Sports fans planning to visit London are undoubtedly spoilt for choice this year, with the 2026 calendar packed with a host of top-class events. Football and cricket dominate the landscape dominate the landscape during May and June, before tennis takes centre stage in late June and early July.London’s lucrative relationship with American Football will have another airing later in the year as Wembley Stadium hosts a thrilling encounter between two top college teams.
Read on as we look at four major sports events you cannot afford to miss in 2026, starting with one of the most iconic fixtures in world football.
FA Cup final – Football – Wembley Stadium – May 16
The 145th edition of the 2025/26 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on May 16 is guaranteed to attract a massive in-person and worldwide television audience.
The culmination of the oldest national football competition in the world still holds plenty of resonance for fans who value the importance of tradition. Several big clubs are still in contention to reach the final including 14-time winners Arsenal. They visit Championship side Southampton in the quarter-final of the competition.
The Gunners are chasing four trophies this season, and the FA Cup is potentially the third leg of what would be an historic quadruple for an English club.
England vs New Zealand – Cricket – Lord’s & The Oval – June 4-21
England will welcome New Zealand to Lord’s on June 4-8 as part of a three match Test series. England triumphed 2-1 in New Zealand in their most recent Test encounter.
The two sides are also scheduled to meet at The Oval for the second Test from June 17-21. Trent Bridge in Nottingham will stage the final Test match from June 25-29. England recently reached the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Asia, but were defeated by eventual winners India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
New Zealand were blown away by India in the final, and will be eager to make amends for that brutal defeat when they visit England this summer. For travelling supporters spending several days in the capital between matches, London offers plenty of entertainment options beyond the stadiums. Some visitors also explore online gaming platforms during their downtime, often using comparison guides that review the top 100 slot sites to find reputable platforms and bonuses.
Wimbledon Championships – Tennis – Wimbledon – June 29 – July 12
The 139th edition of the prestigious Wimbledon Championships will take place at the All-England-Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London from June 29 to July 12.
The men’s and women’s singles tournaments traditionally garner plenty of headlines at Wimbledon, and it will be a similar story in 2026. Jannik Sinner became the first Italian player to win the men’s singles title in the Open Era last year, defeating Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Polish star Iga Swiatek proved too hot to handle in the women’s final, beating Amanda Anisimova without dropping a single game.
Kansas Jayhawks vs Arizona State Sun Devils – American College Football – Wembley Stadium – September 19
Wembley’s growing relationship with American Football will develop further in September as two of the top college teams in the United States go head-to-head in London.
The Kansas Jayhawks and Arizona State Sun Devils will square off in the first-ever ‘Union Jack Classic’ during Week 3 of the 2026 NCAA college football season. The Big 12 Conference is leading the charge to take college football to a global audience, following in the footsteps of their professional counterparts in the National Football League (NFL).
Wembley has been home to the NFL’s International Series since 2007 and is also scheduled to host one of three regular season games staged in London during October.
