Joint Press Release
08/06/2026
Special Olympics National Games Saarland 2026: Saarbrücken as the center of exciting competitions
From Monday to Saturday, June 15 to 20, the Special Olympics National Games 2026 will take place in Saarland.
About 4,500 athletes are taking part in Germany's largest inclusive sports event for people with intellectual disabilities. With a total of 11 competitive disciplines at 12 sports venues, the opening ceremony, numerous event locations, and an extensive supporting program, the state capital Saarbrücken plays a key role.
The majority of the competitions are held in Saarbrücken: The state capital becomes the central meeting point for athletes, delegations, volunteers, as well as visitors from across the entire country.
Christiane Krajewski, President of Special Olympics Germany, says: “The National Games Saarland 2026 are a significant milestone for inclusive sports in Germany. They make people with intellectual disabilities visible and create sustainable structures for greater participation. The investments in barrier-free sports facilities and the broad support from city, state, and many partners will continue to have an impact long after the competitions have ended.”
“For us, the Special Olympics National Games 2026 are not only the biggest sporting event that has ever taken place in Saarland – they are a statement for inclusion, participation, and social cohesion. Here in the state capital, people come together during the week of the games to celebrate, make new friendships, and be part of it. Because the games take place throughout Saarland and even cross the border into France, we also demonstrate that values such as inclusion, participation, and cohesion do not stop at city, district, or state borders but reach the entire Saarland. With the games, we are writing our own Saarland ‘summer fairy tale,’ said Interior Minister Reinhold Jost.
Mayor Uwe Conradt: „The Special Olympics National Games 2026 represent what makes our society strong: solidarity, respect, and lived inclusion. Saarbrücken, as a cosmopolitan and diverse state capital, will become a central meeting place for the athletes, the people of Saarbrücken, and our guests. We look forward to moving competitions in our city.“
„I am very much looking forward to competing in front of many people in my homeland. For me, the games are a great opportunity to show what people with intellectual disabilities can achieve. But I also hope that there will be many inclusive sports offerings even after the games. Everyone should be able to do sports together, people with and without disabilities,“ says Romea Sauber, participant in the Special Olympics National Games Saarland 2026 in athletics.
Cross-border cooperation also plays an important role in the games: The swimming competitions are held in the French neighboring town of Forbach. Jacques Koenig, 1st Vice President of the Communauté d'Agglomération de Forbach - Porte de France, and the deputy of the town of Forbach, Madame Evelyne Nowak, were present on the podium.
The competitions at central locations in Saarbrücken
The state capital is providing numerous sports facilities and event venues for the Special Olympics National Games: the Kieselhumes stadium, the Bruchwiesenhalle, the sports field at Ludwigspark, Tbilisser Platz, the Saar meadows below the State Theatre, as well as the area at the Kulturbiergarten in St. Arnual. In addition, discounted conditions apply for the use of Ludwigsparkstadion. The opening ceremony will take place there on Monday, June 15, from 8:15 p.m.
As the state capital, the Saarbrücken city administration supports the Special Olympics National Games Saarland 2026 in addition with the organization, infrastructure and security measures, permits, and traffic regulations. For example, the city allows necessary detours of bicycle and pedestrian traffic free of charge during the setup and teardown phases as well as on the event days.
In Saarbrücken, the competitions in badminton, basketball 3x3 and 5x5, bowling, boccia, soccer, canoeing, powerlifting, athletics, rowing, and table tennis take place. While primarily training sessions are planned for Monday, June 15th, classification competitions as well as main rounds and finals will be held from Tuesday to Saturday, June 16th to 20th. All sports competitions are freely accessible to visitors.
Torch relay, exhibitions, and film screening – events invite you to join the celebration
Numerous events in Saarbrücken accompany the competitions and bring together people with and without disabilities. The state capital participates with a supporting program that highlights the themes of inclusion, participation, and diversity.
As a ceremonial beginning of the games, the city's torch relay starts on Monday, June 15, at 4 p.m. Under the motto of the "Flame of Hope," it unites inclusion and sporting spirit with regional identity.
Ten tandem pairs, each consisting of one person with and one person without an intellectual disability, will carry the flame together in a miner's lamp from St. Johann Town Hall via St. Johanner Market to Tbilisser Platz and then through Bahnhofstraße to the EUROPA-Galerie. Saarbrücken's mayor Uwe Conradt will officially welcome the runners. The torch relay will be musically accompanied, among others, by the group "Samba O’Leck".
Under the motto "My superpower – what makes me special," the state capital will display 40 posters in a public exhibition on Bahnhofstraße from Friday to Monday, June 12 to 22.
The posters were created by students from primary and special schools as well as the youth welfare center. They explored their personal strengths creatively in art lessons and workshops with the support of the company KaMa mittendrin as part of the project "MAKING A STATEMENT." From Tuesday to Friday, June 16 to 19, there will also be an interactive event on the topic for all interested parties on site in Bahnhofstraße.
On the ground floor of St. Johann Town Hall, from Monday, June 15, to Friday, July 10, the photo exhibition "Special Olympics Portrait Project" can be seen. It features large-format black-and-white portraits by photographer Luca Siermann. With his portrait series developed in 2004
he accompanies all Special Olympics Games in Germany as a photographer.
On Wednesday, June 17th, at 10 a.m., Cultural Officer Dr. Sabine Dengel and Luca Siermann will present the traveling exhibition in the town hall festival hall. Interested parties can visit the exhibition free of charge during the town hall's regular opening hours.
Already on Tuesday, June 9th, at 7 p.m., the municipal cinema presents the tragicomedy "Whole Half Brother" in cooperation with the University of Saarland. It deals with the rapprochement between the real estate fraudster Thomas and his half-brother Roland, who has Trisomy 21. Afterwards, there will be a discussion with screenwriter Clemente Fernandez Gil. Tickets are available at www.filmhaus.saarbruecken.de.
While the city is preparing for the guests and the supporting program, the necessary prerequisites at the competition venues have also been established. Extensive renovation and modernization measures ensure that the athletes find optimal conditions. The measures are supported by the Ministry of the Interior, Building and Sports.
More accessibility and improved facilities at Saarbrücken sports venues
At the sports field at Ludwigspark, the planned work is almost completely finished. In addition to measures to improve accessibility, among other things, the standing terrace, staircases, seating areas, and other infrastructure facilities have been renewed.
The athletics facility at Kieselhumes has also been extensively modernized. The synthetic running track was renewed, the sports equipment installed, and the marking work almost completely finished. Additionally, the forecourt was redesigned. At the same time, a new multifunctional building was constructed using sustainable timber frame construction, which has already been approved and can be used during the games.
In the Bruchwiesenhalle, which serves as accommodation for the volunteers during the games, the work is also in its final phase. The changing rooms and ancillary areas have been completed, and currently final work is still being carried out on the outdoor facilities and the green roof.
In total, the state capital is investing around 8.6 million euros in the modernization of the three sports facilities. The Ministry of the Interior, Building and Sports has funded the work with around 6.8 million euros.
“In total, we are investing more than 10 million euros in the upgrading of sports facilities in our country. The Special Olympics National Games are thus a catalyst for investments that are already necessary. This creates lasting value for grassroots, competitive, and inclusive sports in Saarland – far beyond June 20th,” emphasizes Interior Minister Reinhold Jost.
In the long term, these modernizations ensure training conditions for school, club, and grassroots sports in Saarbrücken.
All information and the complete program can be found at saarland2026.specialolympics.de.
Image source: MIBS/A. Weber.
