Ten years after Brad Gushue captured the Elite 10 title in Colwood, major international curling is returning to Greater Victoria.
From Oct. 13-18, the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre will host the Grand Slam of Curling (GSOC) Invitational.
A heads up: our Grand Slam of Curling event locations for the 2026-27 season are now live!
If you want to check us out in person, visit https://t.co/avsBYVegyk for early-bird offers in all five cities! pic.twitter.com/vcLzsEdwHG
— Grand Slam of Curling (@grandslamcurl) March 10, 2026
The Victoria tournament will serve as the kickoff for the five-stop 2026 season.
Keith Wells, executive director of the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission, says this will lay the foundation for hosting more tournaments in the future.
“Greater Victoria has a strong tradition of hosting major curling events, and having the Grand Slam of Curling in the region is a great opportunity for local fans,” Wells said.
“We are proud to support the event and hope it will lead to more top-tier curling competitions in Victoria in the years ahead.
The event will feature 16 of the top men’s and 16 of the top women’s teams from around the world.
Because top curlers often shuffle rosters and form new teams following an Olympic year, organizers are using an open invite qualification process rather than relying strictly on initial world rankings.
The Grand Slam of Curling will directly invite 12 teams per division. The final four spots will go to the winners of satellite events.
The Invitational replaces the Tour Challenge in the Grand Slam lineup to align with the new qualification format.
Locally, the Esquimalt Curling Club has partnered with the event and will lead the volunteer committee.
“The Grand Slam of Curling is making its long overdue return to British Columbia,” said Nic Sulsky, CEO of The Curling Group.
“On the heels of a captivating Winter Olympic Games, global interest in curling has never been higher. This event will give fans throughout the region a rare opportunity to see the sport’s biggest stars from around the world.”
Tickets for the Victoria tournament are on sale now.
The 2026 Grand Slam season will also make stops in Medicine Hat, Sydney, Thunder Bay, and Kingston.
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