Birmingham and Washington DC have been shortlisted to host Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in 2027 with a final decision to be made by the end of July.
In March, the UK city launched a £26m bid to host the multi-sport event aimed at wounded, injured, or sick Armed Forces personnel and veterans.
After a detailed process that was launched last year, Birmingham now faces competition from the US State, Washington DC, to be the host – and a final decision by the board of trustees will be made in two months.
In a statement, Lord Allen, chair of the Invictus Games Foundation, said: “We were delighted to receive such a strong field of applications to host the Invictus Games in 2027, which gives us tremendous confidence for this next iteration of the games following Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 presented by ATCO and Boeing.
“Both cities now shortlisted for 2027 have kept the experiences of the competitors and supporters at their core, building different but hugely exciting bids.
“We look forward to the next stage of the process and selecting another inspirational iteration of the games over the summer.”
The UK government-backed bid focuses on the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, and draws the connection to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak and wider Defence Medical assets in the region.
The midlands city also hopes to utilise the nine core sports alongside esports, as well as exploring the addition of a team triathlon as a potential new sport. It would be another major sporting event for Birmingham, which hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2022.
Meanwhile, Angie M. Gates, the Events DC President and CEO, said: “It is an incredible honour for Washington, DC to be selected as a finalist for the 2027 Invictus Games.
“As the culture capital, Washington, DC is a diverse and vibrant community that welcomes meaningful competitive sports that honour our veterans.”
The 2023 edition of the games was held in Düsseldorf, Germany in September 2023, and the 2025 version of the winter event will be held in Whistler, Vancouver.
The announcement comes ahead of Prince Harry’s return to London to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games at a special thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8.
The Duke of Sussex helped in founding the Invictus Games in 2014, and was applauded for this work.
So far, there has been no mention of any senior royals, his wife Meghan or their children Archie and Lilibet attending alongside Harry when he lands in London.
Royal biographer, Angela Levin, has previously spoken to GB News about Harry’s positive interaction with veterans. She said: “Harry was brilliant with them – when I went round with him to talk to them, he was marvelous at giving them a feeling that life was worth living. I couldn’t believe how good he was, spending three or four minutes talking to them.”
