With only a month left before the opening ceremony of Asian Games 2026, excitement is building in Nagoya. The buzz is all about shiny new stadiums, fresh events, and the kind of energy that only Asia’s biggest sports show can create. The energy is also about a promise of something bigger: a vision of what the next generation will demand from their sports experiences.

The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, are a quadrennial sporting event hosted by an Asian country every four years. It is the largest multi-sport competition in Asia and is organised by the Olympic Council of Asia. The inaugural Games were held in 1951 in New Delhi and have since grown to be a powerful platform that fosters friendship through sports and contributes to world peace through the celebration of diversity.

During the 2026 Asian Games, which will run from September 19 to October 4, nearly one-third of all athletes and officials will be housed in a unique ‘floating’ Athletes Village. The ‘village’ is being built on a luxury cruise ship docked at Nagoya Port, and will feature all the usual amenities that are provided at Games Villages like dining halls, gymnasiums and medical services besides free internet access. It is a move that will help save the Organising Committee money, as the cost of constructing a dedicated Athletes Village would have been more expensive than simply renting a cruise ship.

Athletes will have the opportunity to soak in spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and Japan’s beautiful mountains from their rooms. However, the ‘village’ will also be exposed to the peak of the typhoon season in Japan which is why the organisers have created contingency plans to evacuate athletes.