The Scottish town of Dumfries will host a number of World Curling events in the 2023–2024 season and beyond. The World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event 2023 will take place in the Dumfries Ice Bowl from 2 to 7 December, while the European Curling Championships C-Division will be hosted there from 27 April to 4 May 2024. Additionally, the following two editions of the World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event are also going to be held in the Scottish town.
Dumfries is in the south of Scotland and is home to over thirty thousand people.
The Dumfries Ice Bowl is a multi-sport facility, with a six-sheet curling rink and dedicated ice hockey and skating rink. It hosted seven international ice hockey tournaments from 2012–2018.
In 2014, it hosted the World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship and the World Senior Curling Championships, while in the 2022–2023 season, the World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event and the European Curling Championships C-Division were organised there.
The Dumfries Ice Bowl is home to Olympic silver medallist and current men’s world champion Grant Hardie, fellow Olympic silver medallist Ross Whyte, European women’s bronze medallist Sophie Jackson, world junior champions Fay Henderson, Scott Hyslop and Jack Carrick, along with world junior bronze medallists, Team Carson.
World Curling Federation Head of Competitions, Eeva Roethlisberger said, “We’re pleased that the Dumfries Ice Bowl will host these important events in the seasons ahead. The city of Dumfries and the Ice Bowl have proven several times that they are wonderful hosts to our events, and we are looking forward to experiencing their amazing hospitality in the coming seasons.”
Local Organising Committee member and Curling Development Officer at the Dumfries Ice Bowl, Graham Sloan said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the World Curling Federation and excited to be hosting the World Mixed Doubles Qualification Event and the European Curling Championships C-Division again in the forthcoming season.
“These events allow us to strengthen partnerships within our local area and bring together the curling community to deliver them. We want to provide a great experience for all the competitors and volunteers at these events while growing our local curling development programmes. We will continue to look at bringing this calibre of events to Dumfries each season.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council Chair of Communities, Councillor Ian Blake and Vice-chair, Councillor Jackie McCamon said in a joint quote, “We’re delighted to be hosting World Curling Federation events once again in our Council’s Ice Bowl facility.
“We have a rich history of successfully hosting events such as these ones with our valued partners at Dumfries Curling. It provides a fantastic economic boost to the area with many teams staying in and around the Ice Bowl for the duration of the tournament.
“It also allows local school children, curlers and spectators the chance to watch world-class action on their doorstep. We’re very much looking forward to the events.”
Engage with the World Curling Federation in the lead up to the 2023–2024 season on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Weibo and by searching the hashtag #curling
