The Arnold Classic is back. The 38th annual Arnold Sports Festival is underway in Columbus, Ohio from March 5 through March 8, and this year’s event is unlike any before it.
The prize money is the largest in bodybuilding history. The defending champion isn’t competing. And a social media star with millions of followers is making his professional debut on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Arnold Classic, including when it starts, how to watch it for free, and who the top contenders are.
What Is The Arnold Classic?
The Arnold Classic is the second most prestigious bodybuilding competition in the world, ranking only behind the Mr. Olympia.
It was established in 1989 and is named after seven-time Mr. Olympia winner Arnold Schwarzenegger, who co-founded the event with promoter Jim Lorimer and has been at the center of it ever since.
This year carries extra significance. Schwarzenegger is celebrating 50 years of promoting bodybuilding events in Columbus, he competed there for the first time in 1970 and began promoting events with Lorimer in 1976.
The 2026 edition is being treated as a landmark anniversary celebration.
Arnold Classic 2026 Prize Money: The Biggest In Bodybuilding History
The most striking number attached to this year’s Arnold Classic is the winner’s purse: $750,000.
That is more money than Derek Lunsford received for winning the 2025 Mr. Olympia, which paid out $600,000 to its champion.
The total prize pool for the Men’s Open division alone is $1.5 million, with $250,000 going to second place and $150,000 to third.
The event is part of a broader campaign called “Million Dollar March.” If the Arnold Classic Men’s Open winner also wins the Arnold UK competition later this month, which carries a $250,000 prize, they will have accumulated $1 million in prize money in less than four weeks.
Arnold Classic 2026 Date, Schedule And How To Watch
The pro bodybuilding competitions take place across two days. Friday, March 6 features prejudging for the Men’s Open division from 7 to 9:30 p.m. ET, along with finals for Classic Physique, Fitness International, and Wellness International beginning at 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 is the main event — the Arnold Classic Men’s Open finals run from 7 to 10 p.m. ET and will determine the new champion.
The entire event streams free online. Registration is required on the official Arnold Sports Festival website at arnoldsports.com. No cable subscription or paid streaming service is needed to watch.
Who Is Competing In The Arnold Classic 2026 Men’s Open?
Defending champion Derek Lunsford will not be competing this year, leaving the title completely open. The men stepping into that vacuum represent some of the most accomplished competitors in the sport.
Hadi Choopan is the headlining favorite. The Iranian bodybuilder won the 2022 Mr. Olympia and has finished as Olympia runner-up for three consecutive years since.
He also won the Arnold Classic in 2024. If he arrives in peak condition, he will be difficult to beat.
Andrew Jacked is the other top contender. He finished third at the 2025 Olympia and many observers felt he deserved higher placement.
He has been building toward this moment and a win in Columbus would cement him as the number two bodybuilder in the world heading into the 2026 Olympia season.
Nick Walker won the Arnold Classic in 2021 and has the experience and stage presence to win it again.
Brandon Curry is a two-time Arnold champion, 2019 and 2022, and a former Mr. Olympia. Neither should be overlooked. Martin Fitzwater, Raphael Brandão, and Andrew Obiekea round out a deep and competitive field.
Sam Sulek’s Pro Debut At The Arnold Classic 2026
The most talked-about story heading into this weekend is not in the Men’s Open division. It is in Classic Physique, where Sam Sulek is making his professional debut.
Sulek built one of the largest followings in fitness history through social media before ever competing as a professional.
He earned his IFBB Pro card at the Arnold Amateur last year and has now qualified to compete at the Arnold Classic itself. He has been self-coached throughout his preparation.
Defending Classic Physique champion Mike Sommerfeld returns to protect his title, and Wesley Vissers, the 2024 winner who sat out 2025, is back in the lineup.
Sulek enters as an unknown quantity on the competitive stage but one of the most recognizable names in the building.
The winner of the Men’s Open earns automatic qualification to the 2026 Mr. Olympia. For competitors like Andrew Jacked and Hadi Choopan who are already qualified, the Arnold Classic is about prize money, momentum, and positioning heading into what will be a fiercely competitive Olympia season.
The Arnold Sunday Showcase featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger himself closes out the weekend on March 8 at 9:30 a.m. in the Battelle Grand.
Results for all divisions will be updated here as they are announced. The Men’s Open champion will be crowned Saturday night, March 7.
