April 16, 2021
The first WL Day on April 16, 2021 with the theme Leisure For Better Life was coordinated by WLCE USP (World Leisure Center of Excellence at University of São Paulo), LAGEL (Laboratory of Management of Leisure experiences), and Sesc (Social Service of Commerce) in Brazil.
April 16, 2022
The second edition of the WL Day took place on April 16 2022 with the theme Leisure Matters and was organized by Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo, BC, in collaboration with l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). Both universities are part of the World Leisure Centres of Excellence Network (WLCEs), which also includes universities in Brazil, China, The Netherlands, and New Zealand.
April 16, 2023
The third edition of the WL Day was celebrated on April 16 2023 and was devoted to the theme Leisure for Social Transformation. On this occasion, it was organized by WLCE Vancouver Island University (VIU) from Canada, in collaboration with WLCE University of São Paulo (USP) and Sesc (Social Service of Commerce), both from Brazil.
April 16, 2024
The fourth edition of the WL Day was celebrated on April 16 2024 and was devoted to the theme Embracing Digital Horizons in Leisure. This event was organized by the WL Day Committee in partnership with the World Leisure Centers of Excellence and World Leisure Special Interest Groups. Participants were encouraged to explore the transformative potential of leisure in the digital age and the intersection of leisure and emerging technologies, such as the metaverse, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, and the dynamic landscape of virtual leisure practices. There were dozens of leisure-themed activities held worldwide, among them were classes, debates, workshops, seminars, etc.
April 16, 2025
The fifth edition of World Leisure Day was celebrated on April 16, 2025, under the theme Leisure for a Better Society. This event was organized by the WL Day Committee in partnership with the World Leisure Centers of Excellence and World Leisure Special Interest Groups. Events took place across eight countries—Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Hungary, Australia, Slovakia, and Taiwan—with strong engagement from Sesc units in Brazil and international highlights in Richmond, Canada. A total of 41 leisure-themed activities were held worldwide, encouraging dialogue on how leisure can promote social well-being, equity, sustainability, and community connection.
Archives
Some of the regional events hosted in 2025
Coordinator:
Some of the regional events hosted in 2024
Coordinator: WL Day Committee
Some of the regional events hosted in 2023
Coordinator: WLCE Vancouver Island University (VIU) in collaboration with WLCE University of São Paulo (USP) and Serviço Social do Comércio (Sesc)
Some of the regional events hosted in 2022
Coordinator: The World Leisure Day 2022 was organized by Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo, BC, in collaboration with l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). Both universities are part of the World Leisure Centres of Excellence Network linked to the World Leisure Organization, which also includes universities in Brazil, China, The Netherlands, Hungary, and New Zealand. Joanne Schroeder, Co-Director of VIU’s World Leisure Center of Excellence and Board Chair of the World Leisure Organization, leaded the coordination of this global event.
Description: The World Leisure Day will be celebrated on April 16th, 2022 under the theme LEISURE MATTERS. It is expected that the 2022 edition will allow the realization of in-person activities to celebrate leisure within the participant communities, along with an extensive program of online activities to promote leisure and engage academics, practitioners, and general audiences.
Coordinator: The event was organized and hosted by the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, together with the Social Service of Commerce (Sesc) and, the Laboratory of Management of Leisure experiences (LAGEL).
Description: The event was launched on March 26th, 2021, with an online debate about the importance of leisure and the presentation of the World Leisure Day. The full program of the World Leisure Day was attended by organizations from 22 countries, including Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina, Japan, Canada, Hungary, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and China. Due to the pandemic, most activities took place virtually.