World Surfing Games 2026 at Punta Rocas

PERU · SPORTS

National surf teams meet at Punta Rocas, south of Lima, from 6 to 15 November with LA28 Olympic places at stake. Here is what US fans need to know about the schedule, access, viewing and safety.

The 2026 ISA World Surfing Games run from 6 to 15 November at Punta Rocas, south of Lima, Peru. The International Surfing Association (ISA), the world governing body that runs Olympic surfing qualification, confirmed the dates in May.

For US fans, the event matters because it is one of the first qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The best men’s and women’s teams each win one LA28 slot, and Olympic surfing goes to Lower Trestles in California.

Why the World Surfing Games Matter

The World Surfing Games bring national teams together, with surfers competing for their countries rather than for a professional tour. Under ISA rules, the highest-ranked team per gender at the 2026 and 2027 editions each earns one Olympic slot.

Los Angeles 2028 will have 48 Olympic surfers, 24 men and 24 women, with at most two per gender per country. The ISA says a country can exceptionally win a third slot through the team result in Peru or in 2027.

The United States, as host nation, is guaranteed one place per gender if it does not qualify surfers in other ways. Most slots still go through the 2028 Championship Tour of the World Surf League (WSL) and the 2028 World Surfing Games.

ISA president Fernando Aguerre called Punta Rocas “a perfect stage for performance surfing” in the May announcement. Peru’s ties with the ISA go back to 1965, and the country hosted the World Surfing Games in 2010 and 2014.

Sergio Ludeña, then president of the state Peruvian Sports Institute (IPD), welcomed the decision in May. He said hosting the Games represents “a very important step in the development of surfing” for Peru.

The IPD, now led by Óscar Fernández, runs the high-performance training centre at Punta Rocas, known locally as the CAR. Lima newspaper Expreso reported on Sunday, 27 September, that the centre still lacked a municipal safety certificate.

Schedule and Time Zones

Team managers meet at the CAR on Thursday, 5 November, and the opening ceremony follows on Friday, 6 November. The ISA has not yet published the time or the location of the ceremony.

Competition runs daily from Saturday, 7 November, to Saturday, 14 November, from sunrise to sunset. Finals day is Sunday, 15 November, at Punta Rocas and El Bosque, the two breaks named by the ISA.

The closing ceremony at the CAR starts 30 minutes after the last heat, according to the ISA event page. A beach party for teams is also planned that day, with time and place still to be confirmed.

Surf contests depend on wave conditions, so the order of heats can change from one day to the next. No heat-by-heat schedule has been published, and fans should check the ISA website each morning.

Peru does not use daylight saving time, while US clocks fall back on Sunday, 1 November. During the event, Lima time is therefore the same as US Eastern time and three hours ahead of Pacific time.

Tickets and Getting In

Neither the ISA nor the IPD has announced a ticket sale, a spectator fee or an official seller. The ISA event page covers the competition schedule and Olympic rules but gives no admission details.

Visitors should treat any website selling World Surfing Games passes with caution until the ISA names an official channel. Athlete zones and the CAR are controlled areas, so access depends on rules that organisers have not yet published.

Places in the contest are not open to the public, because national federations enter the athletes. Each federation may send two people to the managers’ meeting at the CAR on Thursday, 5 November.

How to Watch in the US

No US broadcaster or streaming platform has been confirmed for the 2026 World Surfing Games. The ISA event page does not yet list webcast details, and the ISA has not announced a US media partner.

In 2024, when the Games were held in Puerto Rico, NBC Sports streamed the final rounds on Peacock and YouTube. Brazilian streamer CazéTV has acquired rights to the Games through 2028, trade outlet Meio & Mensagem reported, but no US deal is known.

Because Lima matches US Eastern time in November, a sunrise start in Peru means early morning on the US East Coast. Finals on Sunday, 15 November, should therefore fall in daytime hours for most US viewers.

Getting There

Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport is the arrival point for most visitors flying in from the United States. Punta Rocas lies on the Pacific coast south of the capital, in the Punta Negra district.

The Panamericana Sur highway links central Lima with the southern beach districts, including Punta Negra. The State Department advises using app-based, phone-ordered or hotel-arranged taxis rather than hailing cars in the street.

Many visitors stay in Miraflores or Barranco in Lima and travel south, while others book rooms in beach towns nearer the contest. Check road conditions before travelling, as the State Department warns that protests can close highways with little notice.

Safety and Costs for Visitors

The US State Department rates Peru at Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory issued on Friday, 4 September 2026. It cites crime, civil unrest, terrorism and kidnapping, and some regions carry a stricter do-not-travel warning that does not include Lima.

Petty theft, muggings and assaults are common, often in daylight and in crowds, the advisory says. Robberies in which victims are forced to withdraw cash at ATMs have been reported, so hide cards and phones.

No admission price has been announced, so transport, food and lodging are the main costs for now. Conversions here use about 3.44 Peruvian soles per US dollar, so PEN 100 is roughly US$29.

Mornings on the coast south of Lima can be cool and overcast, so pack layers for long days on the beach. Sun protection still matters, because heats run from sunrise to sunset.

What It Means for You

If you want to see contenders for Los Angeles 2028 before the Games, Punta Rocas is one of the first Olympic qualifiers. Peru also shares US Eastern time throughout the event, so jet lag is minimal for East Coast visitors.

Before booking, confirm spectator access and any ticket channel directly with the ISA, since none has been announced. If you stay home, check the ISA website and NBC Sports closer to the date for any US stream.

The 2027 Pan American Games in Lima also award continental Olympic surfing slots for the Americas. That makes Peru a key stop on the road to LA28 for surfers across the Americas.

What Is Not Known

The ISA has not published spectator rules, a ticket seller, prices or the opening ceremony time and location. Its event page also does not list the nations or team rosters entered for Punta Rocas, including the United States team.

No US broadcaster or stream has been confirmed, and the ISA event page carries no webcast details yet. Expreso reported that the CAR lacked a safety certificate a month before the event, and no update has been found.

Daily heat times will depend on the waves and have not been published in advance. The number of nations taking part has also not been announced.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where are the 2026 World Surfing Games?

They run from Friday, 6 November, to Sunday, 15 November 2026, at Punta Rocas and El Bosque, south of Lima, Peru. Competition runs daily from sunrise to sunset, with finals on 15 November.

Do I need a ticket to watch the World Surfing Games?

The ISA and the Peruvian Sports Institute have not announced tickets, prices or spectator rules. Check the ISA website before you travel and avoid unofficial sellers.

How can I watch the 2026 World Surfing Games in the US?

No US broadcaster or stream has been confirmed for 2026. In 2024, NBC Sports streamed the final rounds on Peacock and YouTube.

Is it safe to travel to Lima for the event?

The US State Department rates Peru at Level 2, exercise increased caution, citing crime, unrest, terrorism and kidnapping. Use app-based or pre-booked taxis and keep valuables out of sight.

Sources: ISA event page, Punta Rocas 2026; ISA, Peru will host the 2026 World Surfing Games; Expreso, CAR Punta Rocas safety certificate; Meio & Mensagem, CazéTV rights; NBC Sports, 2024 coverage on Peacock; US State Department, Peru travel advisory; open.er-api.com, exchange rate (all accessed 11 October 2026).