From April 28, 2027 to June 1, 2027
FIRST Championship 2027 | 50,000 expected in Houston for the BIOCORE season finale
FIRST's world championship for its FRC, FTC and FIRST LEGO League programs returns to Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center on April 28–May 1, 2027, capping the biodiversity-themed FIRST CANOPY season.
QUICK FACTS
| Date | Apr 28–May 1, 2027 |
| Location | Houston, USA |
| Venue | George R. Brown Convention Center — 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, TX 77010, USA |
| Organizer | FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), with host partner Houston First |
| Event type | Competition |
| Official website | https://www.firstinspires.org/programs/first-championship |
| Admission | Teams advance from regional, district and state events. Visitor registration, hotel and event guidance for 2027 'coming soon' per FIRST; spectator terms not yet published. |
| Scale | 2026 edition: 1,142 teams (600 FRC, 336 FTC, 160 FLL Challenge, 40 FLL Explore), ~19,000 students, ~50,000 attendees from 59 countries and 1,600 volunteers (FIRST figures). |
| Key deadlines | FRC 2027 season kickoff Jan 9, 2027; FTC BIOBUZZ season started Sept 12, 2026. Championship registration and hotel dates not yet published. |
EVENT OVERVIEW
FIRST will hold its 2027 FIRST Championship at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston from April 28 to May 1, 2027. It is the last year of the current Houston arrangement, which covered 2025 to 2027; in January 2026 FIRST and Houston First announced a new seven-year agreement keeping the event at the GRB from 2028 to 2034, citing the convention center's planned expansion. Houston First estimates the championship draws more than 50,000 attendees and about $74 million in economic impact each year. The 2026 edition hosted 1,142 teams and about 19,000 students from 59 countries.
The championship closes the 2026–27 'FIRST CANOPY' season, which has a biodiversity theme across all programs. High-school teams in the FIRST Robotics Competition will play 'BIOCORE presented by Haas', revealed at kickoff on January 9, 2027. FIRST Tech Challenge teams compete in 'BIOBUZZ presented by RTX', and FIRST LEGO League teams in the 'BIOGLOW' challenge. In 2026 the field included 600 FRC teams, 336 FTC teams and 200 FIRST LEGO League teams. The event also includes an Innovation Faire exhibit area. FIRST says registration, hotel and visitor details for 2027 will be published later.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Season championship for FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST LEGO League
2026–27 'FIRST CANOPY' season: FRC 'BIOCORE presented by Haas' (kickoff Jan 9, 2027), FTC 'BIOBUZZ presented by RTX', FLL 'BIOGLOW'
Last year of the current Houston run before a seven-year GRB deal for 2028–2034 (announced Jan 28, 2026)
Houston First puts annual economic impact at ~$74 million
Innovation Faire exhibit area alongside the competition
RECOMMENDED ATTENDEES
Robotics and automation companies recruiting future engineers, FRC/FTC sponsors and mentors, motion-control, sensor and component suppliers (many already sponsor FIRST), educators and district STEM leads, university admissions and engineering outreach teams, workforce-development agencies, and media covering robotics education. Industrial automation firms such as those in FIRST's sponsor roster use the event for brand and talent outreach.
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