Prince Harry marks Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 countdown in public appearance

Prince Harry stepped onto the court at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre on Friday and tried pickleball and wheelchair rugby as Invictus Games organisers marked one year to go before the 2027 competition. The public appearance put wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans front and center, with Birmingham using the countdown to build momentum for the Games it won after a competitive bid.

Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 is scheduled for July 10 to 17, 2027, with the NEC set to host the main events and Sandwell Aquatics Centre to stage the swimming. Organisers say the Games will bring about 550 competitors from 25 nations, along with their families, to the West Midlands for the eighth edition of the tournament.

Pickleball is one of three new sports announced for the 2027 Games, alongside e-sports and laser run. Harry’s turn at the sport gave the countdown event a visible link to the competition itself, while his wheelchair rugby session underscored the adaptive sports that sit at the heart of the Invictus model. The Foundation has said the 2027 programme will include nine core sports and three additions designed to broaden the field for athletes recovering from injury and illness.

Alison Hammond joined Harry publicly at the NEC, where supporters greeted the prince during the event. Meghan Markle did not attend the Birmingham appearance, after security concerns were cited for her absence, though she had been expected to take part in the public engagement.

Birmingham’s successful bid rested in part on the city’s long ties to the armed forces community, including Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. Organisers have said the Games will deliver a significant social and economic boost for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, and Friday’s countdown event was designed to keep that broader mission in view as attention turns toward July 2027.