Every year, winter sports fans watch with bated breath as the world’s top biathletes compete in the IBU Biathlon World Cup. Across the globe, biathlon fans are on the edge of their seats as the athletes demonstrate their skills in cross-country skiing and small-bore shooting. Last season, Eric Perrot and Lou Jeanmonnot from France delivered the best performances. SnowTrex has done the research and presents the World Cups for the 2026/2027 season.
This is the Biathlon World Cup
- Biathlon World Cup 2026/2027: The competition brings together the world’s best athletes in cross-country skiing and shooting.
- Start of the season: The season kicks off from 24 to 29 November 2026 in Kontiolahti, Finland, with individual, sprint and relay races.
- World Cup venues: For the first time, the World Cup competitions will take place at a total of eleven venues across Europe, including Hochfilzen, Ruhpolding, Antholz and Oslo.
- Disciplines: The programme includes sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start and various relay events.
- 2027 World Championships: A highlight is the Biathlon World Championships in Otepää, Estonia, where all disciplines will be contested.
- German venues: With Ruhpolding in January and Oberhof in March, Germany features twice on the calendar.
- Season finale: Traditionally, the finale will take place in March 2027 at Holmenkollen in Oslo, where the overall winners will be crowned.
The 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup races at a glance
| Date | Venue | Country | Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24.11. – 29.11.2026 | Kontiolahti | Finland | Individual, Mixed Relay, Single Mixed Relay & Sprint |
| 01.12. – 06.12.2026 | Hochfilzen | Austria | Sprint, Relay & Pursuit |
| 08.12. – 13.12.2026 | Annecy-Le Grand Bornand | France | Mass Start, Sprint & Pursuit |
| 31.12.2026 – 03.01.2027 | Pokljuka | Slovenia | Sprint & Relay |
| 05.01. – 10.01.2027 | Ruhpolding | Germany | Sprint, Relay & Pursuit |
| 12.01. – 17.01.2027 | Antholz | Italy | Individual, Mass Start, Mixed Relay & Single Mixed Relay |
| 19.01. – 24.01.2027 | Nove Mesto | Czech Republic | Mass Start, Sprint & Relay |
| 08.02. – 21.02.2027 (Biathlon World Championships) | Otepää | Estonia | Individual, Mass Start, Mixed Relay, Single Mixed Relay, Sprint, Relay & Pursuit |
| 02.03. – 07.03.2027 | Oberhof | Germany | Sprint, Relay & Pursuit |
| 09.03. – 14.03.2027 | Östersund | Sweden | Individual, Mass Start, Mixed Relay & Single Mixed Relay |
| 16.03. – 21.03.2027 | Oslo | Norway | Mass Start, Sprint & Pursuit |
Details on the individual World Cup venues
24–29 November: Kontiolahti (Finland)
To kick off the 2026/2027 IBU Biathlon World Cup, the athletes will return to Scandinavia, specifically to Kontiolahti in Finland. Six races will take place there from Tuesday to Sunday. The programme for the biathletes will initially feature one individual and one sprint race each for the women and men, before a mixed and a single-mixed relay take place on the cross-country course and at the shooting range.
1 to 6 December: Hochfilzen (Austria)
Hochfilzen has hosted a Biathlon World Cup annually since the 2003/2004 season and also hosted the 2017 Biathlon World Championships, at which the late biathlon legend Laura Dahlmeier from Germany won five gold medals. And so it is that in the 2026/2027 season, the world’s best biathletes will once again gather for a World Cup in the picturesque Pillerseetal valley. Here, they can look forward to two sprints and two pursuits, as well as two relays.
→ Book your unforgettable cross-country skiing experience in Hochfilzen with SnowTrex now
8–13 December: Le Grand-Bornand (France)
For the third year running, the races in Le Grand-Bornand, France, will form part of the Biathlon World Cup in the 2026/2027 winter season. In addition to two sprints and two pursuits, the small village in the Haute-Savoie department will also host two mass starts.
31 December to 3 January: Pokljuka (Slovenia)
After a one-year break, Biathlon World Cup competitions are set to return to Pokljuka, a plateau in Slovenia. The world’s best biathletes, including several world champions, Olympic champions and overall World Cup winners, will compete here in one sprint each for men and women, as well as two relays.
5 to 10 January: Ruhpolding (Germany)
The first Biathlon World Cup of the season on German soil will take place in Ruhpolding, Bavaria, from 5 to 10 January 2027. The athletes will compete here in the sprint and pursuit disciplines. However, prior to these two events, there will also be a women’s 4×6 km relay and a men’s 4×7.5 km relay.
12–17 January: Antholz (Italy)
Since the first Biathlon World Cup in the 1977/1978 season, there has not been a World Cup event in Antholz, Italy, for two years. And after the biathlon events of the Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics are held there in South Tyrol in 2026, the ‘regular’ World Cup circuit will return the following season to the arena at the head of the Antholz Valley, at an altitude of over 1,600 metres. The disciplines on the programme are two individual races, two mass starts, one mixed relay and one single mixed relay.
19–24 January: Nove Mesto (Czech Republic)
Three years after the 2024 Biathlon World Championships, Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic will also host a World Cup in 2027. The event will feature two sprints, two mass starts and two classic relays.
8–21 February: Otepää (Estonia)
The highlight of the 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup season will take place in Estonia. This marks the first time ever that Otepää will host a Biathlon World Championship! And because World Cup points are up for grabs in all races here, the professionals are likely to give it their all on the trails in the Baltic region – perhaps twice as hard – given the absence of the Olympic Games from the calendar. And that’s certainly needed, as in two weeks’ time all the disciplines modern biathlon has to offer will be contested here. For the biathletes, that means: two sprints, two pursuit races, two individual races, two mass starts, two relays, as well as a mixed relay and a single mixed relay!
2–7 March: Oberhof (Germany)
Four years after the major home World Championships in 2023, it is not only the athletes from Germany who are returning to the traditional World Cup in Oberhof. This is because the competition weekend on the famous Rennsteig in the Thuringian Forest features three true biathlon classics. On the cross-country trails and at the shooting range, the biathletes will have the chance to prove themselves in a sprint, a pursuit and a relay.
→ Discover Oberhof offers now at SnowTrex
9–14 March: Östersund (Sweden)
The traditional season opener in Östersund is, for the time being, a thing of the past following the restructuring of the 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup calendar, so the athletes will not return to Sweden until towards the end of the season. A total of six races will take place over six days there, just under 500 km north of Stockholm. The programme for the biathletes includes a mixed and a single mixed relay, as well as two individual and two mass start events.
16 to 21 March: Oslo (Norway)
As is so often the case, the biathlon professionals will conclude the 2026/2027 season at the legendary Holmenkollen in Oslo. After the World Cup stars have spent over four months tackling some of the continent’s finest trails, six more competitions are scheduled on the challenging courses high above Norway’s capital. The programme features two sprints (7.5 km for the women and 10 km for the men), two pursuits (10 km for the women and 12.5 km for the men) and two mass starts (12.5 km for the women and 15 km for the men).
Please also note that by using our services and integrating the YouTube API Services, the YouTube Terms of Service and the YouTube API Services Terms apply and your use of our website is deemed to be acceptance of these terms.
Want to learn more about biathlon? Then click here for 10 facts about biathlon.
FAQs about the Biathlon World Cup
When does the 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup start?
The 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup kicks off from November 24 to 29, 2026, in Kontiolahti, Finland, marking the start of the new season with the first international competitions.
How many stops are there in the 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup?
With a total of eleven stops, the 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup is one of the longest seasons, as there will be no interruption due to the Winter Olympics.
When will the competitions at the 2027 Biathlon World Championships take place?
The 2027 Biathlon World Championships will take place from February 8 to 21, 2027, in Otepää, Estonia. It is considered the central highlight of the season, featuring all disciplines.
Where will the 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup Final take place?
The 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup Final will take place in March at Holmenkollen in Oslo. The overall World Cup winners will be determined there in the final races.
Will there be Biathlon World Cup stops in Germany in 2026/2027?
The 2026/2027 Biathlon World Cup will make two stops in Germany: in January in Ruhpolding and in early March in Oberhof.
How long has the Biathlon World Cup been around?
The Biathlon World Cup is the most important international competition series, in which women have also participated since 1987.
Where is the Biathlon World Cup broadcast on TV?
In Germany, the Biathlon World Cup is broadcast live on ARD, ZDF, and Eurosport, and is also available via their respective streaming services.
How much is the prize money in the Biathlon World Cup?
The overall Biathlon World Cup title comes with a prize of 40,000 euros, while a victory in an individual race earns around 15,000 euros.
