Asian Games 2026: cruise ship turns into floating athletes’ village

NAGOYA: The 2026 Asian Games are set to offer athletes an unusual accommodation experience, with a massive Italian cruise ship transformed into a floating village at Nagoya Port.

The 290-metre Costa Serena arrived at Kinjo Pier on Tuesday, September 15, where it received a special welcome ahead of the official opening of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 19. The vessel will accommodate around 4,000 athletes and officials during the competition.

The decision to use a cruise ship instead of constructing a traditional Athletes’ Village is one of the most distinctive features of this year’s Games.

The Costa Serena has around 1,500 cabins along with restaurants, recreational facilities, a fitness centre and other services designed to provide athletes with a self-contained living environment during the event.

Unlike previous major sporting events where athletes are housed in purpose-built residential complexes, Nagoya’s organisers have adopted a different approach.

The accommodation plan was developed partly around cost-saving and sustainability considerations. Instead of creating a single permanent village, athletes and officials are being distributed among hotels, temporary accommodation facilities and the cruise ship.

The unusual arrangement has attracted considerable attention from around Asia, turning the Costa Serena into one of the most talked-about features of the Games before the opening ceremony.

The ship is scheduled to remain at Nagoya Port throughout the event, providing accommodation while remaining close to the competition venues.

The floating village has also arrived amid complaints over accommodation arrangements elsewhere.

Organisers have faced concerns from some delegations about room availability and conditions at temporary facilities. Reuters reported that organisers had pledged to address complaints as athletes and officials continued arriving in Nagoya.

According to Yonhap, around 9,000 participants are expected to stay in hotels, while approximately 4,000 will use the cruise ship and another 2,000 are assigned to temporary wooden container-style accommodation.

Organisers have established measures to deal with accommodation-related concerns as delegations settle in.

The 20th Asian Games will officially open in Nagoya on September 19 and continue until October 4, with athletes from across Asia competing in 41 sports. Official Games information lists participation of up to 15,000 athletes and team officials.

For thousands of competitors, however, the Games will begin with an experience unlike any previous Asian Games in Japan: waking up aboard a cruise ship, with Nagoya’s port serving as their temporary home.

The floating village has therefore become both a practical accommodation solution and one of the most distinctive stories surrounding the 2026 Asian Games.