From March 10 - 16, 2024, the Mat-Su Borough will welcome the Circumpolar North for the first time as hosts of the 2024 Arctic Winter Games!  There will be 20 sports, approximately 2,000 athletes, from nine contingents for the 2024 Arctic Winter Games (AWG). The AWG are a high-profile Circumpolar sport competition for northern and arctic athletes. 

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While Indigenous peoples can thrive in mainstream sports, they also want to participate in activities that are directly related to their cultures. Inuit and Dene activities in the Arctic Winter Games help enable the youth to practice the traditional values and customs of their elders.

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What separates the Arctic Winter Games from any other sporting competition? All our participants live above the 55° north parallel line. From Greenland to Alaska, Finland to the Northwest Territories, our participants share the common experience of the living in the North. From tundra, to boreal forests, northern lights to living off the rich seas of the northern coasts, our participants have lived in many extreme conditions that define the region. It is both a challenge and a privilege that all of our participant thrive within. To most people, the arctic seems an inhospitable landscape…We call it home.

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For more information on AWG 2023 visit: https://www.awg2024.org/

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Frequently Asked Questions: 

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SPORT

What sports will be included in the 2024 AWG’s?

All sports being played at the Mat-Su Valley 2024 Arctic Winter Games can be found their sports page. 

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What age groups can compete at the 2023 Arctic Winter Games?

https://www.awg2024.org/about/faqs

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GENERAL INQUIRIES 

Which contingents will be participating at the Arctic Winter Games?

Nine contingents will be competing at the Mat-Su Valley 2024 Arctic Winter Games, including Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta North, Nunavut, Nunavik-Quebec, Kalaallit, Nunaat, Sápmi. Learn more by visiting their Teams page. 

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OPENING AND CLOSING CEREMONIES 

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OPENING CEREMONIES 

With several thousand visitors attending from across Alaska and the Circumpolar North, and tens of thousands more viewing online, there is no event with better reach than the Opening Ceremony. The event includes a parade of nations, final leg of the torch relay, an artistic program, and an athlete oath. After the lighting of the Games cauldron, Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor declares the Games open. 

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CLOSING CEREMONIES 

With lights, music and visual art, the closing ceremony is one of joy and unity. A parade of nations is replaced with youth who have traded their uniforms with other participants from around the globe. The artistic program is brief as we make time to celebrate the wins of each delegation, pass the torch, and award the Hodgson Trophy. The trophy is given to the team who exemplifies the shared northern values of cooperation and resource sharing. As the second best attended/viewed event of the week, the Closing Ceremony is a wonderful, meaningful opportunity for anyone wishing to support the Games.

 

 

 

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