20 August – 3 September 2026
We would like to thank all partners for supporting the event
Katowice to be the bridge capital of the world in 2026!
We are delighted to announce that the 17th World Bridge Series will take place in Poland. From 20 August to 3 September 2026, the MCK – International Congress Centre in Katowice will host the world’s finest bridge players.
This prestigious event, organised by the World Bridge Federation (WBF) in cooperation with the Polish Bridge Union, is open to players from every corner of the world, regardless of their level of play. We invite you to compete together in the heart of a modern region, where tradition meets the future.
Location and dates
Competition programme
The 17th World Bridge Series in Katowice will feature a comprehensive range of events, ensuring that every player has the opportunity to compete throughout the entire festival.
Main Championship Events
World Championship Titles (Open, Women, Seniors, and Mixed):
- August 20 – 26: Mixed Teams & Pairs; Senior Teams & Pairs
- August 27 – September 3: Open Teams & Pairs; Women’s Teams & Pairs
Side and Consolation Tournaments
The unique formula of the 17th World Bridge Series in Katowice has been designed to provide participants with the maximum amount of play at the highest level. Regardless of the results in the main championships, every bridge player has the opportunity to continue competing until the very end of the festival.
Guaranteed Play: The “Drop-in” System to the Swiss Cup
This is the most important organizational mechanism for players competing in the main events. Finishing play in the main championship does not mean the end of the tournament – players have the opportunity to continue competing in side tournaments.
- Team Tournaments: Swiss Cup
Players from teams that did not qualify for the knockout stage or were eliminated in the early rounds can register for prestigious Swiss tournaments:- Mixed / Senior Swiss Cup (22 – 24 August) – For players finishing their participation in the mixed and senior team eliminations.
- Open / Women Swiss Cup (29 – 31 August) – For players finishing their participation in the Open and Women team eliminations.
- Team Tournaments: Board-A-Match (BAM)
For players who prefer to continue competing in team formats, the schedule features spectacular consolation tournaments in the BAM formula:- Mixed / Seniors BAM (25 – 26 August)
- Open / Women BAM (1 – 3 September) – (finals played concurrently with the main finals).
- Final Event: President’s Cup
The traditional culmination of the entire festival is the open pair tournaments (Open and Women’s Pairs categories), held on the final day of the Championships. It is the perfect opportunity for all players staying in Katowice to take part in the festive grand finale of the event and play for the President’s Cup on the day of the closing ceremony:-
- President’s Cup (3 September)
-
Thanks to this system, sporting excitement lasts continuously, and players have a chance to win trophies in a new formula.
A detailed schedule is available on the WBF website [LINK TO THE FULL SCHEDULE].
| DAY | Mixed | Seniors |
|---|---|---|
|
DAY 1
20.08 Thursday
|
MIXED TEAMS Qualification Swiss |
Senior Teams Qualification Swiss |
|
DAY 2
21.08 Friday
WBF Meeting of Congress
|
MIXED TEAMS Qualification Swiss |
Senior Teams Qualification Swiss |
|
DAY 3
22.08 Saturday
SIDE EVENT
SWISS CUP 1 Qualification
|
MIXED TEAMS Round of 32 MIXED PAIRS Qualification |
Senior Teams (Qual / 1/8) Senior PAIRS Qualification |
|
DAY 4
23.08 Sunday
SIDE EVENT
SWISS CUP 1 Qualification
|
MIXED TEAMS Round of 16 MIXED PAIRS Qualification |
Senior Teams (Qual / QF) SENIOR PAIRS QUALIFICATION |
|
DAY 5
24.08 Monday
SIDE EVENT
First Week BAM
SWISS CUP Semifinal |
MIXED TEAMS Quarterfinals MIXED PAIRS Semifinals A & B |
Senior Teams Semifinals SENIOR PAIRS Semifinals A & B |
|
DAY 6
25.08 Tuesday
SIDE EVENT
First Week BAM - Semifinals A & B
SWISS CUP 1 Semifinal |
MIXED TEAMS Semifinals MIXED PAIRS Semifinals A & B |
Senior Teams Finals SENIOR PAIRS Semifinals A & B |
|
DAY 7
26.08 Wednesday
SIDE EVENT
First Week BAM - Final A & B
SWISS CUP 1 Final |
MIXED TEAMS Final MIXED PAIRS Finals A & B |
SENIOR PAIRS Finals A & B |
| Women | Open | |
|
DAY 8
27.08 Thursday
|
Women's Teams Qualification |
OPEN TEAMS Qualification Swiss |
|
DAY 9
28.08 Friday
|
Women's Teams Qualification |
OPEN TEAMS Qualification Swiss |
|
DAY 10
29.08 Saturday
SIDE EVENT
SWISS Cup 2 Qualification
|
Women's Teams Qualification WOMEN'S PAIRS Qualification |
OPEN TEAMS Round of 64 OPEN PAIRS Qualification |
|
DAY 11
30.08 Sunday
SIDE EVENT
SWISS Cup 2 Qualification
|
Women's Teams Qualification WOMEN'S PAIRS Qualification |
OPEN TEAMS Round of 32 OPEN PAIRS Qualification |
|
DAY 12
31.08 Monday
SIDE EVENT
Second Week BAM Qualification
SWISS Cup 2 Semifinal |
Women's Teams Semifinals WOMEN'S PAIRS Semifinals A & B |
OPEN TEAMS Round of 16 OPEN PAIRS Semifinals A & B |
|
DAY 13
01.09 Tuesday
SIDE EVENT
Second Week BAM Qualification
SWISS CUP 2 Semifinal |
Women's Teams Final WOMEN'S PAIRS Semifinals A & B |
OPEN TEAMS Quarterfinals OPEN PAIRS Semifinals A & B |
|
DAY 14
02.09 Wednesday
SIDE EVENT
Second Week BAM Semifinal A & B
SWISS Cup 2 Final |
WOMEN'S PAIRS Finals A & B |
OPEN TEAMS Semifinals OPEN PAIRS Finals A & B |
|
DAY 15
03.09 Thursday
SIDE EVENT
Second Week BAM Final A & B
SWISS CUP 2 Final President's Cup |
WOMEN'S PAIRS Finals A & B |
OPEN TEAMS Final OPEN PAIRS Finals A & B |
Registration for the Championships
Registration for the 17th World Bridge Series is conducted exclusively online. The process consists of two stages: preparing the player profile and registering for a specific tournament.
Payment
Entry fees for the World Bridge Series 2026 can be paid in three ways. Choose the payment method that is most convenient for you:
Traditional Bank Transfer
The entry fees for the World Bridge Series should be paid by Bank Transfer paid to:
UBS Switzerland AG Lausanne
Place Saint-François 16, 1003 Lausanne, Switzerland
Account Name World Bridge Federation
IBAN CH69 0024 5245 2311 8461 R
SWIFT UBSWCHZH80A
Clearing 0024
If the bank requires the name and address of the recipient:
World Bridge Federation
Maison du Sport International
54 av. de Rhodanie
1007 Lausanne, Switzerland
Online Credit Card
The system now supports secure online payments processed through the Stripe platform.
Cash on site
It is also possible to pay the entry fee directly at the registration desk before the tournament begins. Since all fees in the official price list are expressed in Euros (€), on-site payments are also accepted in this currency.
Fees 2026 Open World Championships in Katowice
All fees are per player and expressed in Euros (€). Entry fees include participation in all events listed within each package.
package
Open
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 600
€ 420
Polish Players
€ 420
€ 300
INCLUDE
Open Teams
Open Pairs or Swiss Cup
Open BAM
President's Cup
single tournament
Open
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 400
€ 280
Polish Players
€ 280
€ 200
INCLUDE
Open Pairs or Open Teams
package
Women
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 400
€ 280
Polish Players
€ 280
€ 200
INCLUDE
Women Teams
Women Pairs
Women BAM
President's Cup
single tournament
Women
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 250
€ 175
Polish Players
€ 175
€ 125
INCLUDE
Women Teams
single tournament
Women
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 300
€ 210
Polish Players
€ 210
€ 150
INCLUDE
Women Pairs
package
Mixed
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 520
€ 360
Polish Players
€ 360
€ 260
INCLUDE
Mixed Teams
Mixed Pairs or Mixed Swiss Cup
Mixed BAM
President's Cup
single tournament
Mixed
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 350
€ 250
Polish Players
€ 250
€ 170
INCLUDE
Mixed Teams
single tournament
Mixed
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 350
€ 250
Polish Players
€ 250
€ 180
INCLUDE
Mixed Pairs
package
Seniors
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 400
€ 280
Polish Players
€ 280
€ 200
INCLUDE
Senior Teams
Senior Pairs
Senior BAM
President's Cup
single tournament
Seniors
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 250
€ 150
Polish Players
€ 150
€ 125
INCLUDE
Senior Teams
single tournament
Seniors
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 300
€ 210
Polish Players
€ 210
€ 150
INCLUDE
Senior Pairs
single tournament
Swiss
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 300
€ 210
Polish Players
€ 210
€ 150
INCLUDE
Swiss Cup
single tournament
Bam
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 180
€ 130
Polish Players
€ 130
€ 90
INCLUDE
Second Week BAM
single tournament
Bam
Entry Fee/Player
Player
Titled
Non Titled
Entry Fee
€ 180
€ 130
Polish Players
€ 130
€ 90
INCLUDE
First Week BAM
Hotel reservations
The World Bridge Federation has appointed Mazurkas as Official Partner and Preferred Accommodation Supplier for the 2026 World Bridge Series in Katowice.
Through a dedicated accommodation page, participants can access a selection of hotels connected with the event, chosen to meet the logistical needs of the Championship.
As usual, participants remain free to arrange their accommodation independently if they prefer.
Contact
World Bridge Series 2026
Welcome Message from the Chairman of the Executive Board of Metropolis GZM
Metropolis GZM officially welcomes the participants and fans of the WBS 2026 tournament in Katowice. Read the welcome letter from the Chairman of the GZM Executive Board, Leszek Pietraszek, addressed to players from all over the world who will be competing for championship titles in the heart of our region over the coming days.
Watch the World Championships and play in the Open Tournament!
Want to experience the tournament thrills firsthand and play in the exact same venue where the world's best bridge players compete for medals? We have excellent news for you! Join us for the Thursday and Friday tournaments. Starting at 3:00 PM.
A WEEKEND IN KATOWICE? WHY NOT!
Is visiting Katowice a good idea for a weekend getaway? Absolutely! Today, Katowice is a modern urban center, the heart of Poland’s first metropolitan area, a UNESCO City of Music, and a green space filled with forests and parks.
We would like to thank all partners for supporting the event
