The Organization of European Olympic Committees (EOC), Istanbul (IMM), and the Turkish National Olympic Committee (NOC) officially signed the contract for the Games to be held in Istanbul in 2027. The European Games Istanbul 2027 will be the fourth edition and will serve as the main qualification event for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

The contract was formalized during the 54th General Assembly of the EOC, confirming that the largest city in Turkey will host the most significant sporting event in Europe in two years. Following EOC approval at the 53rd General Assembly in June 2023, the signing of the contract paves the way for accelerating preparations in Istanbul. The full sports program for the fourth edition of the European Games will be announced later this year.

The signing ceremony in Frankfurt, Germany, was attended by EOC President Spyros Capralos, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and President of the Turkish NOC, Prof. Dr. Uğur Erdener. With strong support from all stakeholders, including the Turkish government, the event aims to set new standards for the European Games.

The announced sports disciplines are:

- Shooting
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Boxing
- Gymnastics
- Fencing
- Wrestling
- Weightlifting
- Modern Pentathlon
- Archery
- Swimming/Open Water Swimming
- Taekwondo
- Triathlon
- Volleyball
- Judo
- Karate
- 3x3 Basketball
- Canoe and Kayak (Flatwater)
- Table Tennis