Ismailia International Aqua Festival A New Chapter for Open Water Swimming

Ismailia, Egypt, is a beautiful and historic city located on the Suez Canal. For many years, it was home to one of Egypt’s most historic open-water swimming events the Suez Canal International Swimming Marathon.

Today, this great tradition is being revived through the Ismailia International Aqua Festival Open Water Championships, taking place from 1–3 October 2026, bringing international open-water swimming back to the Suez Canal under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports, Suez Canal Authority, and Egyptian Swimming Federation.

Dr. Marouf, Wowsa Coach and Education Representative, and a member of the Open Water Swimming Hall of Fame, described the event as:

A great step for Egypt and a strong return to supporting the international open-water swimming community. Egypt has a great history and heritage in this sport.”

He also highlighted Ismailia as an excellent venue for open water swimming, offering a safe, beautiful, and unique aquatic environment along the Suez Canal.

The Ismailia International Aqua Festival is more than just a competition it is a revival of Egypt’s open-water swimming heritage and a new opportunity to connect swimmers from around the world with one of the most historic waterways on Earth.