The Xiamen Diamond League is the second of two Chinese stops on the 2026 Wanda Diamond League circuit. The meeting takes place on Saturday 23 May 2026, at Egret Stadium in Xiamen, one week after the season opener in Shanghai.
What is the Xiamen Diamond League?
The Xiamen Diamond League is a one-day track and field meeting on the 2026 Wanda Diamond League, the elite one-day circuit sanctioned by World Athletics. At each meeting, athletes compete for prize money and Diamond League points across a selected programme of sprints, middle distance, hurdles and field events, with the highest scorers across the season earning a place at the Diamond League Final.
Xiamen joined the Diamond League as a permanent fixture in recent seasons and has quickly become a favourite stop for athletes travelling through Asia in early May. It is typically held the week after Shanghai, allowing athletes to double up on Chinese meetings within a single trip.
When is the Xiamen Diamond League?
The 2026 Xiamen Diamond League takes place on Saturday 23 May 2026. The main programme runs in the evening local time. China Standard Time is UTC+8, meaning the action coincides with early UK afternoon and very early morning in the Americas.
Where is the Xiamen Diamond League?
The meeting is held at Egret Stadium, the main athletics venue in Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian Province on the south-east coast of China. Xiamen is also the host of an annual World Athletics Elite Label marathon and has invested heavily in athletics infrastructure over the last decade.
Key Contenders
Recent editions of the Xiamen Diamond League have featured world-class 400m, 400m hurdles and long jump fields. The meeting has showcased duels between Olympic and world champions across the hurdles events and has given Chinese athletes a high-profile domestic stage. In 2026, sprinters, hurdlers and field event athletes targeting early season qualifying marks for the World Championships and strong Diamond League points are expected to headline.
With Xiamen falling at the start of the outdoor season, performances here often set the tone for the months ahead and can propel athletes into Diamond League Final contention from the outset.
How to Watch
In the United Kingdom, the Xiamen Diamond League is broadcast live on BBC Sport, with coverage available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. In the United States, FloTrack holds streaming rights on subscription. In China, CCTV-5 provides national coverage. The Diamond League distributes the meeting to more than 170 countries via its broadcast partners, with highlights posted on the Diamond League YouTube channel shortly after the meeting ends.
History and Records
Xiamen’s spell on the Diamond League has already delivered multiple world-leading marks in the hurdles and sprints, with the meeting often producing the fastest early-season 400m hurdles time of the year. The venue is known for its favourable conditions for fast running and has a reputation on the circuit for producing tight, high-quality finishes.
Tickets and Attendance
Tickets for the Xiamen Diamond League are sold via the official meeting website and authorised Chinese ticketing partners. Egret Stadium has a capacity of around 50,000, and tickets are generally available across a range of categories, with trackside seating priced at a premium.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 2026 Xiamen Diamond League start?
The meeting takes place on Saturday 23 May 2026, with the main session held in the evening local time.
Where is the Xiamen Diamond League being held?
At Egret Stadium in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China.
How can I watch the Xiamen Diamond League?
Live on BBC Sport in the UK, FloTrack in the US and CCTV-5 in China, with global distribution via Diamond League broadcast partners.
How does Xiamen fit into the Diamond League season?
Xiamen is one of the early meetings on the 2026 Wanda Diamond League calendar, held one week after the season opener in Shanghai.