The BMW IBU World Cup season 2025-2026 is just days away as Östersund (SWE) prepares to host the opener of what promises to be an electrifying season that will build towards the ultimate prize – Olympic and Paralympic glory at Milano Cortina 2026.

The season arrives on the back of unprecedented momentum for biathlon. October's inaugural Loop One Festival in Munich's Olympic Park delivered proof of the sport's growing and diverse appeal, with approximately 65,000 spectators experiencing biathlon in an innovative urban festival setting like no other.

The event was successful in expanding beyond biathlon’s core fanbase, attracting a younger and more female audience – 63% of visitors were women and 39% were under 35, with 52% of attendees either first-time visitors or returning after more than five years.

The Loop One Festival was a resounding success from the visitors’ perspective. As the event analysis by Two Circles shows, satisfaction levels were at least on par with those of established Biathlon World Cup events – a clear sign of the strong enthusiasm sparked by this new event format.

This new audience will be able to watch the world's best biathletes when they return to the World Cup stage on 29 November, just over two months before they head to Northern Italy and the iconic Anterselva Biathlon Arena dreaming of Olympic medals.

While 186 of the 210 quota spots for Milano Cortina 2026 are already decided, the final 24 spots will be confirmed following the first five World Cup events, ending at Ruhpolding (GER) from 14-18 January. This adds another layer of excitement to the World Cup campaign, which visits six classic biathlon venues prior to the Olympic Winter Games and three more at the end of the season.

For the first time in its history, Anterselva will take centre stage at an Olympic Games, hosting all biathlon competitions in February 2026. Located at 1,600 metres altitude, this iconic venue will welcome up to 19,000 spectators per session – the highest capacity of any competition venue at Milano Cortina 2026.

Meanwhile, the IBU's digital presence has exploded, with reach, video views and engagements across social media accounts increasing by between 300-400% over the last three seasons. In the 2024-2025 season alone, @biathlonworld reached over 280 million accounts, saw 17 million engagements and produced over 220 million video views.

The IBU Para Biathlon World Cup season will feature three stages throughout the winter, with the opening in Canmore (CAN) 11-14 December followed by January stops in Notschrei (GER) and Jakuszyce (POL) , ahead of the Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina in March. The Paralympic biathlon competitions will be held in Val di Fiemme from 7 to 13 March.

IBU President Olle Dahlin said:

Over 20 broadcasters will report live regularly from the events, which are followed by half a million spectators on-site. All competitions will be livestreamed on Eurovision's multi-sports OTT platform eurovisionsport.com and the IBU's website www.biathlonworld.com.

Photo: IBU