NJPW announces G1 Climax 36 opening night for Chicago area

January 4, 2026 Neal Flanagan NEWS
Image Courtesy: NJPW

New Japan Pro Wrestling has released its major event schedule for the first half of 2026.

Announced during Wrestle Kingdom 20, the annual G1 Climax tournament will kick off in the United States this summer. The opening night is scheduled for July 11 at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

This marks only the second time that G1 Climax tournament action has taken place outside of Japan. The tournament previously held its opening night in Dallas, Texas, in 2019.

The promotion also confirmed a new event produced by El Desperado titled the “Death Vegas Invitacional.” Following previous “Invitacional” events held at Korakuen Hall, this installment will take place in Las Vegas on April 16 at a venue yet to be determined.

The full schedule was published on the NJPW website on Sunday.

NJPW had previously announced a U.S. event for February 27, entitled New Beginning USA, which will take place at the CURE Arena in Trenton, New Jersey.

The full list of major events announced for 2026 is below:

  • February 11: New Beginning in Osaka (EDION Arena, Osaka)
  • February 27: New Beginning USA (CURE Arena, Trenton, NJ)
  • March 6: NJPW 54th Anniversary (Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo)
  • March 20 & 21: New Japan Cup 2026 Semifinal & Final (Ao-re Nagaoka, Niigata)
  • April 4: Sakura Genesis 2026 (Ryogoku Sumo Hall, Tokyo)
  • April 16: Death Vegas Invitational (Venue TBA, Las Vegas, NV)
  • April 25: Wrestling Redzone (Sun Plaza Hall, Hiroshima)
  • May 3 & 4: Wrestling Dontaku 2026 (Fukuoka International Center)
  • June 7: Best of the Super Jr. 33 Final (Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo)
  • June 14: Dominion (Osaka-Jo Hall)
  • July 11: G1 Climax 36 Night 1 (NOW Arena, Hoffman Estates, IL)
  • August 15 & 16: G1 Climax 36 Finals (Ryogoku Sumo Hall, Tokyo)
About Neal Flanagan 1715 Articles
Based in Northern Ireland, Neal Flanagan is a former newspaper journalist and copy editor. In addition to reporting for POST Wrestling, he co-hosts The Wellness Policy and Book Club podcasts.
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