The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is coming to the Sunshine Coast in July 2025 – the first time Queensland has hosted the global competition. Held in a different country each year, the IMO is the world’s leading mathematics contest for high school students.
The 2025 event will take place at the Sunshine Coast Convention Centre at Novotel Twin Waters from 10-20 July, bringing over 1,200 attendees and an estimated $3m economic boost to the region. IMO was first held in 1959 in Romania. It now attracts more than 100 nations and 620 students.
Visit Sunshine Coast head of business events Ali Thompson said: “We’re really excited to be chosen to host this important annual event which will be a tremendous economic boost for the region.” It will be only the second time Australia has hosted the event, the last being in Canberra in 1988.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the region would provide a warm welcome to the high school students and their support teams: “This will be a first for the Sunshine Coast – and indeed Queensland – thanks to Council support through the Major Events Sponsorship Program. “Events like this strengthen our economy now and in the future, and they align with our Knowledge Economy, one of the high value industries important for economic growth on the Sunshine Coast.”
Australian Maths Trust CEO Nathan Ford said the competition would attract the brightest young mathematicians from more than 100 nations. “This is huge for mathematics in this country,” he said. Australia’s team, representing students from Years 9-12, will be announced in May 2025.
