After announcing in December 2025 that the Arctic Winter Games would take place temporarily every three years, Fairbanks, Alaska, has stepped up to host the games in 2028.
The Arctic Winter Games International Committee – also known as AWGIC – announced the decision in a Tuesday news release, saying Fairbanks applied in April 2026 to host the next Arctic Winter Games. The release says the Fairbanks 2028 Host Society worked with the international committee for four months to “demonstrate that it met the governance, operational and financial requirements” required to host the games.
The AWGIC described Fairbanks as “one of the movement’s most experienced host communities.” According to the committee’s website, Fairbanks previously hosted the Arctic Winter Games in 1982, 1988 and 2014.
“This was an extraordinary proposal from the Fairbanks community at a pivotal moment for the Arctic Winter Games movement,” said John Rodda, AWGIC president, in the news release.
The AWGIC said planning for the 2028 games will begin immediately. Dates and additional information will be announced in the coming weeks
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In 2025, the AWGIC said the decision to move to a three-year games cycle was “to support the long-term sustainability of the games and to maintain the quality and integrity of the athlete and cultural experience.”
The international committee also said a “high-level review of the Arctic Winter Games’ core operational elements” was taking place.
In Tuesday’s news release, the AWGIC said keeping a two-year schedule “provides greater certainty for participating contingents, athletes, officials, volunteers, and future host communities, while strengthening long-term planning across the Arctic Winter Games movement.”
In a separate press release on Tuesday, Vince McKay, NWT’s minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, said the Arctic Winter Games “provide an important opportunity for northern athletes to compete, develop their skills, and build lasting connections across the circumpolar North.”
The department encouraged anyone interested in representing Team NT to begin preparing now. As participating in the games will require travel to the United States, the news release said all participants who do not currently have a valid passport should apply for a passport or renew their passport as soon as possible.
The department said Team NT leadership will work with territorial sport organizations to confirm athlete selection processes, eligibility requirements, and key timelines for each sport in the coming months. It said information will be made public as it becomes available.
