2026 facts for kids

2026 (MMXXVI) is the current year, and is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2026th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 26th year of the 3rd millennium, the 26th year of the 21st century, and the 7th year of the 2020s decade. The year 2026 is a time filled with exciting events and important moments around the world. From major sporting competitions to scientific milestones, there's a lot to explore. Let's look at some of the key happenings of this year.

Key Events of 2026

January Highlights

• January 1
  • Bulgaria officially adopted the euro as its currency. This made it the 21st country to join the eurozone.
  • Cyprus began its role as the President of the Council of the European Union. This means Cyprus will help lead important discussions for Europe.
  • Sadly, a fire at a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, caused many injuries and tragically, some lives were lost.
• January 3
  • The United States conducted military actions in northern Venezuela. This led to the capture of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and the first lady, Cilia Flores.
  • The United Kingdom and France also took action in Syria. They targeted a hidden weapons storage area that was believed to be used by a group called ISIS.

What's Coming Up: Scheduled Events in 2026

• January 6 – The 2025 Jubilee, a special celebration, will come to an end.
• January 11 – People in Benin are scheduled to vote in their parliamentary election.
• January 15 – Uganda is scheduled to hold its general election.
• January 18 – The country of Portugal is scheduled to have its presidential election.
• January 19–25 – The 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam is scheduled to take place.
• January 22 – The United States will officially leave the World Health Organization. This is an important global health group.
• January 25 – Myanmar is scheduled to hold its general election.
• January 28 – Sarah Mullally will become a very important leader in the Church of England.

• February 1 – Costa Rica is scheduled to hold its general election.
• February 5 – The New START Treaty, an agreement about nuclear weapons, is scheduled to expire.
• February 6–22 – The exciting 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Athletes from all over the world will compete in winter sports!
• February 7–March 8 – The 2026 Men's T20 World Cup for cricket is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
• February 8 – Thailand is scheduled to hold its general election.
• February 12 – Bangladesh is scheduled to hold its general election. They will also have a vote on changes to their constitution.
• February 22 – Laos is scheduled to hold its parliamentary election.

• March 5 – Nepal is scheduled to hold its general election.
• March 5–17 – The 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled to be held in Japan and the United States.
• March 6–15 – Following the Olympics, the 2026 Winter Paralympics are scheduled to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This event is for athletes with disabilities.
• March 8 – Colombia is scheduled to hold its parliamentary election.
• March 15 – Vietnam is scheduled to hold its legislative election.
• March 20–22 – The 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships are scheduled to be held in Toruń, Poland.
• March 22 – Slovenia is scheduled to hold its parliamentary election.

• April 12
  • Peru is scheduled to hold its general election.
  • Benin is scheduled to hold its presidential election.

• May 12–16 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2026, a popular international music competition, is scheduled to be held in Vienna, Austria.
• May 24 – Cyprus is scheduled to hold its legislative election.
• May 31 – Colombia is scheduled to hold its presidential election.

• June 1 – Ethiopia is scheduled to hold its general election.
• June 7 – Armenia is scheduled to hold its parliamentary election.
• June 11–July 19 – The biggest soccer event in the world, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, is scheduled to be held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
• July 23–August 2 – The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland. This is a multi-sport event for countries of the Commonwealth.

• August 13 – Zambia is scheduled to hold its general election.
• August 30 – Estonia is scheduled to hold its presidential election.

• September 4–13 – The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup is scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany.
• September 5–27 – The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is scheduled to be held in Poland.
• September 13 – Sweden is scheduled to hold its general election.
• September 19–October 4 – The 2026 Asian Games, a major multi-sport event, is scheduled to take place in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
• September 20 – Russia is scheduled to hold its legislative election by this date.

• October 3 – Latvia is scheduled to hold its parliamentary election by this date.
• October 4
  • Brazil is scheduled to hold its general election.
  • Bosnia is scheduled to hold its general election.
• October 27 – Israel is scheduled to hold its legislative election by this date.
• October 31 – Denmark is scheduled to hold its general election by this date.
• October 31–November 13 – The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics will be held in Dakar, Senegal. This event is for young athletes.

• November 3 – The United States will hold its general elections.
• November 15 – The Voyager 1 spacecraft, launched in 1977, will reach a distance of one light-day from Earth. This is a huge distance, showing how far it has traveled!

• December 3–20 – The 2026 European Women's Handball Championship is scheduled to be held in several countries: the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Turkey.
• December 5 – Gambia is scheduled to hold its presidential election.
• December 6 – Haiti is scheduled to hold its general election.
• December 19 – New Zealand is scheduled to hold its general election by this date.
• December 22 – South Sudan is scheduled to hold its general election. This will be the first election since the country became independent in 2011.

Events with Dates Still Being Decided

• April
  • The 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 Djiboutian presidential election will be held by this date.
• May – The 2026 Lebanese general election is scheduled to be held.
• June – The 2026 Algerian parliamentary election will be held by this date.
• July – The 2026 São Toméan presidential election will be held by this date.
• September
  • The 2026 Moroccan general election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 São Toméan parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
• September/October – The 2026 Speedway Grand Prix is scheduled to be held in Warsaw, Poland.
• October – The 2026 Cape Verdean presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• November – The 2026 Bulgarian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• The 2026 Republic of the Congo presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• The 2026 Cape Verdean parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
• The 2026 ASEAN Summit, a meeting of Southeast Asian nations, is scheduled to be held in the Philippines.
• The Artemis II mission, a space flight around the Moon, is scheduled to launch.

Deaths

Images for kids

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  A bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where a fire occurred on January 1.

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  A map showing areas in Venezuela affected by military actions on January 3.

See also

In Spanish: 2026 para niños