The X Games are coming to Calgary this February. WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park will host one of three stops in the inaugural MoonPay XGL Winter Season. Calgary will be the second stop, between Aspen, Colo., and Ruka, Finland. X Games Calgary runs Feb. 19-21, 2027. Monday morning’s announcement generated excitement among athletes as well as others. Freeskier and eight-time X Games medalist Megan Oldham said the X Games coming to Calgary will be “incredible.” “Especially because it’s where I learned many of my very first tricks as a kid,” Oldham said. “To come back and compete here feels like a full-circle moment.” Liam Brearley, the first Canadian male snowboard slopestyle world champion, said he’s “pumped.” “(WinSport is) where I got my first World Cup podium, so I’ve got a lot of history and a lot of great memories there,” Brearley said. “To now have the first X Games League event in Canada happening at the same venue is honestly pretty cool.” WinSport CEO Barry Heck said the venue was “built for moments like this.” Heck noted X Games Calgary will be the largest winter sport event hosted there since the Winter Olympic Games in 1988. “We are ready and excited for it,” Heck said. Tourism Calgary said this event will include competition in Big Air, Knucklehuck, Slopestyle and Superpipe. It will also feature two nights of major music performances. The stakes will be a little different for the winter season concept. A release said athletes will earn points for their clubs, “creating an ongoing championship race while preserving the individual progression and creativity at the heart of X Games.” According to the X Games website, “Over 180 athletes signed up for 40 spots on the four new XGL winter teams.” A draft will be held Wednesday to reveal “who will make the cut.” Alisha Reynolds, Tourism Calgary president and CEO, said this event will generate “$25 million in economic impact for our visitor economy.” Reynolds said it will also “showcase Calgary to the world as an exciting, year-round destination.” Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas called it “an incredible win.” “Calgary is growing as a global hub for sport and culture,” Farkas said. “Welcoming the X Games is an opportunity to show the world the hospitality, spirit and character that make this city so special.” Jeremy Bloom, X Games CEO, said making it happen was a priority for his camp as well. “Calgary has the history, infrastructure and winter sports culture to make X Games feel at home,” Bloom said.
