Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony set for September 19 at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya
The opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games, featuring athletes from across Asia, will be staged at Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, on September 19, 2026. It is scheduled from 6 PM to 8 PM JST (2:30 PM to 4:30 PM IST) and will be available live on Sony Sports Network and via the SonyLIV app and website.
The Asian Games run from September 19 to October 4, 2026, marking the 20th edition of the event. This is the third time Japan has hosted the Games, following Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. The Aichi-Nagoya edition arrives 75 years after the inaugural Asian Games in New Delhi, India, in 1951. The ceremony's official theme is "Harmonic Heart Beat" and filmmaker Yukihiko Tsutsumi has been appointed creative director.
Paloma Mizuho Stadium is also referred to as Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in official materials. Indian viewers can watch the opening ceremony and the entire Games live via the Sony Sports Network. The opening ceremony will be LIVE on the SonyLIV app and website, and on Sony Sports Network channels across multiple languages.
International broadcast partners named for the opening ceremony include Japan (TBS), Philippines (ONE Sports, Cignal TV), Republic of Korea (MBC, SBS, TV Chosun), Middle East (beIN Sports), Malaysia (Astro), and Indonesia (TVRI). The listed broadcasters will carry coverage of the ceremony in their respective territories.
The official mascot for Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is HONOHON, unveiled on July 14, 2024, after being selected from 264 entries and designed by Yoshiyuki Nakagawa. HONOHON blends the athletes’ fiery spirit and determination with the Shachihoko, the mythical tiger-headed, carp-bodied creature long associated with Nagoya Castle, and its name comes from "honoho," a word linked to the origin of the Japanese term for flame. The mascot is genderless, described as newly born "inside the hearts of athletes," and is curious, hardworking, and fond of sport, with red as its favourite colour; its large eyes symbolise watching over athletes across Asia, its Shachihoko-inspired ears represent hearing the cheers of fans, and the red kumadori-style markings around its eyes draw on Kabuki theatre traditions tied to the region’s cultural history. HONOHON’s favourite phrase is "Imagine One Asia."
Two-time Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and two-time reigning Asian Games champion Tajinderpal Singh Toor have been named India’s flagbearers.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.