On May 31 and June 1, the Downtown Denver Partnership, in collaboration with USA Climbing and supported by Denver Arts & Venues and Visit Denver, will host the IFSC World Cup Denver 2025. The event – which will take place in Downtown Denver (official location to be announced) – marks the first time Denver will host an IFSC World Cup competition.

The IFSC Speed Climbing World Cup will take place as part of the 16th Street Summer Kickoff (Kickoff), a weekend-long celebration of the revitalized public space that is nearing completion. This free, two-day event will span across Downtown Denver’s iconic mile-long main street, showcasing 16th Street as a hub for live music, art, food, shopping, and more, with a jam-packed line-up of performances, experiences and activations that will be announced soon at SummerInDenver.com.

 “As climbing continues to gain momentum in the United States, we could not be more thrilled to partner with the IFSC and USA Climbing to host a Speed Climbing World Cup right here in the heart of Downtown Denver,” said Kourtny Garrett, President & CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. “As an epicenter for outdoor recreation and the economic hub for the Rocky Mountain West, the opportunity to host a competition like this is synonymous with our ethos. All of us in Denver are incredibly proud to welcome the IFSC, its athletes and a global audience to our city this summer.”

The competition will follow the Para Climbing and Boulder World Cups hosted in Salt Lake City, Utah from May 20-25.

“In Denver we have an urban event with the mountains in the distance, so we combine the present IFSC with our history and roots. The world’s best Speed climbers, including USA’s very own world record holder Sam Watson, will compete in the heart of a city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains,” said IFSC President Marco Scolaris, “Denver also completes the trio of disciplines for the USA as we move from Salt Lake City with Lead Para Climbing and Boulder to showcase the full range of our sport with an exciting, action-packed Speed competition in a new venue. I’m very excited to see the competition, but I’m even more excited to see a new crowd of people enjoying Climbing up close.”

“We can’t wait to bring speed climbing to Denver,” said Marc Norman, President and CEO of USA Climbing. “For years, Colorado has hosted some of the world’s best climbers and we know that the international climbing community will feel right at home for this World Cup.”

Denver’s event is going to be the third of five Speed competitions of the IFSC World Cup Series 2025, joining stops in Wujiang, China; Bali, Indonesia; Krakow, Poland; and Chamonix, France.

Event information and a free RSVP can be found on the USA Climbing Eventbrite. The IFSC Climbing World Cup Denver 2025 will also stream live (or on-demand at any time after the event) on the IFSC YouTube Channel.

Follow @usaclimbing on social media for competition updates and behind-the-scenes action.

About Downtown Denver Partnership 

The Downtown Denver Partnership implements a place-based economic development strategy to support its vision for an economically healthy, vibrant and growing downtown. Through creative public realm activation with a focus on iconic, inclusive public art, the Partnership is building a thriving center city – a place for the community to come together for meaningful interactions and memorable experiences. The Partnership convenes the public, private and philanthropic sectors to drive progress forward in Downtown Denver to the benefit of all. Visit downtowndenver.com for more.

About USA Climbing 

USA Climbing is the national governing body for competitive climbing in the United States, supporting athletes, coaches, and events across the country. As a nonprofit organization, USA Climbing’s mission is to promote the growth and development of climbing while advocating for the sport’s values of inclusivity, sportsmanship, and environmental responsibility.