The BWF World Championships 2026 are set to bring the world’s best badminton players to New Delhi as India prepares to host the prestigious tournament for the second time.
The 30th edition of the Badminton World Championships will be held from August 17 to 23, 2026, at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi. The week-long tournament will feature five events, men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, with the competition progressing from the opening rounds to the finals over seven days.
According to the latest draft schedule approved by the referee, the tournament will begin with staggered opening rounds on August 17 and 18. From August 19, the competition will move into the knockout stages, with the quarter-finals, semifinals and finals scheduled from August 21 onwards.
BWF World Championships 2026: Key details
- Tournament: BWF World Championships 2026
- Dates: August 17 to August 23, 2026
- Venue: Indira Gandhi Arena, New Delhi
- Events: Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles
- Host country: India
BWF World Championships 2026 full schedule
August 17: Opening round
The tournament will begin with the Round of 64 in men’s singles and women’s singles, with the top half of the draws scheduled to compete. The men’s doubles and women’s doubles events will also get underway, with their Round of 48 matches taking place. The mixed doubles competition will similarly begin with Round of 48 action.
August 18: Opening rounds continue
The second day will feature the remaining half of the men’s singles and women’s singles Round of 64. The men’s doubles and women’s doubles competitions will continue, with the bottom half of their opening-round matches and the top half of the Round of 32 scheduled. Mixed doubles Round of 48 matches will also continue.
August 19: Round of 32
The tournament will move into the Round of 32 across all five disciplines. Men’s singles, women’s singles and men’s doubles will feature Round of 32 matches, while women’s doubles and mixed doubles will also progress through their respective Round of 32 fixtures.
August 20: Round of 16
The field will be reduced further on August 20, with Round of 16 matches scheduled in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. This will be the final round before the tournament enters the quarter-final stage.
August 21: Quarterfinals
The quarter-final stage will begin with all five disciplines in action. Quarterfinals will be contested in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles as players and pairs battle for places in the semi-finals.
August 22: Semifinals
The semi-finals will take place across all five events. Men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles will all feature semi-final matches on August 22.
August 23: Finals
The BWF World Championships 2026 will conclude on August 23, with the finals scheduled across all five disciplines.
Champions will be crowned in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles on the final day.
BWF World Championships 2026: Indian players
India will look to make the most of home advantage, with some of the country’s leading shuttlers expected to feature across all five disciplines.
Men’s singles
- Lakshya Sen
- Ayush Shetty
Women’s singles
- PV Sindhu
- Unnati Hooda
Men’s doubles
- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty
- Hariharan Amsakarunan / M.R. Arjun
Women’s doubles
- Treesa Jolly / Gayatri Gopichand Pullela
- Kavipriya Selvam / Simran Singhi
Mixed doubles
- Dhruv Kapila / Tanisha Crasto
- Rohan Kapoor / Ruthvika Shivani Gadde
The return of the World Championships to India is expected to generate major interest among badminton fans. With the tournament taking place in New Delhi, India’s leading players will have the opportunity to compete at one of badminton’s biggest global events in front of a home crowd.
PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will be among the key names to watch in the singles events, while men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will carry significant expectations. India will also hope its emerging players and doubles combinations can make a strong impact as the tournament progresses.