2025 Island Games

The 2025 Island Games, also known as the XX Island Games, was a sports event held from 12 to 18 July 2025 in Orkney.^[1] The event return to its traditional 2-year cycle, following the 2021 Island Games in Guernsey was delayed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Orkney Islands hosted the Island Games for the first time. It was estimated that around 2,000 to 2,500 visitors and participants would attend the games,^[2][3] making it the biggest event ever hosted by the Orkney Islands.^[2] Orkney is one of the smallest island groups in terms of population to have ever hosted the Games.^[3] Due to the limited accommodation there, many athletes raised concerns about the travel costs and accommodation standards, which ultimately lead to the football teams from Guernsey being unable to participate.^[3][4] A wide range of forms of accommodation were used, including school classrooms and gym halls converted into dormitories and temporary flatpack hotels.^[5][6]

The Orkney Islands Council has commissioned Gabrielle Barnby to be the Scrivener for the event. Barnby has begun collecting writing submissions from island groups participating in the games, which will be compiled and showcased by the Orkney Museums. The writing project is aimed at capturing the diversity of cultures and writing within the various island communities.^[7]

The Games were formally opened by Princess Anne on 12 July 2025.^[8] The mascot of the Games was an anthropomorphic orca character named Ola, designed by a 12-year-old Orcadian girl named Sarah Sutcliffe who won a competition among 880 local children.^[9]

24 island entities of the IIGA, from Europe, the South Atlantic and the Caribbean area, competed in the Games:^[2]

The sports featured included:^[2]

  *   Host nation (Orkney)

Source: ^[10]

Recurve

Compound

Mountain biking

Road cycling

FIG

SET

Team