Registrations Open for 2027 European Indoor Rowing Championships in Dresden

Registrations are now open for the 2027 European Rowing Indoor Championships (ERICH), presented by Concept2, which will bring Europe’s indoor rowing community together in Dresden from 22–24 January 2027.

More than 2,000 athletes are expected at the BallsportARENA Dresden for three days of ergometer racing, as ERICH makes its German debut after previous editions in Paris, Prague and Copenhagen.

Athletes can register now via the event website; registration remains open until 13 January 2027 at 18:00 CET.

The European championships will form part of a wider weekend of indoor rowing, with the German and Central German Rowing Ergometer Championships taking place alongside a school championship and a Corporate Cup. The programme will bring together international elite athletes, club rowers, young talent, schools and companies.

Dresden’s Mayor for Sports Jan Donhauser sees that combination as one of the event’s key attractions. “In January, Dresden will host a sporting event that uniquely combines elite and recreational sports,” he said. “I therefore cordially invite all Dresden-based companies to field their own teams for the opening event on Friday evening as part of the Corporate Cup and to become part of this special event themselves.”

Holger Hoffmann, President of the Saxony State Rowing Association, believes the mix of participants will help showcase indoor rowing to a wider audience. “We’re bringing Europe’s best indoor rowers to Dresden and, at the same time, pairing them with our young talent, our clubs, and recreational athletes. It’s exactly this mix that makes ERICH so exciting for us.”

Hoffmann also expects the atmosphere inside the BallsportARENA to give spectators a different perspective on the sport. “Anyone who thought rowing only takes place on the water will experience at the BallsportARENA just how fast, loud, and emotional this sport can be.”

Making the championships accessible to as many athletes as possible has also been a priority for the organisers. Standard entry fees are €40 per rowing seat for ERICH, €20 for the German Championships and €15 for the Central German Championships, with early-bird discounts of 30 percent in September and 15 percent in October and November.

“It was important to us to make participation as easy and fair as possible,” Hoffmann said. “Depending on the competition, entry fees range from 15 to 40 euros per rowing seat—and those who register early benefit from discounts of up to 30 percent.”

Athletes entering a race that counts towards more than one championship will automatically be entered in all relevant championships, with the entry fee charged only once. The schedule is also being designed to give athletes, wherever possible, the opportunity to compete in multiple events and over different distances.

For 2012 Olympic champion Tim Grohmann, the appeal of indoor rowing goes beyond individual racing. “Indoor rowing fascinates me in a way all its own: On the ergometer, neither the weather nor the waves matter,” he said. “I’m particularly drawn to the relay—it’s all about team spirit, which we experienced in 2012 when we won the Olympic gold medal in the quadruple sculls.”

Grohmann is even considering a reunion with his Olympic-winning teammates in Dresden. “Looking back on our successes from back then, I can easily imagine that we’ll bring our team back together again for the relay in Dresden.”

The championships will also give Dresden’s young rowing community the opportunity to compete on home ground. Philipp Prüfer, the 2026 U19 World Champion in the junior quadruple sculls, is already looking forward to the event.

“It’s fantastic that such a major rowing event will take place in Dresden. The anticipation is already huge,” Prüfer said. “For us rowers from Dresden, it’s of course something very special to be able to compete in front of a home crowd.”

He hopes the championships will also introduce more people to indoor rowing: “I hope Dresden can show just how much enthusiasm there is here for rowing and that many people will take the opportunity to experience this special sport live for once.”

All competitions will be governed by the World Rowing Indoor Rules of Racing and the competition rules of the German Rowing Association. Further information on the competitions and participation is available in the event’s Competition Notice.

Registrations are now open for ERICH 2027. Athletes can secure their place in Dresden until 13 January 2027 at 18:00 CET.