Velodrome
Badminton England have announced that the English National Badminton Championships 2026 are returning to Manchester in 2026!
For the first time since 2013, the Nationals will be back in the heart of Manchester as the National Cycling Centre is set to play host to the best players in the country on Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February 2026.
For the first time since 2013, the Nationals will be back in the heart of Manchester as the National Cycling Centre is set to play host to the best players in the country on Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February 2026.
The English Nationals, held annually, have been delighting fans for more than 60 years and having crowned more than 100 national champions in their time. The very first winners were Bill Havers and Ursula Smith in 1964, but the last time Manchester staged the event, Chris Langridge won two doubles crowns (alongside Peter Mills and Heather Olver respectively), Gabby Adcock partnered Lauren Smith to the title in the women’s doubles, while Rajiv Ouseph and Sarah Walker took the singles crowns.
The event has since been staged in five different counties across the country, most recently getting pulses racing at the David Ross Sports Village in Nottingham earlier this year. Now, in partnership with Manchester City Council and with the close support of both Lancashire County Badminton Association and the newly-formed Manchester Badminton National Badminton League team, we are excited to bring the Nationals back to the north.
The event has since been staged in five different counties across the country, most recently getting pulses racing at the David Ross Sports Village in Nottingham earlier this year. Now, in partnership with Manchester City Council and with the close support of both Lancashire County Badminton Association and the newly-formed Manchester Badminton National Badminton League team, we are excited to bring the Nationals back to the north.
The format remains the same; a 24-entry draw in both the open and women’s singles, a 16-entry draw in the open, women’s and mixed doubles disciplines.
It is an event which continues to inspire fans of all ages by showcasing the skills and athleticism of England’s best players in the nation’s favourite racket sport. And as a new generation of talent takes to the court, new legends will emerge and long-standing records are there to be broken.
Entries to the Nationals are currently open and the draw will be made in the new year. Regardless of the head-to-heads the draw throws up, Manchester is guaranteed to see some of the most talented badminton players in the country locking horns little more than a month before the YONEX All England Open takes centre stage in Birmingham.
The English Nationals are a fantastic chance to experience the best in our sport – and with more than 20 hours of badminton promised across multiple courts throughout the weekend, there’s plenty of opportunity to be inspired!
The English Nationals are a fantastic chance to experience the best in our sport – and with more than 20 hours of badminton promised across multiple courts throughout the weekend, there’s plenty of opportunity to be inspired!