23.06.2026
EA Evaluation Commission reviewed Helsinki’s bid for the 2030 European Athletics Championships
Sylvia Barlag: “Helsinki is an excellent place to host the European Championships”
The European Athletics (EA) Evaluation Commission was impressed by Helsinki’s bid to host the 2030 European Athletics Championships during its three-day visit to the Finnish capital.
“I am convinced that everyone in Helsinki and within the Finnish Government genuinely supports this bid. In my view, Helsinki is an excellent place to host the European Championships,” said Sylvia Barlag, who chaired the Evaluation Commission.
The race to host the 2030 Championships will now continue between Helsinki and Brussels, Belgium.
“EA confirmed that Helsinki and Brussels are the two remaining finalists in the bidding process. Zurich was unable to bring its project to a competitive stage and withdrew its bid last week. We were informed of this during EA’s visit,” said Riikka Pakarinen, President of the Finnish Athletics Federation (SUL).
“Reaching the final stage of the bidding process demonstrates the strength of the work we have done together with the City of Helsinki and our other partners.”
The EA delegation visiting Helsinki consisted of seven experts representing key areas of major event delivery, including event management, operations, broadcasting, communications, media services, competition management, accommodation, and accreditation services.
Barlag praises the renovated Olympic Stadium
During the visit, the Evaluation Commission toured the proposed competition venues, met representatives of the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Government, and reviewed the bid in detail.
The group visited the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, the nearby Eläintarha Sports Field, which is planned as the warm-up venue, and Leppävaara Stadium in Espoo, which is proposed as the training venue. The programme also included visits to hotels designated for accommodation.
“The renovated stadium was a pleasant surprise. It looks beautiful and has been refurbished to an exceptionally high standard,” Barlag said, comparing the venue with her previous visits during the 2005 World Athletics Championships and the 2012 European Athletics Championships.
Evaluation Commission visit marks a major milestone in the bid project
The Helsinki 2030 bid concept was presented to the Commission by a team led by SUL President Riikka Pakarinen. Presenters included SUL CEO Harri Aalto, bid project manager Harri Halme, competition operations expert Pasi Oksanen, accommodation lead Mikaela Ingberg, and ticketing and promotion specialist Juuso Enala.
“This has been a long process. Preparation of the bid began two and a half years ago. The Evaluation Commission’s visit was a significant milestone in the project. We prepared very thoroughly, and rightly so, as the Commission wanted detailed information about plans across all areas of the Championships,” Pakarinen said.
According to Harri Aalto, both the renovated Olympic Stadium with its versatile facilities and athletics’ strong position in Finland generated considerable interest.
“High spectator numbers, both at the venue and through television broadcasts, combined with the popularity of Finnish athletes, create the conditions for nationwide support for a major championships event,” Aalto said.
Pakarinen: Helsinki’s concept made a strong impression
During the visit, the Evaluation Commission met Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala and Minister of Sport Mika Poutala, as well as Helsinki Mayor Daniel Sazonov, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Leisure Paavo Arhinmäki, representatives of the City of Espoo, and several venue managers and subject-matter experts.
“The European Athletics Championships require outstanding cooperation between the Finnish Government, Helsinki, other cities in the capital region, and the Finnish Athletics Federation. The Evaluation Commission clearly appreciated this strong partnership when hearing the perspectives of all stakeholders involved,” Aalto said.
Pakarinen noted that Helsinki’s compact geography and accessibility also stood out.
“I am proud of the work done by our large team. I believe we successfully demonstrated that Helsinki is a compact and safe host city with short travel distances. Everything is close to the competition venue: hotels, warm-up and training facilities, and city-centre services. That clearly made an impression,” Pakarinen said.
Bid package to be presented to the EA Council
In the next phase of the bidding process, the Helsinki team will refine and supplement the application based on the Evaluation Commission’s feedback during the late summer.
The project team will also attend the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham from 10–16 August to gather insights and best practices, while preparing the final presentation of the bid package to the EA Council. The date for this presentation has not yet been confirmed.
European Athletics will make the final decision on the host of the 2030 European Athletics Championships in March 2027.
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Photo: City of Helsinki & Finnish Athletics Federation
Source: press release of the Helsinki 2030 European Athletics Championships Bid, 23 June 2026
Further information
Riikka Pakarinen
President, Finnish Athletics Federation (SUL)
+358 40 580 0833
riikka.pakarinen@sul.fi
Harri Aalto
CEO, Finnish Athletics Federation (SUL)
+358 40 823 4200
harri.aalto@sul.fi
Harri Halme
Project Manager, Helsinki 2030 European Athletics Championships Bid
+358 40 7545 104
harri.halme@welho.com