The 2026 WRC calendar has been revealed. Like this year, the championship will feature 14 rallies, but several date changes have been made, and the Central European Rally has been dropped.
The 2026 WRC season will kick off traditionally with the Monte Carlo Rally. Rally Sweden follows in mid-February, remaining the calendar’s only full-snow event.
As in 2025, the first gravel rally of the season is Safari Rally Kenya. Croatia returns to the WRC calendar after a one-year absence. While the tarmac rally will still be held this October as the ERC season finale, it returns to the WRC calendar in April 2026 – the same month it ran in previous years.
After Croatia, the WRC heads to the Canary Islands for the Spanish round of the championship. The Rally Islas Canarias made its WRC debut this year as part of a two-year deal. The entire event took place in April on Gran Canaria. There are plans to include other islands in the 2026 edition, which will mark the rally’s 50th anniversary.
Japan moves to May date: ‘Adds a meaningful sporting benefit’
Portugal, one of the WRC’s oldest events, retains its place as the sixth round of the season. After Portugal, Rally Japan is scheduled for late May – a significant shift from its usual November slot since rejoining the calendar in 2022.
WRC Promoter states that moving Japan to May ‘adds a meaningful sporting benefit’: “By interrupting what would otherwise be a long sequence of gravel rallies, the move helps to limit the impact of road sweeping for early championship leaders.”
Following the season’s only Asian round in Japan, the second half of the championship marks the start of the “gravel season”. It opens with the Acropolis Rally in Greece, which remains in its late June slot.
Then follow the high-speed gravel rallies in Estonia and Finland, before the championship moves to South America for the Paraguay and Chile rounds. Rally Paraguay will make its WRC debut next month and is confirmed to return in 2026. (Text continues after image.)
Italy moves to October, but in Sardinia or Rome?
One of the biggest date changes concerns Rally Italy, which moves from early June to early October. Interestingly, the calendar announcement only refers to “Rally Italia”, without confirming the actual host location.
Since 2004, Italy’s WRC round has been held in Sardinia, following the replacement of Rallye Sanremo. The only exception was in 2010, when Italy was not represented on the WRC calendar.
It remains to be seen whether Sardinia will once again host the event in 2026. Rally di Roma Capitale – a tarmac event and ERC regular since 2017 – is a strong contender to take over.
Rally Italy is set to be the penultimate round of the season. The 2026 WRC finale will be held in Saudi Arabia. The Middle Eastern event will make its debut this November and, like this year, will serve as the final round in 2026. (Text continues after image.)
Central European Rally dropped from 2026 WRC Calendar
One major absentee from the 2026 calendar is the Central European Rally. The tri-nation event – run across Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic – will be held for the third and final time this October. Organisers say “economic framework conditions have prevented an extension of the existing agreement with the world championship promoter.”
However, the Central European Rally may return in the future. “WRC promoter and organizer CER GmbH are involved in constructive dialogue to investigate future opportunities for hosting top-level rally sport, while considering titles for a potential event in the coming years in the border region shared by the three countries,” the rally organisers stated. (Text continues after image.)
USA still missing despite high hopes
Another notable absentee is the United States. Despite being identified by the WRC Promoter as a key market, and with strong ambitions to bring the WRC back to the U.S. for the first time since 1988, plans appeared have been postponed by at least a year.
Ireland is also missing from the 2026 calendar, despite ambitious proposals made earlier in 2024.
Take a look at the full 2026 WRC calendar below.
WRC 2026 calendar
Photos: M-Sport World Rally Team, Toyota GAZOO Racing, Hyundai Motorsport
