Santa Claus Cup is back in 2026, with its international competition now held as Ice Classic!

Looking back, 2007 was an important milestone. That year the Hungarian National Skating Federation, building on the success of the short track Santa Claus Cup, which had already been running for 15 years, founded a figure skating and ice dance competition under the same name.

The Santa Claus Cup, known in Hungary as the Mikulás Kupa, started out as a weekend competition for the youngest categories. Over the years it has grown into a week-long event featuring figure skaters and ice dancers of every age group, and it is now considered one of the largest youth competitions in Europe.

In 2026 the event’s international competition takes place under a new name, Ice Classic, carrying on the traditions of the Santa Claus Cup.

For years the event has drawn more than 400 skaters from 40 or more countries, from South America to Asia. Many of the world’s leading skaters took some of their first competitive steps here at the Santa Claus Cup. They include the French ice dance team of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, who went on to become Olympic champions, five-time World champions and five-time European champions, as well as Latvia’s Deniss Vasiljevs and Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx.

The International Skating Union (ISU) recognised the competition with development grants for many years, which reflects its high standard. Our federation places great importance on the Santa Claus Cup offering, year after year, an international environment and the judging and technical support that make it a high-level competition for figure skaters and ice dancers.