Ice Hockey World Championship will take place in Riga and Tampere from 12 May to 28 May Riga is expected to host more than 30 thousand hockey fans and more than 300 athletes from a number of countries around the world.
“Riga becomes the epicentre of hockey for the second time in three years! I send my greetings to the world’s hockey elite, to the wonderful hockey fans and hockey team of Latvia, and to all 30 thousand foreign guests who will visit the capital of Latvia this week,” says the Mayor of Riga Mārtiņš Staķis, pointing out that “such a large-scale sports event not only is a significant economic contribution for the city and the local business community, but also an opportunity for Riga and Latvia to earn global recognition. I invite you to enjoy the hockey championship in Riga and to support your teams. May the best team win!”
Riga will host the Group B hockey games and two quarter-final games. A total of 30 hockey games will be hosted by the capital until 25 May. The semi-finals and the medal games will all be held in Tampere, Finland.
Riga will welcome hockey fans with a hockey-themed cityscape dedicated to the championship. Various championship symbols have been placed in the streets of the city and there are also various installations and billboards with the flags of the countries participating in the Ice Hockey World Championship. Numerous figures of Spiky, the mascot of the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, are also located in the city. A tram bearing the Ice Hockey World Championship identity ‘We live the game’ can be seen in the streets of Riga along the route connecting the residential areas of Jugla and Imanta.
It will also be possible to watch the hockey games at the official fan zone of the Ice Hockey World Championship, which is located at 21 Skanstes Street, Arēna Rīga. The fan zone is also open to fans without tickets to the games.
During the Ice Hockey World Championship, mobile beverage facilities and television screens will also be allowed in outdoor cafés as part of a pilot project, upon receipt of a permit at the Riga City Council Neighbourhood Population Centre. Watching of the games will also be possible in cafés and bars.
There is also guide for the visitors of the Ice Hockey World Championship to help foreign fans to get to know Riga in their free time between games.
The 2022 IIHF Annual Congress approved the joint bid of Finland and Latvia to host the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. The Championship is one of the most important international sports events in the world that is followed by an estimated one billion people through media and digital platforms.
In a video greeting in English, Mayor of Riga M. Staķis welcomes hockey fans from all over the world to the capital of Latvia. When addressing the fans of the teams playing in Riga, Mr Staķis said that fans from the Czech Republic, Canada, Switzerland, Slovakia, Norway, Kazakhstan, and Slovenia will have the opportunity to compete with Latvian hockey fans in Riga in order to earn the status of the best fans in the world. He wishes fans from all countries to come together in Riga for a great experience and sends his greetings to the other host city, Tampere.
Information was prepared by: Sindija Grāvere, Project Coordinator at External Communication Division of Riga City Council, e-mail: sindija.gravere@riga.lv
