A new year brings a host of new sporting events for fans across the country. While there are static events in the calendar – the Super Bowl, NBA Finals – there are several events across 2026 that feel very special, not least the FIFA World Cup, which will be held across the US, Mexico and Canada.
We thought that we could provide a brief calendar of all the big events coming up in 2026 below. We haven’t covered every elite sports event, and have omitted some global sports like cricket, but this should provide some of the blockbuster dates for your diary.
January
- College Football Playoff National Championship. Jan 19 at the Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida). The college football roadshow heads to Miami for its climax.
February
- Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Feb 6–22. The Winter Olympics will be held in various venues across Northern Italy.
- Super Bowl LX. Feb 8 at Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, California). The Big Game heads to California. The LA Rams are the current favorites in the Super Bowl betting odds. Bad Bunny will play the Half-Time Show.
- DAYTONA 500. Feb 15, (Daytona Beach, Florida). The most prestigious event in the NASCAR calendar returns the day after Sy Valentine’s Day.
March
- World Baseball Classic. March 4-17. There are pools across Tokyo and the US, but the Championship game is in Miami on St Patrick’s Day.
April
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- Men’s NCAA Final Four (March Madness). Apr 4 & Apr 6, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis. The frenzy of sports betting and college basketball returns.
- The Masters. Apr 6–12, Augusta National Golf Club (Augusta, Georgia). Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will be back to compete for the Green Jacket.
- NFL Draft 2026. Apr 23–25, Pittsburgh. The next generation of NFL stars will be announced.
May
- Kentucky Derby. May 2, Churchill Downs. The Run for the Roses will thrill horse racing fans once again.
- French Open tennis. May 24–Jun 7, Roland-Garros (Paris). The year’s second Major gets underway
- UEFA Champions League Final May 30, Puskás Aréna (Budapest, Hungary). Still the elite end of global club soccer.
June–July
- NBA Finals. Begins Jun 4, 2026. The Oklahoma City Thunder will once again be hot favorites to go all the way.
- U.S. Open (golf). Jun 18–21, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (Southampton, New York). The world’s best golfers will visit one of the world’s toughest courses.
- FIFA World Cup 26. Jun 11–Jul 19. The World Cup comes to North America. The Final will be played at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
- MLB All-Star Game. Jul 14, Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). The American League’s best takes on the best from the National League.
August–September
- US Open (tennis). Aug 23–Sep 13, Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (New York City). The final Major of the tennis calendar at Flushing Meadows.
October
- MLB Postseason / World Series (baseball). Postseason begins Sep 29; World Series: starts Oct 23(Game 1) and can run to Oct 3 (Game 7).
- Breeders’ Cup World Championships (horse racing). Oct 30–31, Keeneland Race Course (Lexington, Kentucky). The best of the best across US and international horse racing in different disciplines.
November-December
- F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Nov 19–21, Las Vegas Street Circuit (Las Vegas, Nevada). Quickly becoming the most iconic F1 race of the season.
December
- Army–Navy Game (college football). Dec 12, New York City / East Rutherford, New Jersey (Meadowlands complex area). Still one of the unique US sporting traditions.
F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Dec 4–6, 2026, Yas Marina Circuit (Abu Dhabi, UAE). The conclusion of a (hopefully) thrilling F1 season.
