Have a ball at this year's European Championships

Scottish Government Viewpoint

A NEW era in world sport will get under way this summer as Glasgow and Berlin host the inaugural European Championships – an exciting new multi-sport event bringing together some of the continent's leading sports.

It is the first time in history that existing European Championships in aquatics, cycling, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon have been brought together into one major event in this way, alongside a brand new golf championship.

The Glasgow 2018 European Championships will be held between August 2 and August 12.

It will take place alongside the athletics in Berlin in the inaugural event.

Scotland will welcome 52 competing nations to the city for the event, bringing with them an estimated 8000 athletes and officials to Glasgow for 11 jam-packed days of elite competition.

The Glasgow 2018 event will showcase Scotland to a potential TV audience of up to 1.03 billion, significantly boosting economic, social and cultural opportunities right across the country.

In addition to the events being held at the world-class venues in Glasgow, a number of the sports involved will take place at renowned sites elsewhere in Scotland:

• The European Golf Team Championships will be held on the world famous course at Gleneagles

• Open water event will take place in Loch Lomond

• The diving events will get underway in the historic capital city of Edinburgh

• The 2018 European Cycling Road Championships, will see elite road cyclists race through the streets of Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and Stirling.

Glasgow 2018 is another excellent example of Scotland attracting mega sporting events, using the excellent infrastructure and skills of staff and volunteers in place as result of the world-class events recently hosted here, the 2014 Commonwealth Games among them.

There will also be a lasting legacy for Scotland from this year's event, with at least 50 community sports hubs benefitting from a Glasgow 2018 Legacy Fund.

The championships will be staged every four years starting in Glasgow and Berlin.

It will also be a massive celebration of Scotland's thriving cultural scene, with communities across the country getting involved in Festival 2018.

The Nevis Ensemble is a 40-piece orchestra which will give 70 inspiring performances over two weeks across Scotland as part of The Glasgow 2018 Festival Fund Programme.

This will even include a performance at the summit of Ben Nevis – weather permitting of course!

* The full programme of events can be found online at www.glasgow2018.com/festival-2018/about-festival-2018

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