Warhammer Open adds painting classes, Hobby Challenge for Kraków weekend

Warhammer is making its 2026 Open circuit look less like a tournament stop and more like a full hobby pilgrimage, and Kraków is the clearest example yet. From September 11 to 13 at EXPO Kraków, the weekend will mix Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and Kill Team with painting classes and the Hobby Challenge, putting the brushwork front and center alongside the games.

That matters because the Open series has been built to celebrate every facet of the Warhammer hobby, not just the tables. Warhammer has described these weekends as social, welcoming gatherings where fans can meet like-minded hobbyists, and the Kraków event leans into that idea with a Team Warhammer focus. For painters, the draw is not only the classes themselves but the chance to see a major European stop built around hobby participation rather than treating it as an add-on.

Kraków also brings a pair of event miniatures that give collectors a concrete reason to make the trip. Warhammer said the travelling store will bring Cadia Unbroken and Dawner’s Reward to Poland for the first time, extending the appeal beyond dice and score sheets. Cadia Unbroken was introduced separately as a resolute Cadian Castellan, while Dawner’s Reward arrived as the second 2026 event miniature, giving both releases the kind of lore-backed pull that tends to land well with display painters and converters.

Atlanta will extend the same formula from November 20 to 23, when the Warhammer Open and Grand Narrative return as the final official qualifier before the World Championships of Warhammer in Barcelona. Warhammer has previously framed the Grand Narrative as its most immersive event, one that gives fans a way to affect official canon, and the company says the Atlanta weekend will bring more than 400 commanders into that story-driven setting. That combination of competitive pressure and narrative spectacle makes Atlanta the other major destination on the calendar for players who care as much about their armies’ paint and backstory as their rankings.

Palm Springs and Maastricht show that this is part of a wider 2026 push, not a one-off announcement. Palm Springs opened the year at the Palm Springs Convention Center from January 16 to 18, followed by Maastricht at MECC Maastricht from April 24 to 26. Across those stops, Warhammer has paired Grand Tournaments with painting workshops taught by world-class teachers and Hobby Challenges built around themed build-and-paint experiences, the kind of programming that turns an Open weekend into a place where the local scene, the travel scene, and the painting desk all meet in one calendar.