2019 European Games

Host city

Minsk, Belarus

Opening ceremony

14 June

Closing ceremony

30 June

Main venue

Dinamo Stadium (Minsk)

< 2015

The 2019 European Games (Belarusian: Еўрапейскія гульні 2019) is scheduled to be the second edition of the European Games, a multi-sport event for European athletes. It will be held in June 2019 in Minsk, Belarus, having previously been awarded first to the Netherlands and then to Russia. The Netherlands withdrew citing costs and lack of support, while the next hosting agreement with Russia was provisional on the basis of it addressing concerns raised by an independent WADA investigation into doping in Russia. During the Olympic Games in 2016, the IOC made clear they would not support a European Games in Russia in the present circumstances. Finally on 21 October 2016 it was announced, that Minsk, Belarus would be the host city for the 2019 Games.

The European Olympic Committees (EOC) has stated that there will not be any "complex bidding process" for the 2019 Games. In contrast to the Olympic bidding phase, the EOC is in private dialogue with a several potential host cities to minimize unnecessary costs and reduce the length of the process.

In November 2014, EOC President Pat Hickey stated that EOC was in negotiations with six potential host cities. The bidding cities remained unknown until 16 May 2015 when the EOC nominated the Dutch Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) to host the 2019 European Games.

The Netherlands were planning a nationwide concept for the Games, with competitions spread over the country. There were ongoing negotiations with nine potential host cities, Amsterdam, Almere, The Hague, Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Apeldoorn, Arnhem and Assen. The NOC*NSF had outlined a maximum budget of €125m. No new facilities will be built to maintain the vision of a low-cost Games. Moreover, there will not be any single athletes village. In contrast, the athletes will stay in accommodations in the respective host city.

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