Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Heads to Polignano a Mare for 2026 Finale

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is heading into its final stage with the 2026 title still up for grabs in the men’s competition. Polignano a Mare will host the season finale, where the leading divers will battle for the King Kahekili Trophy. The event will also feature strong women’s competition, local Italian talent and the unique atmosphere of one of the series’ most iconic stops.

According to a press release from Red Bull, the world’s best cliff divers will return to Polignano a Mare, Italy from September 25 to 27.

And so, after four stops across three continents, the 2026 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series title fight comes down to one final competition, where a three-way battle for the men’s King Kahekili Trophy will take centre stage at the season finale.

While Australia’s Rhiannan Iffland secured her record-extending 10th overall World Series title with one stop to spare in Mostar, the men’s competition remains wide open. Just 13 points separate World Series leader Aidan Heslop, James Lichtenstein and 2023 overall winner Constantin Popovici ahead of the final four dives of the season.

For 2024 winner Heslop, a second World Series title would complete a remarkable comeback campaign. The Brit returned to competition as a wildcard in 2026 following a year-long injury hiatus and now has the opportunity to become the second male athlete after Gary Hunt to win the overall title more than once. It would also make him only the second wildcard to claim the men’s King Kahekili Trophy, following Hunt’s achievement in 2025.

Lichtenstein, meanwhile, arrives in Italy with the chance to make history for the USA. After becoming the first American man to win at home after last season’s Boston finale and successfully defending the win on home turf once again at the St. Petersburg leg in Florida in June, the 2026 season has seen the 31-year-old establish himself as a genuine title contender. Victory overall would make him the first American male to win the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

Popovici remains firmly in the equation, too. The Romanian, who lifted the King Kahekili Trophy in 2023, has the same opportunity to repeat his success as his British rival. Heading to Polignano a Mare following a season that included two victories and a podium finish, he claims that the pressure is on the two athletes ahead of him. However, another title remains within reach.

Hunt is only two points behind the top four divers in the overall standings, which would earn him automatic qualification for a permanent diver’s spot next season. Another milestone in the extraordinary career of the 42-year-old Frenchman is approaching.

Iffland returns to her winning ground

Although the women’s overall title has already been decided, there is still plenty at stake when Iffland returns to the location where she has been virtually unbeatable.

The 35-year-old Aussie is the only woman in this year’s line-up to have won a World Series competition in Polignano a Mare. Beginning her remarkable streak in 2017, Iffland has claimed victory at the venue in each of its nine past editions in the World Series. Already the record holder for the most individual victories in Italy across both the women’s and men’s competitions, she now has the opportunity to make it 10 wins at the same location.

Polignano a Mare will also mark a milestone appearance for the 10-time overall winner as she takes to the platform for her 60th World Series start.

She will once again face strong competition from Canadians Molly Carlson and Simone Leathead, as well as US diver Kaylea Arnett – all of whom have secured their places for 2027 going into the final. Meanwhile, Xantheia Pennisi (AUS) is just six points behind fourth place and will have one last chance to secure an automatic place on the roster next season, edging out one of her rivals in the process.

A finale in the heart of the action

Few locations are as closely intertwined with the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series as Polignano a Mare. First visited in 2009, the spectacular Adriatic town stages the World Series’ 14th competition and will host the season finale for the third time, following 2018 and 2021.

The way in which the competition unfolds in the heart of the town itself is what really sets it apart from other locations in the World Series. Athletes make their way through Polignano a Mare’s narrow streets and crowds to reach the diving locations, while spectators gather on balconies, cliff edges, the beach and the historic bridge to watch the action unfold.

The athletes launch from private properties and balconies, turning the town’s distinctive architecture and cliffside setting into an integral part of the competition. The first round starts on a private balcony adjoining a bedroom, after which the competition moves to the platforms on a rooftop terrace for rounds two to four.

This year, three Italian divers – Elisa Cosetti, Andrea Barnaba and Davide Baraldi – will compete at their home stop, adding another local connection to one of the most passionately supported events on the calendar.

One last test

The finale will bring together the season’s established permanent athletes and an unprecedented pool of talent in the men’s competition, where eight wildcards will take on just four permanent divers.

With Heslop, Lichtenstein and Popovici separated by only a few points, every position – and potentially every individual dive score – could prove decisive in the battle for the King Kahekili Trophy.

For one last time in 2026, the world’s best cliff divers will step onto the 21 and 27 metre platforms. And in Polignano a Mare, where the streets, balconies and cliffs become part of the competition, the season will come to its conclusion with one title still waiting to be decided.

Wildcards in Polignano a Mare (women, men): Elisa Cosetti (ITA), Stella Forsyth (AUS), Morgane Herculano (SUI), Iris Schmidbauer (GER); Davide Baraldi (ITA), Andrea Barnaba (ITA), Nikita Fedotov (ARM), Michael Foisy (CAN), Miguel Garcia (COL), Sergio Guzman (MEX), Aidan Heslop (GBR), Yolotl Martinez (MEX).

Standings (after 4 of 5 events)

WOMEN
1- Rhiannan Iffland AUS – 77pts.
2- Molly Carlson CAN – 50
3- Simone Leathead CAN – 44
4- Kaylea Arnett USA – 41
5- Xantheia Pennisi AUS – 35

MEN
1- Aidan Heslop (W) GBR – 68pts.
2- James Lichtenstein USA – 57
3- Constantin Popovici ROU – 55
4- Catalin Preda ROU – 32
5- Gary Hunt FRA – 30

Click here for more details on the 2026 permanent athletes.

About The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is the premier global competition in the sport, featuring 24 elite athletes – 12 women and 12 men – who dive from heights of 21 and 27 metres at speeds exceeding 85 km/h. Now in its 17th season, the multi-day series visits iconic natural and urban locations worldwide. In 2026, it will stop in Indonesia, the USA, Denmark, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy and Oman between May and November. Since 2009, almost 120 athletes from more than 25 nationalities have competed for the prestigious King Kahekili Trophy, in a World Series that combines extreme sports with precision and global storytelling.