2023 Wood Buffalo Arctic Winter Games

About the Arctic Winter Games

The AWG are the pre-eminent sporting & cultural event for the circumpolar north, blending sporing competitions with social & cultural exchanges between the competing athletes from Alaska, Alberta North, Greenland, Northwest Territories, Nunavik, Nunavut, Sapmi (Norway, Sweden, and Finland) and Yukon.

The AWG were first hosted in Yellowknife in 1970, with the goal of creating an event that allowed northern athletes to compete on their own terms and on their own turf. History of the AWG.

Sports at the AWG

There are 20 categories of sporting events at the AWG, with numerous age categories and divisions of competition on offer depending on the sport. See a list of the sports and the venues across the region below. For more about the sporting events at the AWG, visit the Arctic Winter Games website.

Culture

A unique element of the AWG that makes them worth a visit to FMWB this winter is the focus on the cultural experience. You can think of the AWG as a celebration of the diverse Indigenous peoples of FMWB – the traditional land of the Cree, Dene, and Métis people – and the cultures of the visiting teams, creating a festival of Indigenous culture & sport. The AWG will feature a cultural gala and a marketplace where you can purchase handmade items from artisans from around the world. Learn more about the Games' focus on culture here.