London set to host exceptional year of sport in 2026

• Premier US basketball to headline, as NBA returns to London , helping to bring an expected economic boost of over £100million to the UK
• Capital to stage matches across the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, including the final at Lord’s on 5 July
• Nations Championship, Laver Cup, London Marathon, NFL London Games and World Table Tennis Championships also feature in packed calendar
• Mayor of London working with partners to secure 2027 Tour de France Femmes, 2029 World Athletics Championships and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035

The stage is set for an exceptional year of sport in London in 2026, featuring the return of regular-season NBA basketball to London and key matches for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup - including the semi-finals at The Kia Oval and final at Lord’s.

Following an outstanding year of major sporting events in the capital in 2025 - where London was crowned the undisputed global capital for women’s sport - the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has committed to continue bringing the world’s biggest sporting events to the city.

Top class basketball will be back in the capital, with London's O2 Arena hosting the NBA clash between the Orlando Magic and the Memphis Grizzlies on 18 January. London previously hosted annual regular-season NBA games between 2011 and 2019, but January marks the return of one of the world’s biggest leagues. The NBA London Game 2026 presented by Tissot and the NBA game in Manchester in 2027 are set to generate an economic boost of over £100 million for the UK. [1]

In cricket, Lord's will host the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup on 5 July, with the semi-finals at The Oval on 30 June and 2 July respectively. Both London venues will also host key matches across the group stages as the 12-team tournament is held across England and Wales.

After the return of women’s tennis to The Queen’s Club for the first time in over 50 years this summer, the famous venue will again host world class women’s and men’s tennis as the HSBC Championships takes place in June. The world’s top players are set to compete in the event in London ahead of the summer’s prestigious Wimbledon Championships.

Next year will also see the return of the Laver Cup from 25-27 September, as London becomes the first city to stage the renowned international tennis event twice. The men’s team competition between Team Europe and Team World was previously staged at The O2 in London in 2022, when Roger Federer brought his legendary career to an emotional close in front of a sold-out London crowd alongside longtime rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The 2026 edition at The O2 will once again showcase the world’s leading players, with World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz already confirmed for Team Europe and top American Taylor Fritz set to compete for Team World.

Across April and May, London will host the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships at the Copper Box Arena and Arena Wembley. 64 Women’s and 64 Men’s teams will compete for the world title, with the event coming exactly 100 years after the inaugural World Championships in London.

In September, Wembley Stadium will host its first-ever college American football game featuring the Kansas Jayhawks vs. Arizona State Sun Devils as the inaugural Union Jack Classic takes place in the capital - ahead of the NFL returning to London later in the year.

In rugby, Twickenham will host the finale of the inaugural Nations Championship event in November, with the first of its kind Finals Weekend pitting the Northern and Southern Hemisphere powerhouses of global rugby against each other. The biennial 12-team event comprises of matches across the summer and autumn before three double-header fixture days on 27-29 November in London to rank nations and crown champions.

In addition, London will continue to stage its regular annual world class line-up of sport including:

• The Men’s Six Nations at Twickenham on 7 and 21 February
• The Women’s Six Nations at Twickenham on 11 April
• The 2026 TCS London Marathon on 26 April
• Challenge Cup Finals Day on 30 May
• The Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley on 31 May
• The Wimbledon Championships on 29 June - 12 July
• The London Athletics Meet at London Stadium on 18 July
• London T100 Triathlon at Excel London on 9-10 August
• Formula E at Excel London on 15-16 August
• Premier League and Women's Super League at various London stadiums across the year

Looking ahead, the capital is also at the centre of a number of exciting bids to bring more of the world’s biggest sporting events to the capital, with a significant focus on women’s sport.

London is actively looking to stage the 2027 Tour de France Femmes after it was recently announced that the world’s biggest bike races, the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, will both take place in the UK in 2027, marking the first time both the men’s and women’s Grand Départs will take place in the same country. [2] 

The capital is also at the heart of a bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships. If successful, the event would return to London Stadium, which last hosted the event in 2017. [3]

In addition, the UK has recently submitted its joint bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The UK is the sole bidder for the event and the bid submission has London playing an integral role as a host-city partner and putting forward five venues - the most of any city. [4]

London played a leading role across women’s sport in 2025 with over 1.4 million fans flocking to the capital some of the world’s biggest events, including the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final at Twickenham this year – which set a new world record as the most attended women’s rugby match in history. [5]

And earlier this year, the Mayor unveiled a new report revealing major sporting events delivered £230 million boost to London’s economy, attracting over 200 million global viewers [6]

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London is the undisputed sporting capital of the world and there are so many exciting events for Londoners and visitors to look forward to in 2026.

“From the return of the NBA and the Laver Cup to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, our capital will be home to the biggest and best sporting competitions over the next 12 months.

“I am determined to continue bringing more of the world’s biggest sporting events to London and I am actively working with partners to help us secure the 2027 Tour de France Femmes, the 2029 World Athletics Championships and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 for the capital.  

“It’s a great opportunity for Londoners and visitors to attend some of these amazing sports events and experience everything our city has to offer, as we work to build a better, healthier, more prosperous London for everyone.”

Beth Barrett-Wild, Tournament Director, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, said: "With just under six months to go until the opening game of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, the stage is set for a transformative tournament that will reset the narrative about women’s cricket, propelling it firmly into the mainstream.

 “World-class athletes will descend on England and Wales for 24 days of high octane, elite sport that will not only engage countless fans across the country but also deliver lasting impact for the growth of women’s sport. And with tickets for some of the biggest clashes at The Oval and Lord’s already close to selling out, Londoners should act now to secure their chance to be part of history.”

Jack Buckner, CEO of British Athletics, said: “London is a leading destination for world class athletics and we look forward to staging the Novuna London Athletics Meet in July in what is the biggest one-day athletics event of the year. Returning to the London Stadium, this incredible event has sold out three years running and will once again showcase global superstars and record-breaking performances.

“We are also excited to be working with the Mayor and partners to bring the 2029 World Athletics Championships back to the capital, which would be another hugely significant moment as we grow the sport across the UK.”

Tony Godsick, Laver Cup Chairman and TEAM8 CEO, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing the Laver Cup back to London, one of the world’s great sporting cities. The O2 holds a special place in the history of our event and the sport, having hosted some of the Laver Cup’s most memorable moments and one of the most emotional and successful editions to date. We’re excited to return with another world-class competition and to deliver another unforgettable experience for fans in London."

Julie Paterson, Chief of Rugby at Six Nations Rugby, the tournament organiser of the Nations Championship, said: “London is one of the sporting capitals of the world and will be the perfect destination for the very first Nations Championship Finals Weekend.

“Three days of double headers at the iconic Allianz Stadium next November will put the very best of international rugby on the global stage, with hundreds of thousands of fans filling the stadium, and millions more watching around the world. The Nations Championship will stand alongside some of the biggest sporting events of the year in 2026, and London will add to its legacy in delivering world class experiences for fans.”

Chris Pollard, LTA Managing Director, Commercial and Operations, said: “Following the huge success of the HSBC Championships this year, which saw the return of a women's event to the Queen's Club for the first time in 50 years, we are looking forward to another fantastic year of tennis in London in 2026.

“We're excited to be working with the Mayor of London and partners across the capital to open tennis up to more people, by providing opportunities to enjoy world class tennis at the HSBC Championships, and inspiring the next generation to pick up a racket and play.”

Sally Lockyer, CEO of Table Tennis England, said: “The ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2026 is set to be a transformative moment for table tennis in the UK. London hosted the first World Championships 100 years ago, so it is fitting that the sport is returning to the capital to celebrate the centenary.

“We can’t wait to welcome the world to the city for a thrilling event which will give tens of thousands of fans the chance to see the world’s best players up close – and the players are sure to respond to the atmosphere generated by a passionate crowd. We’re confident these will be a fantastic World Championships which will deliver incredible action and create a lasting legacy through our social impact projects.”

Simon Morton, Deputy CEO and Director of Events, Sporting System and External Affairs at UK Sport, said: “Sport excites, inspires and changes lives, and we are proud to be working with London on several events that will be taking place across the city in 2026 and beyond.

“From triathlon to table tennis and from football to cycling, we want the UK to continue to host a programme of events that brings people together, provides extraordinary moments of happiness for spectators, builds pride in our communities, bolsters our international reputation and delivers success for British athletes. I have no doubt that the schedule of events earmarked for London in 2026 will do all of this and more.”

Graham Gilmore, CEO of London Stadium, said: "We are proud to play a central role in London’s incredible 2026 sporting calendar and to support bids for future world-class events, including the 2029 World Athletics Championships. Our commitment is to deliver an outstanding experience for fans and athletes alike, while driving economic and social impact for the capital."