into one of Germany’s key centres for sitting volleyball in recent years. With the Saxony state training centre for sitting volleyball, an active club environment and extensive experience in staging sporting competitions, the city provides a strong setting for an event of this scale.

The Championship will be organised in cooperation with the German Disabled Sports Association (DBS), with ParaVolley Europe and the local organisers now beginning preparations for what promises to be a landmark edition of the competition.

ParaVolley Europe welcomed the announcement:

“We are delighted that DBS has stepped forward to host next year’s top European Championship in Leipzig. Our rapidly growing sport offers the organiser a tremendous opportunity for visibility, but also the responsibility to deliver the best championship yet. We know that DBS has embraced this challenge, and we look forward to working closely together on the preparation and delivery of an outstanding event.

At the same time, we send a clear message to every qualified team: prepare well and arrive ready to perform at your very best. Together, we will make this championship a true showcase for ParaVolley and set a new benchmark for the future of our sport,” Branko Mihorko, President of PVE stated.

A special Championship for the German hosts

The announcement has particular significance for German men’s national team head coach Christoph Herzog, who was born in Leipzig and also works at the city’s state training centre for sitting volleyball.

For Herzog, the news arrived on a memorable date. Fourteen years earlier, on 8 September 2012, he and the German team had celebrated a historic bronze medal at the London Paralympic Games.

“That success remains one of the defining moments of our sport. To now know that next year we will have a European Championship on home soil - and in Leipzig, of all places - is fantastic,” Herzog said.

“I am Leipzig born and bred, and I have been involved in sitting volleyball for more than 30 years. I am incredibly excited. At European level, this will be the biggest event our sport has ever seen. Never before have twelve men’s and twelve women’s teams competed at a European Championship. Having the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd while also competing for the chance to qualify for the Paralympic Games brings even more motivation and emotion.”

DBS also sees hosting the Championships as an important opportunity to strengthen the development and visibility of Para sport in Germany.

Marc Möllmann, Executive Board Member for High Performance Sport at DBS, said:

“Bringing the European Championships to Germany on the road to the Paralympic Games sends a strong signal. It gives our athletes the opportunity to perform on a major international stage - and hopefully qualify for the Games. Events like this create visibility, inspire people to engage with Para sport and can provide important momentum in attracting new athletes, coaches and supporters. They offer an opportunity to sustainably advance the development of sitting volleyball and Para sport as a whole.”

Leipzig ready for Europe’s best

With 24 national teams, continental titles at stake and the road towards Los Angeles 2028 adding further importance to every match, Leipzig 2027 is set to become a milestone in the history of European sitting volleyball.

The expanded field reflects the continued development of the sport across Europe and provides an unprecedented platform to showcase elite sitting volleyball to spectators, media, partners and new audiences.

Key dates for Leipzig 2027:

20 August – Official Arrival Day
21 August – Opening Ceremony and opening matches
21–28 August – Competition
28 August – Final matches and Closing Ceremony
29 August – Official Departure Day

Further information on the participating teams, venue, competition schedule, ticketing and event programme will be announced in the lead-up to Leipzig 2027.