Bulgaria To Host 2026 WSF Championships
The World Snooker Federation (WSF) and the Bulgarian Snooker Federation (BSF) have today announced that the 2026 WSF Championships will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Championships will run from 19 January to 1 February 2026 and once again include two prestigious open tournaments that will offer direct qualification to the World Snooker Tour, alongside a World Women’s Snooker Tour ranking event.
Organised by the WSF in partnership with snooker’s world governing body the WPBSA, the WSF Championships represent one of the biggest events on the amateur snooker calendar globally, with another huge entry expected for what will be the seventh staging of the competition.
The event will run for 14 days at the Hotel Marinela, Sofia and will comprise the open WSF Championship (24 January – 1 February 2026), claimed last season by Gao Yang of China, and the WSF Junior Championship / WSF Women’s Championship (19-23 January 2026) tournaments, which saw Ireland’s Leone Crowley and Thailand’s Mink Nutcharut win respectively earlier this year.
Open to players of all nationalities and genders, the Junior and Open tournaments will see its champion earn a two-year professional Tour card from the start of the 2026/27 season. There will also be additional opportunities for elite performers at the event to compete at further World Snooker Tour events.
All events are to be played on Xing Pai Championship tables, ensuring the WSF meets the highest standards laid down by the WPBSA for the World Snooker Tour and its recognised development pathways to the Tour.
Jason Ferguson, WSF President said: “Today’s announcement that the 2026 WSF Championships will be held in the stunning city of Sofia represents another fantastic milestone for this prestigious annual event.
“First held in 2018, the WSF Championships have become firmly established on the amateur snooker calendar with players welcomed from around the globe, all chasing the dream of a place on the professional World Snooker Tour.
“I am delighted to be able to work once again with BSF President Oleg Velinov, with whom we have collaborated with on several successful events both on the World Snooker Tour and more recently the WPBSA Q Tour. I have no doubt that he and his team will work hard to ensure that everyone at the event has a fantastic time and that the event reaches new heights in 2026.”
Oleg Velinov, BSF President said: “I am hugely excited to be able to welcome the World Snooker Federation to Bulgaria for its 2026 Championships.
“Bulgaria has established a rich history within our sport with several prestigious events having been held in recent years. Earlier this year it was a great honour to see our very own Desislava Bozhilova officiate the professional World Championship final at the Crucible in Sheffield and she is just one of many Bulgarian officials working internationally at the highest level in our sport today.
“We cannot wait to welcome the world’s best amateur players to Sofia for what promises to be another memorable chapter in Bulgarian snooker history and I would like to thank Jason and his team for placing their trust in us to host this prestigious event to the highest standards.”
Entry for both tournaments will be made through WPBSA SnookerScores with further information including the full invitation letter to be released in due course.
