Riot will take the Mid-Season Invitational to Spain in 2027, bringing a top-tier League of Legends event back to Europe for the first time since the Worlds 2024 final in London. Its one-off, expanded First Stand in China will also change Split 1 for the LEC, with the full details due in January.
Europe will host a top-tier League of Legends event again in 2027. Riot set out its international calendar on 13 November, the eve of the Worlds 2026 final. The Mid-Season Invitational goes to Valencia. London’s staging of the Worlds 2024 final was the last time the continent held an international League of Legends tournament.
For British fans, that puts a top-tier event within Europe next year. Riot has not yet given dates or ticket details for the Feria de Valencia event.
Spain’s last international League of Legends event came in 2019. That year, Madrid’s Palacio Vistalegre staged the Worlds quarter-finals and semi-finals. Valencia has never hosted one before.
An expanded First Stand in China will reshape Split 1
China will stage First Stand: All In at the start of the 2027 season. Riot calls this single edition its largest tournament ever.
First Stand 2027 had originally been given to Southeast Asia. The bigger format took it to China instead. Southeast Asia will now host the event in 2028.
The change reaches every regional league, including the LEC. The larger event will change Split 1, just as Fnatic, G2 and the other LEC teams rebuild their rosters. In 2026, First Stand ran from 16 to 22 March, between the two regional splits. A bigger event at the start of the year leaves less certainty about how that window will look in 2027.
Riot has not yet said how many teams will take part or how they will qualify. Until then, LEC teams are building squads without knowing how many European places are on offer.
Worlds 2027 splits between Nagoya and a new Seoul arena
Worlds 2027 will be shared between two countries. The Swiss Stage goes to Nagoya, Japan. The quarter-finals and semi-finals move to the Suwon Convention Center in South Korea. The title decider goes to Seoul Arena, which is still under construction.
The arena was 81% built on 23 October. Work is due to finish in May 2027, with the venue opening in June 2027.
The city is backing the event with public money. Seoul has set aside 1.369 billion won (about US$1.02 million) in its proposed 2027 budget to host the Worlds final and Fan Fest, Sheep Esports reported.
The 2026 calendar offers a reference point for the circuit’s rhythm. MSI ran from 28 June to 12 July, and Worlds from 15 October to 14 November. Riot has not confirmed whether the 2027 events will follow similar windows.
For LEC teams, clarity on the season opener in China is due in January.
Further reading
