The Executive Committee of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) selected the city via unanimous verdict during a meeting today.

It will be the 50th edition of the flagship FIG event with competition set for the new Royal Arena venue, which was only inaugurated last year.

The Championships will also be the first of the Olympic cycle leading up to Paris 2024, and are scheduled to take place between October 18 and 24.

Copenhagen has never staged the event but Denmark did so in 2006, when it was held in Aarhus.

"As Hans Christian Andersen has inspired the imagination of thousands of children around the world with his famous tales that give food for thought, I hope that these World Championships will inspire the young generation by showing the values of sport," said FIG President Morinari Watanabe.

The Artistic World Championships are held every year, except for Olympic years.

Qatari capital Doha will stage this year's event before German city Stuttgart is given the honour in 2019.

"It's a great achievement to be awarded the 50th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships," said Anders Jacobsen, President of the Danish Gymnastics Federation.

"Not just for the Federation, but for Danish Gymnastics as a whole.

"An event of this format fits very well into the course and development we have for gymnastics in Denmark. 

"I'm sure many of our nearly 200,000 members - and the rest of Denmark - will have a gymnastics experience for life when we host the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in 2021 together with Sport Event Denmark and the city of Copenhagen."