The Invictus Germany Sports Festival is Back - Celebrating the Spirit of Service and Resilience
Following its successful premiere in 2024, the Invictus Germany Sports Festival will return to CASTELLO Düsseldorf. From June 12 to 14, 2026, around 150 competitors from eight to ten nations are expected to arrive in Düsseldorf with their families and friends for the second edition of the festival to compete in four sports and experience community in the spirit of the Invictus Games.
The festival builds directly on the successful first edition last year and is another central component of the Invictus Germany orgnisation, which emerged from the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023.
In addition to the competitions, the focus will be on topics such as inclusion, rehabilitation, and social recognition. The aim of the festival is to bring veterans visibly into the center of society and build bridges between the German Armed Forces, civil society, and international partners. The 2026 festival will thus send a strong signal for respect, cohesion, and sustainable responsibility.
Sports at the Invictus Germany Sports Festival 2026 will include Indoor Rowing, Sitting Volleyball, Spinning and Table Tennis. Details on registration and participation will be announced at a later date via the Invictus Germany website.
The weekend will begin on Friday, June 12, with a symposium focused on rehabilitation and inclusion. The symposium will continue on Saturday morning, ahead of the start of competition, before sporting events take place across Saturday and Sunday, including indoor rowing, table tennis, sitting volleyball and spinning.
Dr. Stephan Keller, Mayor of the State Capital of Düsseldorf and Patron of Invictus Germany said: "We experienced the uniqueness of the Invictus Spirit for the first time in Düsseldorf in 2023. That's why I'm delighted that, following the first edition of the Invictus Germany Sports Festival in 2024 and the Invictus Germany Awards in 2025, we are once again bringing people together this year who are not only interested in sport, but above all in community and important exchanges with one another. Düsseldorf is and remains ‘A Home for Respect’. With the second Sports Festival, we are once again sending a signal for inclusion and visibility."
Rob Owen OBE, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation said: "Since the hosting of the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023, we continue to be impressed by what the city of Düsseldorf, the Federal Ministry of Defence, and the German Armed Forces have achieved together. We're proud of the role the Games played in generating support for a national Veteran's Day, and of what Invictus Germany continue to deliver as a legacy for the Invictus Movement. We look forward to joining them for the Invictus Germany Sports Festival 2026 alongside other members of our international community."
Michael Brill, CEO of D.LIVE: "Following the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023, we have created something sustainable with Invictus Germany to bring together people injured in action and their families on a regular basis. As in 2024, CASTELLO will provide the perfect setting for an extraordinary weekend. We are looking forward to the second edition of the Invictus Germany Sports Festival and cordially invite everyone to experience the Invictus Spirit for themselves on site."
Martin Ammermann, COO Sports, Major Events: “With the 2026 Sports Festival, we are continuing the legacy of the Invictus Games. Our strategy is considered an international showcase project for the Invictus Games Foundation. We are already seeing great interest from various nations in participating again.”
About Invictus Germany
The Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 marked the first time Germany hosted the world’s largest international sporting event for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans. More than 500 competitors from 21 nations competed across ten sports, delivering a powerful message of resilience, teamwork, and mutual respect.
That experience gave rise to Invictus Germany, an initiative established to carry forward the values and spirit of the Invictus Games beyond the event itself. Building on the legacy of Düsseldorf 2023, initiatives such as the Invictus Germany Sports Festival, first held in 2024, and the Invictus Germany Awards, launched in 2025, continue to raise public awareness of veterans and service personnel injured in action.
Invictus Germany is a licensed legacy organisation of the Invictus Games Foundation, working in alignment with the Foundation’s mission to support recovery, rehabilitation, and positive change through sport and community.