China Joins, Valencia Returns: WorldSBK Maps a New 2027 Season

A calendar can do more than arrange weekends. It can show where a championship wants to go next, what it is preparing to leave behind and which parts of its history it hopes to bring back into view. WorldSBK’s provisional 2027 schedule does all three. The season begins at Phillip Island, returns to Valencia, reaches China for the first time in this championship era and closes in Shanghai at the end of October.

There are 12 rounds across nine countries and three continents. The outline is international, though its strongest changes sit inside the detail: a farewell visit to Phillip Island before the planned move to The Bend in 2028, a Spanish round at Valencia while Jerez is absent for renovation work, and a class programme that gives the four championships different routes through the year.

The full provisional route

The sequence begins in Australia in February, moves to Portugal for the first European round, then builds through a spring and summer programme before taking the championship back to Europe for its final three meetings. Shanghai is the last stop.

A final Phillip Island visit, then a new Australian home

The Australian opener carries a line beneath the date. Phillip Island is scheduled to host WorldSBK for the final time in 2027 before the Australian Round moves to The Bend in 2028. The circuit’s fast, flowing corners and coastal setting have made it one of the championship’s recognisable stages. Its place at the start of the calendar gives the farewell a natural weight, without turning a race weekend into a retrospective before it has begun.

The official WorldSBK preview also lists a two-day test at Phillip Island on 15 and 16 February, ahead of the opening round. That gives teams a short window to prepare at the venue before racing begins on the 19th. For riders, engineers and fans, the Australian visit will be both a season opener and the last chance to see the championship race there under its current arrangement.

Valencia returns while Jerez is away

The Circuit Ricardo Tormo returns on 2-4 April, its first WorldSBK round since 2010. The stadium layout is known for giving spectators views across much of the circuit, and its position as the third event places it early in the European season. Spain will still have two stops in 2027, with MotorLand Aragón remaining on the schedule in May.

Jerez is not included next year because of ongoing renovation work. That is the explanation given in WorldSBK’s calendar announcement. The official release does not attach a return date, so none should be assumed. For now, Valencia is the named Spanish replacement on the provisional list, alongside Aragón.

Four championships share the European summer differently

WorldSBK and WorldSSP are scheduled at all 12 rounds. WorldSPB and WorldWCR have their own shapes within the larger calendar. Their seasons begin together at Portimão, where the championship’s European return takes place in March.

WorldWCR is set for six rounds: Portimão, Valencia, Most, Misano, Magny-Cours and Cremona. Its finale lands in Italy on 24-26 September. WorldSPB has an eight-round campaign, with its first Donington Park appearance listed for July and Estoril hosting its final round in October. Those differences matter to fans planning a visit. A round on the WorldSBK calendar does not automatically mean every championship races on the same weekend.

Shanghai closes the year

Shanghai International Circuit hosts the final round on 29-31 October, bringing the WorldSBK and WorldSSP seasons to an end. China becomes a new setting in the calendar announced for 2027. It follows Estoril by two weeks and gives the season a clear final chapter outside Europe.

The move is one of the calendar’s largest changes, yet the provisional schedule does not try to explain what it will mean in sporting terms. It tells us where the championship will race and when. The eventual entry list, class allocations and event information will give fans a fuller picture as the season approaches.

A new calendar arrives with a new tyre supplier

The 2027 calendar also begins the first season of a new official tyre partnership. WorldSBK announced that Michelin will supply the championship from 2027 through a five-year agreement. Pirelli remains the official supplier through the end of 2026, completing a partnership that began in 2004.

That transition sits alongside the geographical changes. The teams will arrive at a calendar with a new venue in China, a returning circuit in Spain, one final visit to Phillip Island and a different supplier in the paddock. Each is a change with its own preparation, and the season will need to make room for all of them.

First, there are two 2026 rounds still to run

The 2027 outline was released while the 2026 championship still had racing ahead. Estoril is scheduled for 9-11 October, followed by Jerez on 16-18 October. Those rounds close the current campaign before the next calendar begins. For supporters looking forward, that order makes the shift feel tangible: one final European stretch with Pirelli, then a season that starts in Australia and finishes in China.

The word provisional deserves to stay in the headline and the conversation. Dates and venues can change before the first bike leaves the garage. As announced, though, the route offers a clear plan for a championship moving through a significant year. Phillip Island, Valencia, Donington, Estoril and Shanghai will each have a distinct part to play in it.