Applications are now open worldwide for the first WeldArt World Championship (WAWC), an international creator-driven competition associated with IIW. Organized by Mingle Makers UG, the team behind Urban Steel Rockstars, WAWC brings technical welding excellence and artistic interpretation together in a format designed for workshops, digital communities and live trade-fair audiences.
The championship is open to welders, metal artists, instructors, apprentices, students, workshops and creators aged 16 and over. For the qualification task, each applicant creates an individual 2D interpretation of the official WAWC logo on a 40 x 40 cm sheet of 3 mm stainless steel using TIG welding only. The process must be filmed and the finished piece photographed without filters before the entry is uploaded online.
Every submission is reviewed manually. Approved entries move into community voting and international jury evaluation. The live championship path begins with the Round of 16 at FABTECH 2026 in Las Vegas, 21-23 October 2026, and continues with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place match and Grand Final at Urban Steel Expo, Messe Düsseldorf, 20-23 April 2027.
Applications close on September 15, 2026.
Full information and entry: https://www.weldartworldchampionship.com/upload