Finland strengthens support for Helsinki's bid for the 2030 European Athletics Championships
The Finnish Athletics Federation has intensified the public and institutional campaign through which Helsinki seeks to secure the hosting rights for the 2030 European Athletics Championships, one of the biggest events in the European athletics calendar. The President of the Finnish Athletics Federation, Riikka Pakarinen, stated, according to a report by the portal Inside the Games, that local authorities have earmarked 10 million euros in support for the Finnish capital's bid. With this, alongside the previously confirmed involvement of the City of Helsinki and the support of the Finnish government, the bid has gained an important financial argument in the final phase of the international competition.
According to the latest announcement by the City of Helsinki, the Finnish capital is competing for the 2030 hosting rights against Brussels in Belgium and Zürich in Switzerland. European Athletics, the continental governing body, will send an evaluation commission to Helsinki in June 2026, where negotiations on the technical, organizational and financial elements of the bid will be held on 22 and 23 June. The City of Helsinki states that the final decision on the host city will be made in March 2027, which means that the process will continue even after this year's visits and talks with the candidates.
Financial sustainability at the center of the bid
A key part of the Finnish strategy concerns convincing European Athletics that Helsinki can secure a stable and sustainable financial framework for the championships. According to the City of Helsinki's announcement, Pakarinen emphasized that during the negotiations the Finnish side must demonstrate the competitiveness of the bid, especially its financial sustainability, and explain how the state of Finland and the City of Helsinki will participate in financing the project. This is important because the organization of a major continental championship does not include only the rental and preparation of venues, but also television production, international rights, accommodation and operational obligations toward European Athletics.
The Finnish Athletics Federation previously announced that the Finnish government, following budgetary decisions, had decided to support the bid and the organization of the championships. According to the federation's statement, the government earmarked 2 million euros in support for the application process for 2027, and Pakarinen described the decision as a necessary precondition for the project to continue according to plan. The same statement noted that an event of such size cannot be organized without social and public support, but also that such an event, according to the expectations of the Finnish side, brings broader economic benefits.
Bid project manager Harri Halme warned, according to the Finnish Athletics Federation, that obligations of more than 10 million euros fall on the organizer. This amount includes the purchase of television production from the producer designated by European Athletics, the prize fund, the organization of hospitality for the leadership of the 51 European Athletics member federations and other guests, as well as international marketing rights and television visibility for the host city and main partners. Therefore, the financial support highlighted by the Finnish side is not merely a symbolic part of the campaign, but one of the elements without which the bid cannot be convincing.
Helsinki counts on the Olympic Stadium and a compact city model
According to the City of Helsinki, the main assets of the bid are the renovated Olympic Stadium, short distances, experience in organizing sporting events, television expertise and a compact event zone in the city center. The Olympic Stadium in Helsinki has a special place in Finnish sports history, and the city authorities present it as a fully renovated and covered facility that meets the standards of major international competitions. The bid also emphasizes the fact that key facilities can be organized within a relatively small area, which is important for athletes, fans, the media and operational teams.
During its visit to Helsinki, the European Athletics evaluation commission should, according to the city, inspect competition and training locations. The plan includes the Olympic Stadium and the Eläintarha sports field, while Leppävaara in Espoo would serve as a training location for athletes. The commission will, according to the same source, also consider hotel capacity in the center of Helsinki, because national teams, media representatives and European Athletics officials should be accommodated there.
Helsinki also emphasizes its organizational tradition in its bid. European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov, during a visit to Helsinki in August 2025, met with representatives of the city, the Finnish government and the Finnish Athletics Federation. According to the City of Helsinki's announcement, Karamarinov then congratulated Finnish athletics on entering the final stages of the process and said that Finland knows how to organize sporting events. Such statements do not mean that the hosting rights are secured, but they show that the Finnish bid has gained serious status in the European athletics process.
Economic impact as an important argument
In addition to sporting and infrastructural arguments, Helsinki is also relying on estimates of economic impact. According to a study that, as stated by the City of Helsinki, was previously commissioned by the City of Helsinki and the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the 2030 European Athletics Championships could generate around 64 million euros in impact for Helsinki. The estimated total economic impact for Finland would amount to 86 million euros, while the regional impact, with growth in travel, tax revenues, employment and local consumption, would reach 100 million euros.
Such estimates in bids for major sporting events usually have a dual role. On the one hand, they serve as an argument toward public authorities that must justify investments and guarantees. On the other hand, they show European Athletics that the event is not viewed only as a sporting competition, but as a broader project connected with tourism, international visibility and the local economy. The City of Helsinki states that the championships would strengthen the city's visibility and reputation, especially on the European market.
Helsinki Deputy Mayor responsible for sport and physical activity Paavo Arhinmäki stated, according to the City of Helsinki, that the European Athletics Championships are events of such size that Helsinki and Finland have reason to try to bring them there. In the same context, he emphasized that major events can bring international visibility, jobs for local people and companies, and tax revenues connected with tourism. City sports director Tarja Loikkanen also highlighted the possible social impact, stating that sporting events offer visible role models, especially for young people, and can encourage participation in physical activity.
Competition with Brussels and Zürich
Helsinki is in the race for 2030 alongside two strong European bids. Brussels relies on its central position in Europe and experience in organizing major sporting events, while Zürich comes from a country with developed sports infrastructure and strong financial capacity. Pakarinen, according to a report by Sports Finland, acknowledged that Finland cannot compete with Switzerland or Belgium in terms of central European location or financial strength, but emphasized other advantages of Helsinki: the renovated stadium, short distances, expertise in event organization and television production, and the compact urban competition area.
This comparison shows why the Finnish bid has been especially focused in recent announcements on financial credibility and public support. European Athletics, according to the statement by the Finnish Athletics Federation, expects a joint financial plan from the candidate country and city that guarantees the successful implementation of the competition. In practice, this means that the sports federation, the city and the state must act in a coordinated manner, because the risks of a major event cannot be left to only one organizer.
The Finnish side calls this approach part of a new model for bringing major international sporting events to the country. According to the Finnish Athletics Federation, Pakarinen said that the bid for the European Championships should help build a Finnish model of major events for the period from 2030 to 2040. The federation's Executive Director Harri Aalto added that he hopes the project will serve as an opening of space for other sports as well and increase the value that public institutions attach to the event industry.
The championships would be the biggest sporting event in Finland in two decades
The City of Helsinki states that the 2030 European Athletics Championships, if the bid succeeds, would be the biggest international sporting event in Finland in the last 20 years. The bidding process began in spring 2025, and the Finnish Athletics Federation submitted the official bid book to European Athletics on 31 July 2025. Pakarinen then, according to the City of Helsinki, said that the idea of hosting was born two years earlier, during the European Under-23 Championships in Espoo, and that what began as a dream had become a concrete goal.
The European Athletics Championships bring together the best female and male athletes on the continent, and after Rome 2024 and Birmingham 2026, the next edition after 2028 should further confirm the direction of the competition's development as a standalone major event. According to the European Athletics calendar, the 2026 European Championships will be held from 10 to 16 August in Birmingham. European Athletics has also announced that Silesia has been confirmed as host of the 2028 edition, bringing the competition back to a strong Central European sporting area before the decision on 2030.
For Helsinki, securing the hosting rights would also have symbolic importance. Finland is a country with a long athletics tradition, and the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki is one of the recognizable symbols of that history. Nevertheless, the decision will not depend only on tradition and sporting reputation. According to available official information, in the next phase European Athletics will especially examine whether the bid can meet the financial, logistical, infrastructural and operational requirements needed for a competition of that level.
The next step is the visit of the evaluation commission
The most important immediate step for the Finnish bid will be the June visit of the evaluation commission. According to the City of Helsinki, the commission will meet with the leadership of the Finnish Athletics Federation, representatives of the City of Helsinki and state officials. These talks will be an opportunity for the hosts to explain the financial structure, the plan for the use of venues, accommodation capacity, transport organization and the expected effects of the championships.
The Finnish bid particularly emphasizes that Helsinki already has a large part of the necessary infrastructure, which can reduce the need for expensive new construction projects. However, European Athletics will have to assess whether the proposed capacities, plans and guarantees are sufficient in comparison with the offers from Brussels and Zürich. Until the final decision, the question remains open as to whether the Finnish model of a publicly supported sporting event will be convincing enough in competition with candidates that have different geographical and financial advantages.
According to available information, the decision on the hosting rights for the 2030 European Athletics Championships is expected in March 2027. Until then, Helsinki will try to show that the combination of the renovated Olympic Stadium, a compact urban area, public support and the expected economic impact can compensate for the advantages of its competitors. The latest financial announcements give the Finnish bid additional weight, but the final word will belong to European Athletics after the evaluation process is completed.
Sources:
- City of Helsinki – official announcement on the progress of Helsinki's bid, the visit of the evaluation commission, competing cities and estimates of economic impact (link)
- Finnish Athletics Federation – statement on the support of the Finnish government, the financial obligations of the organizer and the statements of Riikka Pakarinen, Harri Aalto and Harri Halme (link)
- City of Helsinki – announcement on the submission of the bid book, the visit of European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov and institutional support for the bid (link)
- European Athletics – official competition calendar, including the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham (link)
- Inside the Games – report on Riikka Pakarinen's statement and the stated support of 10 million euros for Helsinki's bid (link)
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