Men’s EuroVolley 2026 Matches Relocated from Varna to Sofia
Following the Bulgarian men’s national team’s sensational success at the Volleyball World Championship, held in the Philippines last month, the country has been swept up in a genuine volleyball mania.
The players and coaching staff were welcomed home by tens of thousands of fans with thunderous applause. To capitalise on this unprecedented wave of enthusiasm and media attention, all parties have agreed to move the 2026 Men’s European Volleyball Championship matches originally scheduled for Varna to the legendary Arena 8888 in Sofia.
This decision will allow significantly more fans to watch the Pool B matches, as well as the round-of-16 and quarterfinal matches involving the four best teams from Pool D, whose games will be played in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. As a result, Europe’s premier national-team volleyball competition is returning to the Bulgarian capital, which has previously hosted European Olympic qualification tournaments.
Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov, together with their team, have won the hearts of the entire nation by reaching the FIVB World Championship final. This exceptionally talented but still young national team will have the opportunity to play in front of a huge home crowd in late summer 2026. The pool-stage matches promise to be particularly exciting, as Pool B features the reigning European champions and bronze medallists at the last World Championship, Poland, alongside ambitious teams from North Macedonia, Ukraine, Portugal and Israel.
“The decision to move the 2026 Men’s European Volleyball Championship from Varna to Sofia was extremely difficult. Varna is Bulgaria’s volleyball capital, and we have enjoyed excellent cooperation with the city and its dedicated fans for many years. As is well known, Varna successfully hosted EuroVolley 2023,” said Lyubomir Ganev, president of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation.
“However, following our national team’s incredible achievement in becoming world runners-up, we had to make the best choice for the players and Bulgarian fans. In Sofia, we can play in front of 12,000 fans — the arena’s full capacity in its volleyball configuration. The mayor of Sofia and all members of the city council have also expressed their willingness to work with us and the CEV to deliver a truly outstanding European Championship. I am sincerely grateful to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Sofia City Council and the CEV for their support and cooperation throughout this process.”
Previously known as Arena Armeec, this modern sports venue in central Sofia can accommodate around 12,000 spectators.
Over the years, the arena has hosted numerous prestigious events, including the 2015 Men’s European Volleyball Championship, the 2018 World Championship, the 2012 World League Finals and several FIVB Volleyball Nations League tournaments. It has also hosted world and European championships in other sports, as well as major concerts and cultural shows, confirming its status as the “heart” of Bulgarian sport and entertainment.
