Brian Shaw has officially announced that the Strongest Man On Earth is making its return. The iconic competition is set to take place from August 27–29, 2027, as Shaw revealed in a recent video update where he outlined his plans to bring the flagship event back to the Strongman calendar.
The contest was put on hold for 2026 after Shaw realized the original setup had become unsustainable. Trying to scale the show so quickly created an immense physical and financial burden for Brian, his wife Carrie, and their team, leaving them with extreme stress and no personal payoff to show for it. Consequently, they decided to cancel the competition for the foreseeable future. Luckily, the situation has changed since, allowing them to start planning the 2027 Strongest Man On Earth.
Related: Brian Shaw Reveals The Prize Purse for 2025 Strongest Man On Earth
Brian Shaw’s Thoughts on the Return of Strongest Man On Earth
After announcing the return of the Strongest Man On Earth in 2027, Brian Shaw decided to go down memory lane and talk about the competition’s growth. Having seen how well athletes and fans responded to the show throughout the years, Brian did not want to let it die out and leave everyone wondering what could have been.
On the other hand, he got approached by multiple different parties, who wanted to partner up and get the event back and running. He held a number of conversations and ultimately managed to come to an agreement with a currently unnamed partner.
“Now, let’s talk about this past year and what has happened because it’s been kind of a roller coaster ride if I’m being honest with you. A lot of self-reflection, a lot of thinking. We’ve been approached by a number of different people to come in and help us run the event, to buy into the event that led to different talks that led to different discussions. And you know, the truth is what this contest means, what the Strongest Man on Earth title means is very, very important. And I really don’t think there’s anybody that is more passionate about that than myself.”
“What we had built with the Shaw Classic and then leading into the Strongest Man on Earth is that stage. We built that stage for the competitors, and I didn’t really want this generation to ever think like that where, ‘Hey, yeah, that Strongest Man on Earth was an awesome competition, and if that wouldn’t have gone away, maybe this, maybe that.’ So what we have built after thinking about it and really taking some time to reflect was special. It was very important for the sport of strongman, and my love and passion for the sport of strongman hasn’t gone anywhere. I’m really excited to be able to bring this event back.”
Brian Shaw admitted that his competitive spirit forced him to set massive goals, which often put a lot of stress on him and his team. However, he always wanted to give the athletes and the fans the best that he could offer. So, he is now happy to partner up with someone who he has known for a long time and who has the same goals as him. With that being said, Brian expects the Shaw Classic Expo to be bigger and better than ever.
“The perspective of taking a step back and looking at it, not being caught up in it, but actually taking a step back and looking at it, my competitive nature, I think it really led to us trying to grow so fast, right, and be everything to everybody right out of the gate as quickly as we possibly could. And I think that my competitiveness, and I will take the full blame for this, I want bigger, I want better, I want to do more. And I think that led to putting more stress on myself, it put more stress on Carrie and our team, people that were involved with the event. So I think we need to take a step back and control what we can control.”
“With that being said, we’re really excited to partner with somebody for the Shaw Classic Expo. You know, this is somebody that I’ve worked with now for a number of years, had great conversations with. They think the exact same way that I do when it comes to the fans, putting the fans first, their experience, and making that the event, and then the growth will come from that. So I’m very excited about that.
I actually think with that partnership happening, I think the Shaw Classic Expo will actually be bigger and better than ever because we haven’t necessarily been able to give it the time and attention that it deserves because we had all of these other moving parts going on. So I’m very excited about that. I think it will add tremendously to the overall weekend.”
Lastly, Brian Shaw thanked everyone who has supported the project over the years and acknowledged that it wouldn’t be sustainable without the fans and the athletes. He now has the opportunity to focus on organizing the competition, which is something that he is extremely passionate about.
“I want to say thank you for the support that you have given us, given me over the years. And the fact that this contest is coming back, that we’ve taken that step back and been able to say, ‘Hey look, this is the right direction, this is where we want to go,’ it’s very exciting to me. I’m super excited to focus on, again, the Strongest Man on Earth, those events. That’s what I’m the best at, that’s what I’m so passionate about, and I can’t wait to have a contest that truly proves and shows to the sport who the strongest man on earth is.”
Watch the full video here:
Related: Mitchell Hooper Addresses Controversy Following His Win at 2024 Strongest Man On Earth
Over the years, both the Shaw Classic and Strongest Man On Earth have given fans some of the best moments in the history of the sport. With the show officially coming back in 2027 and the expo set to grow, everyone is looking forward to seeing even more epic moments and feats of strength in the arena, not just in 2027, but for years to come.
