Birmingham has won the bid to host the 2027 Invictus Games, beating off competition from Washington DC.
The event, staged every two years, sees injured military personnel and veterans from around the world compete in a range of sports. Staged at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), the Birmingham games will be the first time the event has come to the UK since the Duke of Sussex staged the inaugural tournament in London in 2014.
"Your city's strong ties to the armed forces community made it a formidable contender from the very start," Prince Harry said.
"We have no doubt the people of Birmingham will join in celebrating the unwavering respect and admiration we have for our veteran and service community, showing the world how their courage ignites hope and unites us all - something your city knows well." A flag-raising ceremony with Veterans Minister Al Carns will be staged at the NEC on Tuesday morning to mark the announcement.
The £26m government-backed bid drew on the armed forces' connections with Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. During the Afghanistan conflict, severely injured military casualties evacuated from Helmand province were treated at the QE Hospital in Selly Oak - which is also home to the Royal College of Defence Medicine, while the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre is also based in Loughborough, in the East Midlands.
Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan, said each city had brought "a unique spirit and vision to life for competitors, their families and spectators". Birmingham City Council said a "new delivery model", developed with partners, required "no financial input" on its part.
Invictus Games Foundation CEO Dominic Reid said the event would be "smaller in scale" compared to the Commonwealth Games in the city two years ago. The competition might get 600 competitors.
"It's not all about winning, it's about the taking part,” he said, “which is a slightly old-fashioned concept, but that's where the healing takes place.
"So, when you see somebody come in last and get a fantastic standing ovation, that's a win.
"Anybody who comes, anybody who sees these people, meets the friends and families... gets involved, you will have a moment where you are emotionally overwhelmed, because the stories are extraordinary, the people are extraordinary." Helen Helliwell, chief executive of Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, said: “The event will be the most cohesive, sustainable event in Invictus Games history, with legacy programmes benefiting communities nationwide.”
The Invictus Games have been held across the globe in the decade since its inception, including in Toronto, Orlando and Sydney. The 2025 event in Vancouver and Whistler, is expected to attract 550 competitors from up to 25 nations, with three new sports - pickleball, laser run, and esports - expected to feature in 2027.
