British Swimming will return its primary national championship meet to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London for the third consecutive year in 2026. The event will be held at the London Aquatics Centre from April 14th-19th, 2026.
The meet will serve as the primary selection event for both the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2026 European Championships in Paris.
British Swimming made the announcement on Wednesday, citing “sell-out crowds in the stands” for the 2024 and 2025 national championship events there.
Built as one of the jewels of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the facility originally sat 17,500 spectators, though it was reduced to 2,500 post-Olympics. The facility is home to a 50-meter competition pool, a 50-meter warmup pool, and a 25-meter diving pool. The competition pool is 3 meters deep, though it has a movable floor when necessary.
Designed by legendary architect Zaha Hadid with a wave-like roof, upon its completion in 2011, the pool was described by then-IOC President Jacques Rogge as a “masterpiece.”
The London pool was not a focal point of the British competitive swimming circuit for much of the decade after the Olympic Games. The venue hosted the 2012 Olympic Trials and the 2015 World Championship Trials, but most major national meets continued on their usual rotation of Ponds Forge in Sheffield, the Royal Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh, and the Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow.
The meet will include six days of fully-integrated swimming and para-swimming programs. Qualifying standards have not yet been published and tickets are not yet on sale.
The venue also hosted the 2016 European Aquatics Championships and a stop on the 2014 FINA Diving World Series tour.
