The 2026 SJM Macao International Dragon Boat Races will be held on June 13, 14 and 19 at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, according to a statement by the Sports Bureau (ID) on Friday.
The traditional annual event is jointly organised by the bureau, SJM Resorts, S.A. (SJM) and the Dragon Boat Association of Macao-China (DBAMC), the statement said.
The races, a longstanding highlight of Macau’s sporting calendar, will once again coincide with the Duanwu* Festival, the statement added.
The festival is also known as the Dragon Boat Festival.
According to the statement, the competition will begin with local small dragon boat races on June 13, followed by local standard dragon boat races on June 14.
The “Macao International Invitation Standard Dragon Boat Race” and the “Macau University Student Invitation Standard Dragon Boat Race” will take place on June 19, the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.
The statement noted that associations and organisations may submit team entries online at www.cmdragonboat.org.mo from 10 a.m. today until 10 p.m. on March 7 using an online team account, adding that teams with existing accounts are not required to create new ones.
Teams that have successfully obtained an account may register for specific race categories from 10 a.m. on March 9 through 10 p.m. on March 15, the statement said, adding that registration for each category will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
In order to help teams prepare for the competition, official training sessions will commence in mid-March.
Further details, including race regulations, will be announced in due course. More information is available on the official website at www.macaodragonboat.com or via the “Macao Major Sporting Events” Facebook page and the bureau’s WeChat platforms.
* “Duanwu” can be translated as “the beginning of the fifth month,” indicating both a specific time in the lunar calendar and the onset of summer. The festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month and is associated with various customs, including dragon boat racing and eating sticky rice dumplings. – Poe
This undated handout photo provided by the Sports Bureau (ID) on Friday shows racers competing at a Dragon Boat Race in Nam Van.
