Page 16 - Yukon Winter Visitor

The Arctic Winter Games (AWG) will be hosted in Whitehorse,
March 8–15, 2026, as approximately 2,000 participants from eight contingents make their way to the Yukon capital.
The AWG are a high-profile cir- cumpolar sport competition for northern and Arctic athletes. The first AWG were held in Yellowknife in 1970, with 500 participants from Yukon, NWT and Alaska.
Held every two years, participants now come from Greenland (Ka- laallit Nunaat), Nunavik (northern Quebec), Alberta North (Northern Alberta), Sápmi (Norway, Sweden, Finland) as well as Alaska, North- west Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.
The 2026 AWG will feature 20 sports in four categories: traditional sports,
Nordic sports, indoor sports, and ice sports. Traditional sports are highlighted through Arctic Sports and Dene Games, perennial favourites for spectators. Arctic Sports consists of several feats of athletic strength and endurance such as the Alaskan high kick, kneel jump, airplane, head pull, and knuckle hop. Dene Games events include fin- ger pull, snowsnake, hand games, and pole push.
Both the Arctic Sports and Dene Games are intertwined with traditional and cultural values. Nordic, indoor and ice sports include more main- stream sports such as basketball, curling, cross- country skiing, hockey, and snowboarding.
WHITEHORSE 2026 QUICK FACTS
EVENT DATES: March 8-15 2026
VENUES: 14 SPORTS: 21 CONTINGENTS: 8
VOLUNTEERS: Target: 2,000
PARTICIPANTS: 2,000
VISITORS: 3,000+
SPECTATORS: 10,000+
14