2027 Special Olympics BC Winter Games heading to Kelowna and Richmond

The 2027 Special Olympics BC Winter Games snow sports will be hosted in Kelowna, and the ice and floor sports will be based in Richmond.  

Provincial Games are joyful and meaningful experiences for Special Olympics athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They compete with pride, build lifelong friendships, and open hearts and minds to their abilities. 

At the 2027 SOBC Winter Games, competitors will pursue personal-best Provincial Games performances, and will try to advance to national and international levels of competition. The 2027 SOBC Winter Games will be the B.C. and Yukon qualifier for the 2028 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games, also set to be held in Kelowna. The 2028 SOC Winter Games will be the national qualifier for the 2029 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Switzerland.  

Competitors qualify for the 2027 Special Olympics BC Winter Games through their performances in the 2026 SOBC Winter Regional Qualifiers. Find the full Special Olympics Games cycle outlined below for winter and summer sports. 

“Special Olympics BC sincerely thanks all the leaders and supporters in Kelowna and Richmond who are coming together to help us offer a top-quality sport experience and memorable display of the power of sport and inclusion.” 

The 2027 SOBC Winter Games are fortunate to benefit from significant support from champions including Richmond Sport Hosting, Richmond School District No. 38, the City of Richmond, Richmond Hotel Destination Association, and Tourism Richmond. Across both communities, approximately 1,000 volunteers and generous sponsor support will be needed to bring the 2027 SOBC Winter Games to life, empowering the athletes and building community spirit and inclusion. Rewarding engagement roles, memorable stories, and full SOBC Games details will be shared through the weeks to come at SOBCGames.ca. 

This will mark the fourth time Kelowna and Richmond have each hosted Special Olympics BC Games or Championships events. The sport of floorball will make its Special Olympics BC Games debut in the 2027 provincial competition.  

Year round in 55 communities across the province, Special Olympics BC provides programs in 18 different sports as well as youth and health programs for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages and a wide range of ability levels. All Special Olympics BC programs and competitions are offered at low or no cost for participants, thanks to the dedicated efforts of more than 2,200 coaching and organizing volunteers and the support of our generous sponsors and donors. 

The Special Olympics Games cycle is an important part of the experience for the athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities who want to challenge themselves in competition, and gain life skills through team experiences and travel that they may not be able to access anywhere else. 

Currently, for British Columbia athletes, here is the status of the Special Olympics Games cycle. 

Winter Sports 

Summer Sports