Birmingham to bid on 2025 World Police and Fire Games

Preparations for the World Games headed to Birmingham in 2021 are well underway. But that’s not the only mega event that could head our way soon. The city is also working to attract another worldwide sporting event: the 2025 World Police and Fire Games.

Over 10,000 police and fire athletes from around the world flock to a different city to participate in the biennial games. Come 2025, Birmingham hopes to be that city. Do we have what it takes to host such a major event?

Birmingham primed to host games

David Galbaugh, Vice President of Sports Sales & Marketing at the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau, says that hosting the World Games in 2021 has opened up the conversation for other large scale sporting events, such as the WP&FG, to come to Birmingham. This, in large part, is thanks to the renovation of Legacy Arena and the BJCC stadium expansion slated for completion just before the World Games.

“The 2021 World Games are a tremendous opportunity for us. We would not have been able to bid on the 2025 World Police & Fire Games without our World Games experience,” said Galbaugh. “By hosting a large international multi-sport event like the 2021 World Games, Greater Birmingham is letting domestic and international sports governing bodies and event organizers know that we can accommodate their event.”

If selected, Galbaugh said that the World Police and Fire Games would draw in 100,000 spectators to the Uptown facilities. The estimated economic impact would be around $75 million, he said.

Birmingham will make a bid for the 2025 event next year at the 2020 World Police and Fire Games in the Netherlands. The projected dates for the event are June 27, 2025, and July 6, 2025.

“The prestige of hosting such a prominent event will be tremendous for our entire region,” said Galbaugh. “Also, like the World Games, I can see this event assisting us in hosting additional large international events in the future.”

World Police and Fire Games five year schedule

The 2019 World Police and Fire Games will take place in Chengdu, China August 8-18, 2019. In 2020, the games will head to the Netherlands and then on to Canada in 2022.

Interested and curious to see if you qualify to participate? Check out the World Police and Fire Games sports rules to see if you’re eligible to sign up. There’s plenty of time to train before the event (hopefully) comes to Birmingham!

What other events would you like to see in Birmingham once the BJCC stadium expansion is completed? Let us know!