17 of the most exciting sports cities in the world

There are few things that are understood internationally across boarders and different languages. But sports are definitely one of those things that connect us globally. A little old-fashioned competition both bonds and divides us all. Regardless of your local team of choice, there’s something about the drama and talent that makes good sporting events SO good, and some places just do sports better than the rest of the world.

From the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to the 150th Golf Open in Scotland – we’ve found the top 17 sports cities around the world you need to visit this year. So, paint your face accordingly, let yourself get a little fanatical and make your way through the best places in the world to be a sports fan right now…

17. New York City, USA

When it comes to the true American sports experience, there’s a lot of debate over which city is king. If we’re talking sheer variety for sports fans, you can’t beat NYC. The Big Apple has some great options in all four of the major USA leagues: two baseball teams (Mets and Yankees), two basketball teams (Nets and Knicks), a hockey team (Rangers), two football teams (Giants and Jets), and a soccer team (NYC FC). Plus, those are just in NYC proper, not including the other teams in NY state or nearby New Jersey.

Don’t miss in 2020:

New York is also home to the US Open Tennis Championships from 24 August-13 September. Oh, and don’t forget the legendary Madison Square Garden – one of the most famous arenas in the world. It’s a definitely must-do for stadium enthusiasts and plays host to games throughout the year.

16. Monaco

While motorsports are in a bit of a different category to traditional sports, auto racing is still a huge favourite of speed lovers around the world. Monaco is THE place. ‘Circuit de Monaco’ is the street circuit stretching out across the city streets of Monte Carlo and there’s even a motor racing museum.

Don’t miss in 2020:

As far as Formula One races, nothing quite compares to the Monaco Grand Prix which is held yearly in May. Unleash your need for speed, channel your inner Bond character and enjoy the glamour of the Monaco F1 scene in person.

15. Chicago, USA

The Chi is arguably America’s sports dynasty hub, and one of the few places where authenticity, history and tradition are still as important as ever. Wrigley Field is a legendary ballpark and is one of the oldest and most authentic places to have the true American baseball experience – with a hotdog and beer in hand of course.

Chicago is also home to two of the USA’s biggest sports dynasties: the Chicago Bulls basketball team (where Michael Jordan won six championship rings) and Chicago Blackhawks hockey team (six-time Stanley Cup winners). As far as the real American sports pastime is concerned, there are few places better for an epic football tailgating experience than Soldier Field, where the NFL’s Chicago Bears play. And once you’ve cheered and cheers-ed for every team, you can eat at one of the famous sports-celebrity restaurants in the city as well.

Don’t miss in 2020:

The NBA All-Star Weekend on 14-16 February at United Centre is set to be amazing. There’ll be the Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest, and Skills Challenge and is held in the home of the Chicago Bulls.

14. London, England

If a tennis racket really breaks your tension, there’s no better trip than a trip to London and the home of Wimbledon. As the world’s oldest and arguably most prestigious tennis tournament, a trip to Wimbledon is the ultimate place to watch all of the tennis greats play on grass. A tour of the All England Club is an epic experience at any time of year – and the museum is definitely worth a visit too.

London is also a great place to see Arsenal or Chelsea FC play some world-class soccer, and just like most major cities, you can catch a game from countless other sports in the city as well.

Don’t miss in 2020:

Wimbledon falls on 29 June – 12 July this year and is basically a CAN’T-MISS event. We’re talking centre court, strawberries and cream and all the volleys you can watch. Register for the public ballot now.

13. Barcelona, Spain

Real soccer (or football) fanatics typically have one bucket-list destination at the very top of their lists, and chances are nine times out of 10 it’s Camp Nou. As the largest soccer stadium in Europe with a 100,000 person capacity, and the home field of FC Barcelona (arguably the most famous soccer team in the world), a trip to Camp Nou is basically a pilgrimage for soccer fans and lovers of legends like Messi and Ronaldinho.

Don’t miss in 2020:

Watch the Champion’s League and all of FC Barcelona’s games running all the way through into May 2020.

12. Las Vegas, USA

Never to be outdone, Vegas is one of the best cities in the States for sports fanatics. If you like to play the odds, you can bet to your heart’s content on virtually every type of sport in the world.

For the non-squeamish, Vegas is also routinely home to some of the biggest and hottest boxing and MMA matches in the world. There’s simply no better place to catch a high-profile and legendary fight, hands down. Las Vegas now has a hockey team as well, and they’re on their way to getting their own basketball team in the near future.

Don’t miss in 2020:

If you’re looking for something a little different, there’s always the Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series in February, hosted by the Las Vegas Motor Speedway!

 

11. Toronto, Canada

Toronto is a very proud city. As the sole representative city of an entire nation in many professional sports leagues, they naturally take their sports teams very seriously. Toronto is unique because you can enjoy Canadian teams from many otherwise American leagues (baseball, basketball, soccer), in addition to the Canadian version of American football through the CFL. You can even catch some amazing lacrosse games with the Rock and enjoy the real Canadian national sport for the first time.

The Maple Leafs are one of the most beloved teams in the NHL, the Raptors just won the NBA championship and the city is even the home of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In addition to being the birthplace of basketball, it’s a good time to be a sports fan in Toronto.

Don’t miss in 2020:

Alongside all the usual seasonal games, Toronto hosts the Rogers Cup for tennis from 7-16 August. Did somebody say world tennis tour?!

10. Beijing, China

Once 2020 is over and the summer games are behind us, the Olympic hype will move on to all things Beijing for February 2022. As of the XXIV Olympics, Beijing will be the first-ever city to hold both the summer and winter Olympic games, securing its spot in the history books. The summer games of 2008 were all about Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, and we can’t wait to see who will be the shining star of Beijing 2022.

The preparation for the Beijing 2022 games has been focused on sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint, so it will definitely be an exciting time to visit Beijing and experience the hype and the rise of the modern games firsthand.

Don’t miss in 2022 (!):

The Winter Olympic Games in February 2022, duh.

9. Fife, Scotland

Golf is an old game, and as the official birthplace of golf, St. Andrews in Scotland is the holy land for everyone who is game for a good time on the green. A visit to St. Andrews Old Course lets you walk and putt in the footsteps of all of the greatest golfers in history, and is widely revered as the best golf course in the world.

Don’t miss in 2020:

The Open Championship is held 16-19 July this year. If you’re long-lead planning, you can schedule a visit to be there when St. Andrews hosts the 150^th Open Championship in 2021, which promises to be an even bigger celebration!

8. Athens, Greece

If you’re into competitive sports and the Olympics in particular, you might as well go back to where it all started. Dating back to around 776 BC in Olympia, the Olympic games were held every four years for centuries, before the modern iteration of the games moved to Athens in 1896. You can still visit the stunning Panathenaic Stadium in Athens and see for yourself where the Olympic mania all began.

Don’t miss in 2020:

Run along to the epic Athens Authentic Marathon on 8 November. Even if you’re not a runner, the event promises to be an amazing spectacle and the runs bring history to life, finishing in the amazing stadium where the first Olympic games of the modern era (in 1896) took place.

7. Paris, France

The world’s most famous, and arguably hardest bicycle race is the Tour de France which takes place yearly in July, and although the route may change every year, it always ends in Paris on the Champs-Élysées. If you’re a cycling fan, it would definitely be a pretty epic experience to be there at the finish line to see the culmination of 23 gruelling days of cycling.

Don’t miss in 2020:

This will be the 107th edition of the Tour de France, running from 27 June – 19 July, with the women’s race, La Course happening on 10 July.

6. Hong Kong

The World Rugby Sevens Series brings the best rugby countries together to battle it out for their trophies, and the best place to watch this all go down is no doubt at the Hong Kong Sevens tournament. Held every year in March or April, it’s the top rugby sevens event in the world and draws the biggest fans to Asia from around the world every single year without fail.

Don’t miss in 2020:

This year the epic tournament is from 3-5 April and is going to be HUGE.

5. Le Mans, France

If the Monaco Grand Prix is the glamourous sprint of motorsports, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France is the gruelling marathon. Held every year in Le Mans, this race is another motorsport must and covers about 5,000 km, with the objective to drive as far as possible within 24 hours. It’s a crazy concept that’s been mirrored in other places, but the original dating back to 1923 is an institution and must-see for racing lovers.

Don’t miss in 2020:

This year will be 13-14 June and you can get early bird tickets now.

 

4. Manchester, England

Any conversation about soccer/football legends worth having will involve Manchester United. For this reason and this reason alone, a trip to Manchester makes it top of the to-do list for so many sports fans. As one of the most decorated football clubs in history, it’s also one of the most lucrative brands in the world, and one of the most beloved institutions internationally.

Don’t miss in 2020:

Old Trafford, the team’s home stadium will be hosting the legendary Soccer Aid for Unicef, visit here for tickets.

3. Montreal, Canada

Skating enthusiasts will have their salchows with a side of poutine this year, as one of the other sports hidden gems in Canada, Montreal, will be hosting the World Figure Skating Championships in 2020. Montreal is also a great place to check out the Canadiens, the oldest professional hockey team in the world.

Don’t miss in 2020:

The amazing World Figure Skating Championships will be 16-22 March, so get your skates on.

 

2. Melbourne, Australia

Cricket is one of those niche sports that you probably either love with a passion or know absolutely nothing about. However, any real cricket fan will know that the best cricket ground in the world is the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia.

MCG is one of the largest cricket stadiums and has played a huge role in the development and popularity of the sport as a whole. It’s also hosted many big sporting events like Aussie rules football, soccer and even the Olympics of 1956. Melbourne is also home to the Australian Open which is one of the four Gram Slam tennis tournaments held each year.

Don’t miss in 2020:

The Women’s T20 World Cup will take place from 21 February – 8 March. While the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup will be played from 18 October – 15 November, with both finals taking place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

1. Tokyo, Japan

As of July 22nd, the entire world is gonna be obsessing about Tokyo 2020 and the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. 2020 is bound to be an epic Olympic year with the buzz already starting over events like swimming, gymnastics and track. And with a brand-new Olympic Stadium just unveiled and so many other impressive facilities either opened or in the works, many are hyping 2020 as the year for the best Olympics to date.

2020 is Tokyo’s second run at hosting the Olympic games, as they also held the games in 1964. 2020 will also see the introduction of a few new sports in the games, such as karate, skateboarding and surfing, plus the return of baseball and softball.

Don’t miss in 2020:

The epic Olympics opening ceremony will be on 24 July in Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium. WE. CAN’T. WAIT.