Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026: Complete Schedule, Venues and Travel Guide

Asian Games 2026 dates

The 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 opens on Saturday, 19 September and closes on Sunday, 4 October. The opening and closing ceremonies are scheduled for Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

The official daily schedule, version 5 dated 6 July 2026, runs from 10 September to 4 October. This means selected sports have competition days before the opening ceremony, while medal events and other sessions continue through the official Games period.

Use a three-step planning order:

1. Choose the sports and sessions you most want to attend.
2. Check the venue for every selected session, including the prefecture and city.
3. Book one accommodation base for the densest group of sessions, adding a second base only when it removes a difficult cross-region day.

The organizing committee warns that schedules may change as sports federations coordinate final arrangements. Recheck the daily and session schedules before reserving non-refundable transport.

Asian Games 2026 schedule: key dates

Competition spans 25 days, and the ceremonies bookend only part of that window. As of 27 July 2026, these are the fixed dates in the official schedule.

The 469 gold medals are spread unevenly across those 25 days. Athletics, swimming and shooting carry the heaviest medal loads, so their venues have the densest session calendars.

Asian Games 2026 schedule by sport and venue

The table below lists every sport and discipline in the 6 July 2026 programme, its competition venue and its gold-medal count. Use it to shortlist sessions, then confirm exact dates and start times on the official session schedule.

Check out our guide for the cricket game schedule.

Three things to check before you book against this table:

• Padel, teqball and virtual taekwondo were added late in the planning cycle, and the official venue list still showed some of these as to be determined. Confirm the venue before booking travel.
• Swimming, diving and equestrian are in Tokyo, artistic swimming and track cycling are in Shizuoka, hockey and rowing are in Gifu, and football is spread across four prefectures.
• The 6 July release states that the competition schedule may change without prior notice due to coordination with sports federations.

How Asian Games 2026 tickets work

General ticket sales opened at 5pm on 30 June 2026 and include overseas sales. Tickets are sold first-come-first-served, with no lottery, until the date of each session while inventory is available.

Purchases through the official ticket sales site require a free Supporter ID. Spectators can search by date or sport, choose a seat category and quantity, pay, then retrieve the ticket according to the issued instructions.

The official portal lists several ticket formats and categories:

• Electronic tickets: shown on a phone or printed as a PDF, with display expected to begin around August.
• General tickets: seat categories and prices vary by sport and venue.
• Child tickets: discounted tickets apply to eligible spectators under 15 in the lowest seat category, subject to the official conditions.
• Wheelchair tickets: available for all sessions, with one accompanying person permitted under the stated ticket rules.

Buy only through an official sales channel. The ticket portal states that unofficially purchased tickets will not be accepted for entry.

Nagoya Asian Games venues: plan by cluster

The programme lists 43 sports across 53 venues. Most are in Aichi, but the official venue list also includes sites in Tokyo, Shizuoka, Gifu and Osaka, so “Nagoya venue” should never be assumed from the event name alone.

The following visitor-first groupings are planning aids based on the official venue and sport list. They are not official transport zones, and no journey times are implied.

Where to stay for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026

Central Nagoya can be a practical base for spectators attending several city venues. Compare hotels in Nagoya near a station that serves the side of the city shown on your tickets.

A more local base can work better for a venue-heavy itinerary outside central Nagoya. Tokoname suits repeated Aichi Sky Expo visits, while Okazaki, Toyohashi or Toyota may reduce backtracking for their surrounding venue groups.

Book the actual city on your ticket rather than choosing from the event name. Broader Japan hotel searches can help when your itinerary includes Tokyo, Shizuoka, Gifu or Osaka.

Transport planning for spectators

Aichi Prefecture advises spectators to use public transport as the default. Some venues will have free spectator shuttles, accessible shuttles, park-and-bus-ride services or limited parking, but availability and reservations vary by venue.

Check the official access page for the exact venue shortly before travel. It lists the recommended station or access route and identifies where reservation-based services apply.

• Allow extra time before and after sessions, when stations and shuttle boarding points may be crowded.
• Do not assume parking is available; most venues do not provide general parking.
• Keep the electronic ticket or printed PDF ready before approaching the gate.
• Save the venue name in Japanese as well as English for easier wayfinding.
• Avoid booking two sessions in different cities unless the official schedule and access information leave a safe margin.

How to plan an Asian Games 2026 Japan trip

Start with flights into Japan, then compare flights to Nagoya if Aichi holds most of your sessions. Travellers combining out-of-prefecture venues should compare an open-jaw or multi-city route with a return through Nagoya.

Build the itinerary in this order:

1. Lock priority tickets: buy the sessions that matter most while seats remain.
2. Map every venue: record the city, prefecture and session time from the official schedule.
3. Choose bases: stay near the largest cluster and add another city only when it simplifies multiple days.
4. Plan access: use official spectator transport instructions rather than ordinary-event assumptions.
5. Recheck changes: confirm the session, venue, ticket display and route before departure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan your Aichi-Nagoya 2026 trip

The best Asian Games Japan travel guide is your own ticket-and-venue map: secure priority sessions, group nearby venues and leave generous transfer margins. Compare flights and accommodation on Wego only after confirming which cities appear in your final schedule.

Sources

1. Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee — Official Games homepage and dates
2. Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee — Announcement on changes to the competition schedule and sport programme, 6 July 2026
3. Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee — Daily Schedule, version 5, 6 July 2026
4. Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee — Session Schedule, version 5, 6 July 2026
5. Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee — Sport Programme, 6 July 2026
6. Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee — Sports programme and competition venues
7. Aichi-Nagoya 2026 — Official ticket information
8. Aichi Prefecture — Spectator access and transport information
9. Olympics.com — Asian Games 2026 competition schedule released

Disclaimer: We’ve worked hard to make sure the information in this article is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publishing. Travel details such as prices, schedules, visa rules, and entry requirements can change at short notice, so it remains your responsibility to verify the current details with official sources before you book or travel. Wego accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from the use of this content.