Emotion, community and respect – three words that perfectly sum up the weekend at CASTELLO Düsseldorf. From Friday 12 June to Sunday 14 June, the second Invictus Germany Sports Festival provided 120 competitors from twelve nations and a total of 2,000 people with some truly special moments, writing the next successful chapter in the Invictus legacy in Düsseldorf.
The weekend kicked off with the accompanying symposium on the theme of ‘Rehabilitation and Inclusion’. Following a welcome address by Düsseldorf’s City Director Burkhard Hintzsche, speakers on the first day of the symposium included Dr Nicole Schilling, Deputy Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, and Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister for Veterans’ Affairs of Ukraine. Following the continuation on Saturday, which was attended by Dr Stephan Keller, Lord Mayor of the state capital Düsseldorf, and Dr Michael Haidinger, President for Germany, Central & Eastern Europe at Presenting Partner Boeing, the sporting part of the festival began.
As part of the opening show, hosted by ZDF presenter Sven Voss, there was a video message from the Duke of Sussex, Founder and Patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, and a speech by Rob Owen, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation. Both highlighted the city of Düsseldorf’s significant and ongoing commitment to the Invictus movement.
On Saturday, the programme featured competitions in indoor rowing, sitting volleyball and table tennis, whilst Sunday saw more sitting volleyball, spinning and table tennis. Both days of competition were characterised by an inspiring atmosphere and emotional moments – and not just amongst the 250 competitors, if you include family and friends. Among the athletes, who cheered each other on, chatted in between events and spontaneously helped out with other nations’ teams during the competitions, were both new Invictus participants and competitors who had already taken part in previous Invictus Games. The large delegations from Australia and Ukraine were particularly lively. Together with the teams from Belgium, Germany, France, Georgia, Great Britain, Colombia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Nigeria and Poland, all the competitors ensured that the Invictus Germany Sports Festival 2026 brought together veterans from even more nations than in 2024.
Sebastian Hartmann, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defence: “Invictus means ‘undefeated’ – and the Invictus Germany Sports Festival 2026 impressively demonstrates what that means. The wounds, injuries or illnesses suffered by our veterans are not a sign of weakness, but an expression of their willingness to give their all for our country and our shared freedom. For this, we owe them a debt of profound gratitude that extends far beyond this event. We stand firmly alongside these courageous athletes, their families, friends and all those who have supported and enabled their return to everyday life.”
Rob Owen OBE, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation: "The Invictus Germany Sports Festival is a wonderful example of the broader Invictus Movement in action keeping the spirit of the Games alive between Games cycles and creating further opportunities for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans to continue their journeys of recovery through sport and community. At the Invictus Games Foundation, we look forward to expanding on this model in the future to unlock greater impact across new regions and we thank the team in Germany for their leadership and vision."
Dr Stephan Keller, Lord Mayor of the state capital Düsseldorf: “For the competitors and their family and friends, it is encounters such as those this weekend at CASTELLO Düsseldorf that forge connections and strengthen the sense of community – and that define the Invictus Germany Sports Festival far beyond the sporting competition itself. Following the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023, the first Sports Festival in 2024 and the Invictus Germany Awards in 2025, the second edition of the Sports Festival has been the next important step in a vibrant Invictus legacy in our city. Düsseldorf remains a place of respect, visibility and togetherness – and a home for the Invictus spirit.”
About Invictus Germany
The Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 marked the first time that the world’s largest sporting event for wounded, injured and ill veterans had been held in Germany. Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, acted as Presenting Partner. Boeing has been a partner and supporter of the Invictus Games Foundation, the organisation behind the ‘Invictus Games’, since 2018, thereby underlining its global commitment to the rehabilitation of active and former service personnel.
At the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023, over 500 participants from 21 nations competed in ten sports, sending a powerful message of resilience, team spirit and respect. This experience gave rise to Invictus Germany – an initiative that carries forward the values and spirit of the Games in a sustainable way. Through the Invictus Germany Sports Festival (2024 and 2026), the Invictus Germany Awards (since 2025) and other projects, the spirit of the Games is being carried forward: to keep the issue of veterans and wounded service personnel at the heart of society.
