The 2017 World Figure Skating Championships were held 29 March – 2 April 2017 in Helsinki, Finland. The host was named in June 2014. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and ice dancing. The event also determined the number of entries for each country at the 2018 World Championships and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships took place March 28 – April 3, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. Figure skaters competed for the title of World champion in men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs and ice dancing. This marked the first time Boston was host to the World Figure Skating Championships. The competition determined the number of athlete slots for each federation at the 2017 World Championships.