Following another huge season in 2025, the sport’s biggest stars are preparing once again as athletics’ premier series returns for its 17th edition with doubled prizes: first place will go from $10,000 (€8,600) to $20,000 (€17,200) in regular events and to $50,000 (€43,000) in the finals.
The Wanda Diamond League, launched in 2010 and organised by World Athletics, succeeded the former IAAF Golden League (1998–2009) as the discipline’s flagship global circuit. Comprising 15 elite meetings across the world, it brings together the finest athletes on the planet in a dazzling display of speed, strength, and precision. This week, the roadmap has been announced, barring any last-minute changes, presumably with the same prize money structure that was decided at the end of 2024.
As in previous seasons, competitors will accumulate points across 14 qualifying meetings, aiming to secure their place in the Brussels Final, where they will battle for glory and the coveted Diamond Trophy. The 2026 Road to the Final begins in Asia, with Doha hosting the season opener on 8 May, followed by back-to-back meetings in Shanghai and Xiamen. The tour then heads to Africa, where Rabat will stage the action on 31 May, before Europe takes centre stage with Rome the following week.
From there, the series moves north through Stockholm, Oslo, and Paris, before crossing the Atlantic to Eugene on the United States’ West Coast, a venue that has witnessed no fewer than five world records in just the past three seasons. The Diamond League then returns to Europe for a glittering mid-summer stretch, featuring Monaco and London, before the Road to the Final reaches its closing phase in August. Lausanne, Silesia, and Zurich will provide the final opportunities to qualify before the season culminates in the Brussels Final on 4–5 September.
Spanning four continents, the Diamond League remains one of the most global sporting series in existence. In 2025 alone, it drew a live audience of more than 400,000 spectators across some of the world’s most iconic stadiums and was broadcast in 170 countries, cementing its place as the beating heart of international athletics.
– insidethegames
2026 Wanda Diamond League calendar:
8 May – Doha
16 May – Shanghai
23 May – Xiamen
31 May – Rabat
4 June – Rome
7 June – Stockholm
10 June – Oslo
26 June – Paris
4 July – Eugene
10 July – Monaco
18 July – London
21 August – Lausanne
23 August – Silesia
27 August – Zurich
4–5 September – Final in Brussels
