2026

Events

January

• January 1
  • Bulgaria adopts the euro, becoming the 21st member state of the eurozone.
  • Cyprus begins its role as President of the Council of the European Union.
  • 40 people are killed and 116 injured in a fire at a bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
• January 3
  • The United States launches several airstrikes on multiple locations across northern Venezuela, capturing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.
  • Equatorial Guinea moves its capital from Malabo to Ciudad de la Paz.
• January 5 – Delcy Rodríguez is formally sworn in as the acting President of Venezuela after the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
• January 6 – The 2025 Jubilee ends.
• January 7 – The United States seizes two shadow fleet tankers, including one under a Russian flag, in the United States oil blockade during Operation Southern Spear.
• January 8 – Thongloun Sisoulith is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party at the 12th Central Committee's first meeting.
• January 8–9 – Iran retaliates against nationwide protests, with tens of thousands reportedly killed on the 8th and 9th alone, and many thousands more detained amid a severe government crackdown.
• January 9 – 2025–2026 Southern Yemen campaign: The Southern Transitional Council announces its dissolution following territorial losses, including its capital Aden.
• January 11 – The 2026 Beninese parliamentary election is held.
• January 14 – Operation Arctic Endurance is launched by Denmark, with multiple European countries sending troops to Greenland in response to US President Donald Trump's threats of invasion or annexation of the island.
• January 15–16 – 2026 Ugandan general election: Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni wins reelection amidst protests over allegations of election fraud, leading to deaths of dozens of protestors and the abduction of main opposition candidate Bobi Wine.
• January 18 – 46 people are killed and 291 injured after two trains derail in Adamuz, southern Spain.
• January 19–23 – The 56th World Economic Forum is held in Davos, Switzerland.
• January 20 – The Syrian transitional government captures most of the territory held by the Syrian Democratic Forces following an offensive and subsequent ceasefire.
• January 22
  • The United States officially leaves the World Health Organization.
  • France seizes one shadow fleet tanker, under a Russian flag, in the Mediterranean.
• January 23
  • Tô Lâm is re-elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam at the 14th National Congress.
  • Iliana Iotova becomes the first female President of Bulgaria after the resignation of Rumen Radev.
• January 24 – At least 70 people are killed and 10 others missing after major landslides in West Java, Indonesia.
• January 25 – 2025–26 Myanmar general election: In an election widely considered as neither free nor fair, the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party wins a supermajority of seats in the Pyithu Hluttaw and the Amyotha Hluttaw.
• January 27 – The India–European Union Free Trade Agreement is signed after nearly two decades of negotiations, eliminating tariffs on a broad range of products and services between the two regions.
• January 28 – Sarah Mullally becomes the first female primate of the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury.

February

• February 1 – The 2026 Costa Rican general election is held.

Predicted and scheduled events

• February 5 – The New START Treaty is scheduled to expire.
• February 6–22 – The Winter Olympics are scheduled to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
• February 7March 8 – The 2026 Men's T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
• February 8
  • The 2026 Japanese general election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 Thai general election is scheduled to be held.
  • The second round of the 2026 Portuguese presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• February 12 – The 2026 Bangladeshi general election and a constitutional referendum are scheduled to be held.
• February 13–15 – The Munich Security Conference is scheduled to be held.
• February 22 – The 2026 Laotian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
• March 1 — The 800th anniversary of the founding of the State of the Teutonic Order will be celebrated.
• March 5 – The 2026 Nepalese general election is scheduled to be held.
• March 5–17 – The 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled to be held in Japan and the United States.
• March 6–15 – The Winter Paralympics are scheduled to be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
• March 8
  • The 2026 Colombian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
  • The first race in the 2026 Formula One World Championship is scheduled to begin in Melbourne, Australia.
• March 15 – The 2026 Vietnamese legislative election is scheduled to be held.
• March 2022 The 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships are scheduled to be held at Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena Toruń in Toruń, BiT City, Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland.
• March 22
  • The 2026 Slovenian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 Republic of the Congo presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• April 12
  • The 2026 Hungarian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 Peruvian general election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 Beninese presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• May 1216 – The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is scheduled to be held in Vienna, Austria, following their win at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.
• May 24 – The 2026 Cypriot legislative election is scheduled to be held.
• May 31 – The 2026 Colombian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• June 1 – The 2026 Ethiopian general election is scheduled to be held.
• June 7 – The 2026 Armenian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
• June 11July 19 – The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
• June 12July 5 – The 2026 Women's T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in England.
• July 23August 2 – The 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
• August 13 – The 2026 Zambian general election is scheduled to be held.
• August 30 – The 2026 Estonian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• September 413 – The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup is scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany.
• September 527 – The 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup is scheduled to be held in Poland (Łódź, Katowice, Sosnowiec, and Bielsko-Biała).
• September 13 – The 2026 Swedish general election is scheduled to be held.
• September 19October 4 – The 2026 Asian Games is scheduled to take place around Aichi Prefecture in Japan.
• September 20 – If not triggered earlier, the 2026 Russian legislative election will be held no later than this date.
• October 3 – If not triggered earlier, the 2026 Latvian parliamentary election will be held no later than this date.
• October 4
  • The 2026 Brazilian general election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 Bosnian general election is scheduled to be held.
• October 27 – If not triggered earlier, the 2026 Israeli legislative election will be held no later than this date.
• October 31 – If not triggered earlier, the 2026 Danish general election will be held no later than this date.
• October 31–November 13 – The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics will be held in Dakar, Senegal.
• November 3 – The 2026 United States elections will be held.
• November 7 – The 2026 New Zealand general election is scheduled to be held.
• December 320 – The 2026 European Women's Handball Championship is scheduled to be held in the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey.
• December 5 – The 2026 Gambian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• December 6
  • The 2026 Haitian general election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 Guinea-Bissau general election is scheduled to be held.
• December 22 – The 2026 South Sudanese general election is scheduled to be held, the first since the country's independence in 2011.

Date unknown

• February – The Artemis II mission is scheduled to launch.
• April – If not triggered earlier, the 2026 Djiboutian presidential election will be held no later than this date.
• May – The 2026 Lebanese general election is scheduled to be held.
• June – If not triggered earlier, the 2026 Algerian parliamentary election will be held no later than this date.
• July – If not triggered earlier, the 2026 São Toméan presidential election will be held no later than this date.
• September
  • The 2026 Moroccan general election is scheduled to be held.
  • The 2026 São Toméan parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
• September/October – The 2026 Speedway Grand Prix is scheduled to be held at the PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, Poland.
• October – The 2026 Cape Verdean presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• November – The 2026 Bulgarian presidential election is scheduled to be held.
• The 2026 Bulgarian parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
• The 2026 Cape Verdean parliamentary election is scheduled to be held.
• The 2026 ASEAN Summit is scheduled to be held in the Philippines.

Deaths

Main article: Deaths in 2026

References

References

1. (July 8, 2025). "Bulgaria ready to use the euro from 1 January 2026: Council takes final steps". Council of the European Union.
2. Rigonat, Filippo. (2025-12-30). "Cyprus EU Council Presidency kicks off: between security and competitiveness".
3. (1 January 2026). "Several dead and injured in explosion at Swiss ski resort town Crans-Montana, police say". [[The Guardian]].
4. "The New York Times".
5. "Trump says Venezuela's Maduro captured after strikes". Reuters.
6. (January 4, 2026). "Equatorial Guinea relocates capital to Ciudad de la Paz".
7. (5 January 2026). "Delcy Rodriguez formally sworn in as Venezuela's interim presiden". Reuters.
8. "Jubilee 2025".
9. "Calendar of Major Events".
10. "Venezuela Updates: U.S. Forces Seize Two Tankers; Rubio Lays Out Plan for American Control". The New York Times.
11. "US seizes Russian-flagged tanker in Atlantic as UK confirms it gave support to operation".
12. (9 January 2026). "Lao Communist Party Chief Reappointed For Second Term at National Congress". [[The Diplomat (magazine).
13. {{cite Q. Q137884558
14. (9 January 2026). "Yemeni southern separatists in Riyadh announce disputed disbanding of STC". Al Jazeera.
15. "Election Observation Benin – BRIDGE".
16. "The Danish Armed Forces expand their presence and continue exercises in Greenland in close cooperation with allies".
17. (2026-01-17). "Uganda: Opposition Leader Bobi Wine Forcibly Taken By Army Helicopter After Contentious Election Loss To Yoweri Museveni".
18. "Uganda election descends into deadly violence as President Yoweri Museveni looks to cling to power".
19. [https://www.nbcnews.com/world/spain/least-20-dead-dozens-injured-high-speed-trains-collide-spain-rcna254725 At least 39 dead, dozens injured after high-speed trains collide in Spain]
20. "Davos 2026: What to expect, who's coming and how to follow".
21. (20 January 2026). "Syria-SDF ceasefire hangs in balance after renewed clashes, faltering talks". Al Jazeera.
22. (2026-01-23). "United States Completes WHO Withdrawal".
23. (22 January 2026). "French navy intercepts suspected Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in Mediterranean". The Guardian.
24. (23 January 2026). "Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party re-elects To Lam as general secretary". [[AP News]].
25. [https://www.reuters.com/world/bulgarian-court-approves-president-radevs-resignation-2026-01-23/ Bulgaria's Radev steps down as president, expected to launch own party]
26. (31 January 2026). "Update Longsor Cisarua: 70 Kantong Jenazah Dievakuasi, 10 Masih Dicari". CNN Indonesia.
27. (2026-01-11). "Myanmar's military holds second phase of elections amid civil war".
28. (27 January 2026). "India and EU announce 'mother of all trade deals'".
29. M, Muvija. (28 January 2026). "First woman leader of the Church of England confirmed in ancient ceremony". Reuters.
30. Mora, Carlos. (2024-11-28). "TSE fija cronograma para elecciones nacionales de 2026".
31. (February 4, 2024). "New START to Expire in Two Years as Russia Refuses Talks". Arms Control Association.
32. (14 January 2026). "Japan PM readies snap election, February 8 ballot eyed". Reuters.
33. Tanakasempipat, Patpicha. (2025-12-11). "Thailand Heads for Election as PM Set to Dissolve Parliament". Bloomberg.
34. (14 September 2025). "Eleições presidenciais deverão ser marcadas para 18 de Janeiro de 2026". Público.
35. "Munich Security Conference".
36. (21 May 2025). "NA approves shortened term, sets 2026 election date".
37. Więcławski, Tomasz. (23 March 2023). "Mamy to! Lekkoatletyczne Halowe Mistrzostwa Świata 2026 odbędą się w Toruniu".
38. Czołgowski, Dariusz. (22 March 2023). "Halowe mistrzostwa świata w lekkiej atletyce w 2026 r. odbędą się w Toruniu".
39. (31 December 2025). "Congo president Sassou Nguesso to seek re-election in March 2026". [[France 24]].
40. Schumacher, Elizabeth. "Eurovision: Vienna to host European Song Contest 2026". Deutsche Welle.
41. (2025-05-20). "Parliamentary elections set for May 24 next year".
42. Rincon, Estefania Mayorga. (2025-07-17). "Calendario electoral 2026 en Colombia: estas son las fechas oficiales, según la Registraduría Nacional".
43. (2025-10-23). "Ethiopia sets June 1, 2026, for general election amid credibility concerns".
44. (22 October 2024). "Sports announced for Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games". BBC News.
45. (17 December 2023). "FIFA Council appoints Chile and Poland as hosts of FIFA youth competitions".
46. (17 December 2023). "Polska gospodarzem Mistrzostw Świata Kobiet U-20 w 2026 roku!". [[Polish Football Association]] (PZPN).
47. Millar, Colin. (2025-12-12). "Russian and Belarusian Athletes Should Compete Under National Flags at Youth Level, says IOC". The New York Times.
48. (8 March 2024). "Organisers for Women's EHF EURO 2026 confirmed". European Handball Federation.
49. (2025-10-10). "2026 presidential election set for Dec 5 – IEC Chairman".
50. (3 December 2025). "Haiti's transitional government adopts key law to hold a general election for first time since 2016". [[AP News]].
51. (22 January 2026). "Guinea-Bissau set to hold general elections on December 6".
52. (14 September 2024). "South Sudan postpones December elections by 2 years citing incomplete preparations". Associated Press.
53. (2025-04-11). "All eyes on the 2026 Legislative Elections and the post Hezbollah-Amal alliance era".
54. "Algerian Legislative Election, 2026".
55. "Sao Tome Presidential Election, 2026".
56. "Moroccan General Election - House of Representatives, 2026".
57. "Sao Tome Legislative Election, 2026".
58. https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/kabinetyt-zheliazkov-podade-ostavka-video-2439765