WRC
Acropolis to open with Athens head-to-head at Ellinikon
The EKO Acropolis Rally Greece will open with a free-to-watch Super Special Stage at The Ellinikon Sports Park in Athens next month, launching a new-look edition of the legendary WRC fixture.
Organisers confirmed on Tuesday that the 1.86km asphalt stage will run on Thursday 25 June, using a dual-layout format with two cars competing side-by-side.
The stage will be the first major event held at The Ellinikon Sports Park, a new 287,000-square-metre sports and wellness development located within The Ellinikon on the Attica coastline.
It gives the Acropolis a high-profile Athens curtain-raiser before the rally heads into the rougher gravel roads that have shaped its reputation as one of the FIA World Rally Championship’s toughest events.
The 2026 edition marks a significant change in direction for the Rally of Gods. After five years based in Lamia, the event moves its service park to Loutraki, where teams will be housed at the Hellenic Army Engineering School beside the sea.
From there, the route will take crews across Attica, the Peloponnese and Central Greece, combining familiar Acropolis terrain with several fresh or returning stages.
© Acropolis Rally
Arcadia features on the itinerary for the first time in four decades, while Parnassos Mt, Menalo Mt, Kolines, Kefalari and a revised Gymno are among the stages included in the four-day route.
One of the event’s most distinctive elements will come after the opening super special, with crews transferred from Corinth to Itea via ferry. The move adds a uniquely Greek flavour to the itinerary, linking the rally’s competitive route with the country’s coastline and geography.
Deputy Minister of Sports Giannis Vroutsis said: “The EKO Acropolis Rally is a key part of Greek sport and a global ambassador. The 2026 edition marks a new phase, with a relocated base and a new planning approach.
“It now spans three Regions, utilising Greece's unique features. Choosing The Ellinikon for the Super Special Stage highlights the rally's history and Greece's modern image.”
The winners’ trophy for this year’s event, based on a work by Mina Papatheodorou-Valyraki, was also unveiled during the presentation at The Ellinikon Experience Centre.
EKO Acropolis Rally Greece takes place from 25 - 28 June and forms round eight of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship.
