Image: EKF calendar, shared by Márton Falusi on Facebook
A season often reveals itself first as a list of dates, and the 2027 calendar of the European Karate Federation is no exception. The document, headed "2027 EKF Sports Calendar" and not yet published on the federation's own channels, was shared on Facebook by Márton Falusi. It sets out twenty-two competitions between mid-January and late November, and two of them give the year its shape: the Cadet, Junior and U21 Championships in Yerevan in February, then the Senior Championships in Marseille in March.
Marseille, the senior rendezvous
From 24 to 28 March 2027, Marseille will host the EKF Senior Championships. Five days are set aside for the continent's elite in kata and kumite, and the calendar specifies that para-karate kata is part of the programme. For France, it is the one domestic date of the European season: the national team will meet its continental rivals on home tatami, in a city facing the Mediterranean.
Placed at the end of winter, the event arrives once the first Grand Prix tournaments have given athletes their bearings, and before the spring opens multiply across the continent. It is the axis around which the first half of the year turns.
Yerevan, the younger generation first
Seven weeks earlier, from 5 to 7 February, the Armenian capital will welcome the EKF Cadet, Junior and U21 Championships. Opening the championship year with the youngest categories is a choice that speaks for itself: the European season begins with those who will carry it in the years to come. Yerevan thus becomes the second pillar of the calendar, at the threshold of the competitive year.
A winter of Grand Prix
Before and between these two championships, the calendar opens with the circuit. The Grand Prix Croatia in Rijeka launches the year from 15 to 17 January, for cadets, juniors, U21 and seniors alike. Bratislava follows from 12 to 14 February with the 47th Grand Prix Slovakia. At the end of February, Craiova in Romania hosts the Balkan Championships for seniors and veterans.
Spring, the time of the opens
After Marseille, the map widens. In April, Čačak in Serbia holds the 56th "Golden Belt", Pajulahti in Finland the Nordic Championship, and Istanbul the International Bosphorus Cup. May belongs to the east and south of the continent: the International Kyiv Open Cup in Kyiv, the Sofia Open "The President's Cup", the Trophy of Serbia – Danube Cup in Novi Sad, devoted to cadets and children, then the Balkan Championships for Children, again in Sofia. In mid-June, the Bohemia Cup in České Budějovice closes the first half of the year.
Autumn, from Basel to Budapest
After the summer break, the Basel Open Masters reopens the season at the end of August. September brings the International Turkish Open in Istanbul and the 30th Budapest Open. October strings together the Croatian Karate Open, the Irish Open in Dublin and the Polish Open in Bielsko-Biała, the city hosting the 2026 WKF world cadet, junior and U21 championships this month. November closes the year with the Balkan Championships for cadets, juniors and U21 in Albania, the Dutch Open for Youth in Almere and, from 20 to 21 November, the Hungarian Open Grand Prix in Budapest.
Para-karate across the year
One thread runs through the calendar: para-karate. Beyond Marseille, it is listed in Čačak, Pajulahti, Sofia, Novi Sad, České Budějovice, Dublin, Bielsko-Biała, Almere and Budapest. Spread over the seasons, these dates give para-karate athletes regular meeting points throughout the European year.
The 2027 dates at a glance
- 15–17 January: Grand Prix Croatia, Rijeka
- 5–7 February: EKF Cadet, Junior & U21 Championships, Yerevan
- 12–14 February: 47th Grand Prix Slovakia, Bratislava
- 26–28 February: Balkan Championships Seniors & Veterans, Craiova
- 24–28 March: EKF Senior Championships, Marseille
- 10–11 April: 56th "Golden Belt", Čačak
- 16–17 April: Nordic Championship, Pajulahti
- 24–25 April: International Bosphorus Cup, Istanbul
- 1–2 May: XVII International Kyiv Open Cup, Kyiv
- 7–9 May: Sofia Open "The President's Cup", Sofia
- 15–16 May: Trophy of Serbia – Danube Cup, Novi Sad
- 28–30 May: Balkan Championships for Children, Sofia
- 11–13 June: Bohemia Cup, České Budějovice
- 28–29 August: Basel Open Masters, Basel
- 3–5 September: International Turkish Open, Istanbul
- 10–12 September: 30th Budapest Open, Budapest
- 1–3 October: Croatian Karate Open, Croatia
- 8–10 October: Irish Open, Dublin
- 15–17 October: Polish Open, Bielsko-Biała
- 5–7 November: Balkan Championships Cadets, Juniors & U21, Albania
- 6–7 November: Dutch Open for Youth, Almere
- 20–21 November: Hungarian Open Grand Prix, Budapest
Sources
- 2027 EKF Sports Calendar, shared by Márton Falusi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3594465277361195&id=100003932737333
- European Karate Federation: https://www.europeankarate.org
