Astana will host the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships 2027 from February 9 to 14, 2027, bringing the event to Kazakhstan for the first time and gathering skaters from Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania in the Kazakh capital. The decision places the country on the map of one of international figure skating’s most relevant annual events and marks another step for Central Asia within the calendar of the International Skating Union -ISU-.
The competition will be the biggest figure skating event ever held in Kazakhstan, which previously hosted the 2011 Asian Winter Games and the 2017 Winter Universiade, both of which included figure skating events. The championships will also arrive in the Kazakh capital in the season following the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, during which the country’s figure skating gained international visibility after Mikhail Shaidorov won Olympic gold in Men’s Singles.
Kazakhstan’s first Four Continents
The ISU linked the choice of Astana to the growing interest in figure skating in Kazakhstan following Shaidorov’s Olympic success in February. The international federation presented the venue as part of the sport’s global development and as an opportunity to bring a top-level competition to a region that had not previously hosted Four Continents, an event reserved for skaters from Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.
ISU president Jae Youl Kim highlighted the significance of bringing the championships to the country for the first time. “We are delighted to bring the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships to Kazakhstan for the first time,” Kim said, while also noting that passion for skating has reached “new heights” in the country and expressing confidence that Astana will provide “an outstanding stage” for athletes, fans and stakeholders across international skating.
Mikhail Shaidorov and Kazakhstan’s Olympic momentum
The Kazakhstan Figure Skating Union said it was “very pleased and honoured” to host the ISU Figure Skating Four Continents Championships 2027 and stated that it would work to ensure the event is held “at the highest level”. The federation closed its message with a direct reference to the Kazakh capital: “See you in Astana”.
Shaidorov also welcomed the decision from both a personal and national perspective. “To be honest, I am jumping for joy. This is a huge victory for me and for all of Kazakhstan,” said the Olympic champion, who recalled that he had spent years dreaming of seeing an ISU championship held in his country. “For many years, I have been dreaming that an ISU Championship will take place in my home country and I am over the moon that this dream finally comes true,” he added.
ISU joins Olympic Day
The Kazakh skater also linked the arrival of Four Continents to the growing interest in the discipline after his Olympic success. “Since my victory at the Olympics, the popularity of figure skating has significantly grown in Kazakhstan, and I would very much like to see how this continues,” Shaidorov said, before also looking ahead to the new season: “I will train hard for the upcoming season and hope that this ISU Four Continents Championships will bring unforgettable moments to the fans and remain in their memories for a long time to come.”
Four Continents will form part of a 2026/2027 season that the ISU presents at a time of digital growth, doubled prize money for athletes and support for its transformation process following the 60th Ordinary ISU Congress in Tenerife. The new senior season will open with the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix de France, which will take place in Angers from October 23 to 25, 2026, while the ISU also joined Olympic Day and the “You Can Do This!” campaign, led by the International Olympic Committee -IOC-, with messages from athletes such as Donovan Carrillo, who encouraged young people to try new experiences: “It doesn’t matter, just have fun and give it a chance.”
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