Charlotte chosen as host for 2027 Military World Games, first US city to host global competition

A North Carolina city was selected to host an international athletic event.

The International Military Sports Council (CISM) announced Thursday that Charlotte will host the eighth CISM Military World Summer Games in 2027. It is the first time the United States has been selected to host the games.

The CISM Military World Summer Games is a multi-sports event organized every four years and takes place one year before the Summer Olympics. According to CISM, the event is “based on the CISM and Olympic spirit, without political, religious and racial consideration nor discrimination.”

South Africa was also considered as host nation for the 2027 games.

The games first took place in 1995 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II and the chartering of the United Nations to bring together the world’s militaries for friendly competition.

According to a news release from CISM, Charlotte was chosen as the host city due to its “outstanding sports infrastructure, its experience in hosting international sporting events and its strategic position as a leading hub for sports tourism.

CISM said UNC Charlotte, the Charlotte Motor Speedway and other venues would be used to host a wide array of competitions such as swimming and basketball to military-specific disciplines like military pentathlon, parachuting, naval pentathlon, life-saving and shooting.

“We are honored to bring the CISM Military World Summer Games to the United States for the first time,” said CISM President Col. Nilton Rolim. “Charlotte’s outstanding sporting facilities, organizational expertise, and commitment to the values of CISM make it the ideal host for this historic event.”

CISM said the games will gather approximately 10,000 athletes from more than 100 nations in the organization.

U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina, led a North Carolina bipartisan congressional delegation in 2024 by writing a letter to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. The letter urged Austin and the Department of Defense to support the state’s bid to host the games. It was a requirement for the Department of Defense to sign off on the support to win the bid.

“North Carolina is strategically suited to host the WMG with our plentiful sporting venues, colleges and transportation infrastructure,” Budd said in the letter, which was made public. “While it will require work to put on an event of this stature, North Carolina is well-prepared and willing to prepare to execute a highly sophisticated and memorable experience.”

The previous games were hosted in Italy, Croatia, India, China, South Korea and Brazil. It remains unclear when in 2027 the games will officially start.