Use public transport to travel, the organizers of the 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships recommend to fans

The sporting event of the year is just around the corner. In just a fortnight, Prague will transform into the world’s figure skating metropolis, and representatives of the organizing committee recommend one thing to fans – do not drive all the way to the O₂ arena, use the parking lots.

The fact that the championship is approaching is also confirmed by the date of March 17, when the organizers will receive the imaginary keys to the O₂ arena, thus entering the final phase of preparations. “We are facing one of the most important and challenging tasks – to transform the arena complex for the world figure skating championship. In just a week, we will start building the training ice rink in the O₂ universe, and in the coming days we will also move to the O₂ arena itself,” describes the preparation schedule, said Evžen Milčinský, vice-chairman of the Czech Figure Skating Union.

One of the organizers’ priorities is to ensure a smooth and seamless event thanks to cooperation with security forces, the capital city of Prague and the Prague 9 district. “On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to thank our partners for their professional approach, with whom we are working together to ensure a safe and comfortable event,” adds Milčinský.

“Hosting the World Figure Skating Championships is a great honor for the capital. After the successful World Ice Hockey Championships in 2024, this is another prestigious winter sports event that Prague is hosting. To maximize the enjoyment of figure skating and to prevent drivers from doing unnecessary pirouettes in the parking lot, the newly renovated Českomoravská metro station will become the main transportation artery for fans. After a year of renovation, it offers a modern and cultural addition to the tournament. It is worth adding that this event will bring many visitors to the city, which will bring opportunities for both large and small entrepreneurs throughout Prague,” adds Zdeněk Kovářík, Prague City Councilor for Finance, Budget, Funds and Business Support.

The World Figure Skating Championships are returning to the Czech Republic after a long 33 years, and Prague 9 will be the venue. The district is closely connected to the history of this sport – four-time world ice dancing champions Eva and Pavel Romanov, one of the greatest legends of Czech figure skating, grew up here. “It is a great honor for us that the World Championships will take place in Prague 9. We are continuing the extraordinary tradition associated with the Romanov siblings and at the same time we want to support skating among the younger generation,” said the mayor of Prague 9, Tomáš Portlík. In cooperation with the organizers, the city district is therefore preparing accompanying programs for schools in the vicinity of the O₂ arena and will allow children to attend the official training sessions of the competitors.

“We started working on the preparation of security measures in February last year and have been in close contact with the organizers from the beginning. The safety of visitors will be primarily taken care of by Prague police officers, who will be assisted by colleagues from selected nationwide units. In addition to preventive pyrotechnic inspections, we will primarily monitor public order in front of the O₂ arena, as well as the traffic situation around the hall. Last but not least, in cooperation with the organizing committee, we have prepared preventive recommendations for visitors and are ready to deal with any occurrence of fake tickets on site,” said First Deputy Police President Maj. Gen. Tomáš Lerch, who commands the police security staff.

“The safe conduct of the World Championships in Prague is a priority for us. During the championship, we will strengthen the reception of emergency communication lines and, if necessary, we will also be ready to use designated units from the Central Bohemian Region. Our liaison officers will be part of the security staff directly at the venue. Throughout the championship, we will monitor the air in the hall for the possible presence of hazardous substances. We want to contribute to making the championship not only an exceptional sporting experience, but also a good presentation of the Czech Republic. The measures taken will not reduce the safety of Prague residents or other visitors,” says the Deputy Director General of the Czech Fire and Rescue Service, Major General Petr Ošlejšek.

Metro B station Českomoravská in operation from March 20

During the figure skating championship, there will be partial traffic restrictions in the area around the O₂ arena. “If you are travelling by car, we ask you to use the P + R parking lots (the list is available here) and continue your journey by public transport. Parking capacities will be significantly limited in the area around the O₂ arena. If you are using the P+R parking lot, we recommend choosing the Černý Most parking lot. Given its capacity and distance from the arena, it is the most convenient connection,” says Lenka Jiroutová, head of the transport department of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2026. The Českomoravská metro station on line B should be in operation before the start of the championship – from March 20.

The organizers also recommend using the tram connections to the Aren station and Libeň jih or to the Divadlo Gong station. Buses can be taken to the Českomoravská station, which will be moved to K Moravině street or Nádraží Libeň during the World Figure Skating Championships. The O₂ arena can also be reached from nearby municipalities by train, with the nearest railway stations being Prague – Libeň or Prague – Vysočany.

Take no unnecessary things to the arena

The doors to the hall will open one hour before the start for official training sessions, and 45 minutes before the first heat for competitions. A standard security check will be carried out before entering the O₂ arena. “To ensure everything runs smoothly, we recommend leaving oversized and excess items in the lockers around the hall. This will help us speed up these checks. Everyone can find the list of prohibited items on their ticket or on our website. At the same time, we would like to appeal to fans to leave the arena as quickly as possible, especially between programs, so that we can prepare the hall for the next competition as soon as possible,” says Miloš Benda, head of the security department. Two lockers will be located in front of the entrance to the O₂ universa, another in the usual place in front of the northern entrance as in the case of other events, and the last one in the immediate vicinity of the metro.

Visitors can find comprehensive information on the official event website prague2026.org

Specific transport connections are listed on the websites of individual providers:

Connections within Prague: https://www.dpp.cz

Train connections: https://www.cd.cz

General connection search engine: https://idos.idnes.cz/vlakyautobusymhdvse/spojeni/