London set to be undisputed global capital for women’s sport in 2025 as city plays host to the world’s biggest events

• The Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 final at Twickenham set to have world-record attendance for a one-day women’s rugby event

• Women’s tennis will return to the Queen’s Club for first time in more than 50 years
• World class women’s cricket, football, netball, hockey, basketball and athletics also feature on packed sporting events calendar in London next year

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has today declared that London is set to be the undisputed global capital for women’s sport in 2025, with some of the world’s biggest sporting events to be hosted in the capital next year.

The final in London is set to have a world-record attendance for a one-day women's rugby event, with demand outstripping the supply of tickets for the Twickenham showpiece. Attendance is expected to top both the 58,498 who watched England beat France at the same venue in 2023 and the 66,000 at the Stade de France for the women's Olympic sevens at Paris 2024. In total, more than 220,000 tickets have already been sold for the tournament, ensuring it will be the best attended in history.

Ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup, Twickenham will host one of the biggest matches in the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations Rugby as England face France on 26 April, in a clash of the two highest ranked teams in the tournament. In rugby league, the Women’s Betfred Challenge Cup Final will take place at Wembley Stadium on 7 June.

Another major milestone for women’s sport next year will be the return of a women’s tennis tournament to the iconic Queen’s Club for the first time in more than 50 years. The new Women’s WTA 500 event begins on 9 June, with former British No.1 and Olympic Silver medallist Laura Robson appointed as Tournament Director. The tournament will be held shortly ahead of the prestigious 2025 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, where the world’s best women’s and men’s tennis players will compete for the for the biggest prize in the sport.

In cricket, England Women face India in a highly anticipated clash between two of the world’s best sides. They will compete in a T20 International at The Kia Oval on 4 July, ahead of a One Day International (ODI) on 19 July at Lord’s, the Home of Cricket. The first ever Vitality Blast Women’s Finals Day will take place at The Kia Oval on 27 July while The Hundred competition is scheduled to take place across August, where London has two women’s teams - the Oval Invincibles (based at The Kia Oval) and London Spirit (based at Lord’s).

The summer will also see the return of world class athletics to London Stadium as the 2025 London Athletics Meet is staged on 19 July as part of the Wanda Diamond League series. The 2024 event was a sell out for a second year in a row and featured international superstars including Dina Asher-Smith, Keely Hodgkinson and Femke Bol, with a world class line up expected again this year.

London remains the world’s top destination for women’s football. On 26 February the England Lionesses, the current European Champions, will host reigning World Champions Spain at Wembley Stadium in a repeat of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final. The Adobe Women’s FA Cup final will take place at the same venue on 18 May.

London teams also make up almost half of the Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL). Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are all currently competing in the 24/25 WSL, with the season running until May 2025. After a summer break, the 25/26 WSL season will begin in September.

The capital is also the best city to watch netball, with the Copper Box on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park the home of Netball Super League (NSL) team London Pulse. The new NSL season will run from March to July 2025, with the NSL Grand Final taking place at the O2 Arena on 6 July.

In basketball, the Playoff Finals will also return to the O2 Arena on May 18, where the top teams from the Women’s and Men’s Super League’s will compete for the coveted title.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I’m so excited that London is set to be the undisputed global capital for women’s sport in 2025, with some of the world’s biggest events coming to our city next year.

“I am delighted that we will be playing host to the Women's Rugby World Cup, while we will also see the historic return of women’s tennis to the Queen’s Club. This is in addition to world class women’s cricket, football, netball, hockey, basketball and athletics in the capital.

“I would urge Londoners to take up the opportunity to attend some of these amazing events, cheering on our top athletes and sports women. Ensuring London hosts many of the world’s leading sporting events is an important part of our work building a better London for everyone.”

An estimated six million people attended sporting events across the capital this summer, including the UEFA Champions League Final and European Professional Club Rugby Finals, cementing London’s position as the undisputed sporting capital of the world.*

Polling from YouGov found that 62 per cent of Londoners feel proud of living in London when major sporting events are hosted, with 72 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds feeling proud. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of Londoners think that hosting major sporting events impacts positively on London’s economy.**

The capital was also crowned the world’s leading sporting events host in the 2024 Global Cities Report as well as the best cultural experience destination.***

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Managing Director, Sarah Massey said: “With the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 set to capture hearts and headlines globally, the anticipation for the tournament is reaching new heights.

“We've seen unprecedented demand for tickets across the tournament and with the iconic Twickenham Stadium hosting the final, fans can expect an unmissable experience and an incredible celebration of women's rugby on its biggest stage.”

The FA’s Women’s Technical Director, Kay Cossington said: “2025 is shaping up to be another momentous year for the women’s game and the Lionesses as we look forward to an unmissable EURO in the summer. Before then, the European champions will take on the world champions Spain at Wembley Stadium in February with another bumper crowd expected through the turnstiles.

“The Lionesses’ fixtures at Wembley are always so special and reminiscent of that memorable July day in 2022 when the team made history by lifting our first major trophy. Away from England, Wembley Stadium will once again play host to the landmark event in the domestic women’s calendar – the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final. With the final selling out Wembley for the last two seasons in a row, we’re expecting the May 2025 final to be another unmissable showpiece.”

The FA’s Women’s Technical Director, Kay Cossington said: “2025 is shaping up to be another momentous year for the women’s game and the Lionesses as we look forward to an unmissable EURO in the summer. Before then, the European champions will take on the world champions Spain at Wembley Stadium in February with another bumper crowd expected through the turnstiles.

“The Lionesses’ fixtures at Wembley are always so special and reminiscent of that memorable July day in 2022 when the team made history by lifting our first major trophy. Away from England, Wembley Stadium will once again play host to the landmark event in the domestic women’s calendar – the Adobe Women’s FA Cup Final. With the final selling out Wembley for the last two seasons in a row, we’re expecting the May 2025 final to be another unmissable showpiece.”

The All England Lawn Tennis Club Chief Executive, Sally Bolton said: “There is no doubt that London is a sporting powerhouse and 2025 is set to be a year of fantastic women’s sport for the capital. We look forward to playing our part as we welcome the world to Wimbledon for the 138th staging of The Championship with the world’s best tennis players going head to head on the lawns of SW19.”

The ECB Director of Women’s Professional Game, Beth Barrett-Wild said: “Off the back of another year of extraordinary growth in 2024, we are set for an unmissable summer of women’s cricket in London in 2025.

“In June, England Women take on India with two huge games here in the capital; in July, the first ever Vitality T20 Blast Women’s Finals Day is coming to the Kia Oval; and across August, The Hundred will be front and centre with The Final at Lord’s.

“Last year The Hundred once again broke the global record for total attendance at a women’s cricket competition, with 320,000 fans in attendance, we’ll be hoping to see even more fans this year.

“All this sets the scene for a huge 2026 when we host the ICC Women's T20 World Cup here in England, with women’s cricket here in London at the centre of a global competition.”

Netball Super League Managing Director, Claire Nelson said: “We are incredibly excited to bring the Netball Super League Grand Final to The O2 for the very first time in 2025.

“The O2 is one of the most prestigious arenas in the world and will provide the perfect backdrop to a world class event and an unforgettable experience for fans, players and everyone involved. As we enter a new professional era for League, this event will be a major moment for our sport that will see us continue to push the boundaries to make our events bigger and better than ever before.”

UK Sport CEO, Sally Munday said: “2025 is going to be a spectacular year for women’s sport in the UK. In particular,  we are incredibly excited about the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which is set to be a big celebration of Women's sport with huge potential to unite and inspire people right across the UK. The final at Twickenham Stadium promises to be one of the iconic sporting moments of next year.

“We know that live sport has a unique place in the hearts of the British public. As our nation’s capital, London is a crucial partner in making live sport matter and maintaining the UK's world-leading reputation for hosting major sporting events. 

“We look forward to working together with the Mayor and his team to bring more of the biggest and best sporting events in the world to our shores in 2025 and beyond.”