Swim England Artistic Swimming
Artistic Swimming 2026: Key Updates and Competition Dates Announced
October 2, 2025Swim England has released its key communications for the 2026 Artistic Swimming season, outlining important updates to eligibility criteria, competition formats, and event dates. These changes aim to enhance athlete development and streamline participation across all age groups and levels.
2026 National competition calendar
Artistic swimmers across the country can now mark their calendars for the following national events:
- National Age Groups: 7-8 March – GL1, Bruton Way, Gloucester GL1 1DT
- National Championships: 25-26 April – Harvey Hadden Sports Village, Nottingham
- Combo Cup: 4 July – Ponds Forge, Sheffield
- Masters Championships: 5 July – Ponds Forge, Sheffield
New pathway access for younger athletes
In a move to support earlier engagement in the sport, eligibility for athletes aged 9-10 has been updated for the National Age Group competition. These athletes may now enter Figures and Team events (Free and Combo only) with a minimum of:
- Figure Grade 2
- Routine Grade 2
For Duet and Mixed Duet events, athletes aged 9-12 must continue to hold Grade 3 Bronze, and for Solo events, Grade 3 Silver remains the requirement. All other age groups and grade thresholds remain unchanged from 2025.
Swim England will continue to follow World Aquatics rules for age group competitions, with one exception: Team events (Free & Combination) may include repeated acrobatic movements without incurring Base Marks—consistent with the 2025 rule.
Combo Cup: Age expansion and entry clarifications
To better support athletes transitioning into further education, the Combo Cup has extended its upper age limit to 19 years. Entry qualifications are now split into two divisions:
| Age Group Division 1 | Division 1 (Grades 0-3) | Division 2 (Grades 3+) |
| 12 & under | Figure/Routine Grade 0-2 | Figure/Routine Grade 2-3 |
| 13-15 Years | Figure/Routine Grade 0-3 | Figure/Routine Grade 3+ |
| 15-19 Years | Figure/Routine Grade 0-3 | Figure/Routine Grade 3+ |
| 15 & under | Figure/Routine Grade 0-3 | Figure/Routine Grade 3+ |
| 13-19 Years | Figure/Routine Grade 0-3 | Figure/Routine Grade 3+ |
As with the 2025 Combo Cup, no difficulty will be declared. Clubs are only required to submit a coach card listing the order of elements—no codes or difficulty levels are needed.
Masters and technical updates
There are no changes to the Masters competition format. Swim England will adopt the updated European Aquatics Masters Rules (AS 2025 – 15 March 2025) for technical routines and free combinations.
Grade Day
- Grade Day fees: Will increase to £20 starting January 2026.