From September 25 to 28, the 2026 FAI Drone Racing World Cup (Changchun, China) will be held at the China-ROK City Pavilion in the China-ROK (Changchun) International Cooperation Demonstration Zone.

Nearly 30 world-renowned pilots will gather in Changchun, the "Spring City" of northeast China, for the ultimate showdown. As a world-class event certified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI, also known as World Air Sports Federation), it marks the first time that a Chinese leg of the Drone Racing World Cup is hosted in Changchun and the first time that the event is staged in northeast China, making Changchun the first city in the region to host this world-class drone racing event.

Bringing together elite pilots from across the globe, the competition features Open, Junior and Women's categories, and consists of the qualification, elimination, and final stages. Held concurrently are the 2026 National Aeromodelling Open (Changchun, Jilin) and the 2026 China-Changchun Aviation Sports Season, complemented by supporting activities such as drone carnival and youth workshop, making the event an annual gala that integrates professional competition, public participation, science popularization for young people, and industry matchmaking.

The event features "top-level competition, spectacular circuit, and industry synergy." Its discipline is multi-rotor drone racing (F9U), with the qualification stage on September 25 and 26, the elimination stage on September 27, and the final stage on September 28.

The circuit is named "Cranes Dancing Above Tianchi Lake." Its design draws on two quintessential regional symbols of Jilin Province, namely red-crowned cranes and Tianchi Lake of Changbai Mountain. It recreates the silhouette of a red-crowned crane with wings spread in flight, incorporates the elliptical form of Tianchi into the landing zone, and arranges multi-dimensional obstacle gates in a staggered layout to evoke the image of a bird circling with its wings outstretched. The design seamlessly integrates the natural landscape, cultural richness and local symbols of northeast China into the modern low-altitude circuit.

The approximately 330-meter circuit features 18 obstacle gates at varying heights, with a maximum elevation difference of 6 meters, comprehensively testing competitors' precision control, route planning, and split-second adaptability at high speed. The landing zone is adjacent to the main grandstand, allowing spectators to experience the speed and appeal of "F1 in the air" up close.

The competition is of great significance for enhancing Changchun's international influence in tech sports, filling the gap in major international tech sports events in northeast China, and unlocking new momentum for Jilin Province's low-altitude economy.

This event is hosted by the FAI Aeromodelling Commission, the Aeronautical Radio Model Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Aero Sports Federation of China, and the Jilin Province Sports Bureau, and is organized by the Jilin Provincial Social Sports Management Center, the Jilin Jixiang Aeronautical Sports Research & Development Institute, the Jilin Aero Sports Association, the Yanbian Prefecture Aviation and Model Sports Association, and Zhejiang STARMACH Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.

Source: China Jilin Net, compiled from Changchun News  Editor: Liu Jiadi