The Asian Games, the largest multi-sport competition on the continent, formally opened Saturday evening with a ceremony at the newly built Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Japan.
Officially the 20th Asian Games and known as Aichi-Nagoya 2026, the event runs from September 19 through October 4, though some competitions in football and basketball had already begun earlier in the week. An estimated 10,840 athletes from 46 nations are taking part in 469 events across 43 sports, making it one of the largest editions of the Games to date. The opening ceremony, held under the theme "Harmonic Heart Beat," was overseen by creative director Yukihiko Tsutsumi and ran from 6 to 8 p.m. local time. It is the third time Japan has hosted the Asian Games, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.
The Games arrive five years after Japan hosted the Tokyo Olympics under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, and organizers in Nagoya have spent recent months managing cost pressures and weather concerns while finishing preparations for the opening. Several new venues were built specifically for the Games, including Paloma Mizuho Stadium, a 30,000-seat stadium that opened in April, and the Aichi International Arena, designed by architect Kengo Kuma and completed last year.
Beyond the sport itself, the Games carry symbolic weight as a rare moment of continent-wide cooperation, bringing together athletes from countries across Asia that do not always see eye to eye on other matters. Competition continues over the next two and a half weeks, with a Para Games edition set to follow at the same venues starting October 18.
Competition runs through October 4, with the Asian Para Games following at the same venues from October 18 to 24.
Where are the Games being held?
The Games are centered on Aichi Prefecture and the city of Nagoya, Japan, with the opening ceremony held at Paloma Mizuho Stadium.
How many countries are competing?
An estimated 46 nations are taking part, sending a combined field of roughly 10,840 athletes.