The World Parkinson Coalition has announced that World Parkinson Congress 2026, which is to be held from 24-27 May, will take place in Phoenix, Arizona in the United States.
This will be the seventh World Parkinson Congress, with the 2026 event seeing the congress returning to North America for the first time in a decade. It will also mark the 20th anniversary of the World Parkinson Coalition, which was formed in 2006.
The announcement was made on 23 April on social media, beginning with a Facebook Live event, with the World Parkinson Coalition also announcing a new website – wpc2026.org – has been launched giving key details about the next congress. This includes the venue – the Phoenix Convention Center – located in the heart of the city, with over 500,000 square feet of exhibition space. During the Facebook Live, a video showed Parky the raccoon, the World Parkinson Congress mascot, has recently been to visit the convention center, and seemed suitably impressed.
While the event is still two years away, there are already various ways that future attendees can get involved in the congress.
For instance, the congress’ website has announced that a monthly raffle will take place during a live social media Q&A from 31 May, which can be entered by posting a photograph of a sign saying “See you in Phoenix at the WPC 2026”, and either submitting the photo via the WPC website or posting it on social media. During the Facebook Live event, it was confirmed that raffle prizes will include WPC 2026 merch, which will be handed out to raffle winners at the congress itself.
Applications are also open for the WPC 2026 Ambassador Programs, which the Congress organisers describe as:
“Each time we host the World Parkinson Congress, we select a small group of Ambassadors, both Ambassadors living with PD (Parkinson Ambassadors) and Ambassadors who are researchers (Science Ambassadors) to help us raise awareness of the Congress but also to help extend our very small team so we can reach more communities to make sure they have this incredible experience on their radar for 2026.”
There’s further details about what these ambassador roles involve and how to apply on the WPC website.
From 2025, there will be other opportunities to get involved in the congress, including a video and song competition and abstract submission opportunity, with registration for the event itself opening in September 2025.
The last World Parkinson Congress was held in July 2023 in Barcelona, Spain, with over 2,500 people from 73 countries attending, including neuroscientists, clinical researchers, clinicians, rehabilitation specialists like physiotherapists and occupational therapists, nutritionists, people with Parkinson’s, their care partners and more.
Parkinson’s Europe’s highlights from the 2023 event included our memorable social event, our co-founder Lizzie Graham receiving the Robin A. Elliot Award for Outstanding Community Service, plus a special video message from Sir Paul McCartney during the Opening Ceremony.
Previous World Parkinson Congress events have been held in Kyoto in Japan, Portland in Oregon, USA, Montreal in Canada, Glasgow in the UK and Washington DC, USA.
More details about the 2026 World Parkinson Congress will be announced on the WPC 2026 website in the coming months.
