Prince Harry‘s Invictus Games will return to the U.K. for the first time in a decade.
Birmingham, England, was selected over Washington, D.C. to be the host city for the 2027 Invictus Games. The tournament allows injured veterans and military personnel from around the globe to come together and compete in various sporting events.
The 2027 Invictus Games will take place at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC). “Your city’s strong ties to the armed forces community made it a formidable contender from the very start,” Harry, 39, noted in a statement.
The Duke of Sussex continued: “We have no doubt the people of Birmingham will join in celebrating the unwavering respect and admiration we have for our veteran and service community, showing the world how their courage ignites hope and unites us all — something your city knows well.”
When the Invictus Games were first held in 2014, London was the host city. The event has since touched down in Orlando, Toronto, Sydney, The Hague and Düsseldorf. In February 2025, the tournament will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Canada.
The 2027 host city announcement comes days after Harry’s longtime friend and colleague Dominic Reid stepped down from his role as Invictus Games CEO.
“Ten years on from the inception of the Invictus Games, we proudly stand as a community of 23 nations spanning every continent, fulfilling our mission of saving and changing lives,” Harry shared in a statement on Thursday, July 18. “I am immensely grateful to my friend Dominic, whose dedication and leadership transformed the Invictus Games from an ambitious idea to an internationally recognized movement.”
Harry thanked Reid for his “tireless efforts over the past decade” and “relentless service” to “thousands of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.”
“What a journey it has been, and how fortunate we are to work with such an incredible community of people,” Harry concluded. “We pray we don’t need the Games for another ten years, but thanks to you, the team and our future CEO, we will be ready.”
Reid helped Harry get the Invictus Games off the ground in 2014. The prince’s work with the foundation, along with his own 10 years of military service, helped earn him the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2024 ESPY Awards earlier this month. (Harry’s recognition was controversial, with Pat Tillman‘s mother publicly criticizing the selection.)
“I stand here not as Prince Harry, Pat Tillman Award recipient but rather a voice on behalf of the Invictus Games Foundation and the thousands of veterans and service personnel across 20 nations who have made the Invictus Games a reality,” Harry said at the ceremony on July 11. “This award belongs to them, not to me. That said, it is of great importance to me to highlight these allies, athletes and their amazing families for their achievements, their spirit and their courage at every opportunity, especially on nights like this in front of people like you.”
