Adding a sporting events to your itinerary is a great way to include something a little different outside the usual sightseeing-and-cuisine-tasting box. Sitting primly at a croquet game, being treated to a case of whiplash courtesy of speeding cars or yelling along with a bunch of die-hard fans will give insight into a world and parts of local culture you wouldn’t discover otherwise – and you will probably walk away with an unforgettable experience.
The list of sporting events taking place around the world at any given time is longer than the limbs on an NBA player, so we’ve compiled the biggest annual spectacles to prod you in the right direction.
UEFA Champions League
Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t deny football’s popularity. Europe’s leagues are the best in the world and are home to some of the biggest sports stars on the planet. The UEFA Champions League brings together the best of the best in one illustrious competition where the athletes receive fairly decent wages.
Champions League football sees the top-ranked teams from UEFA national associations pitted against each other in a kind of club European championship, and with participating countries including many of the continent’s hottest travel destinations, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find at least one game to fit in somewhere on your Euro trip. This is not for the faint credit carded – be prepared to spend a pretty penny or three on tickets.
The Champions League begins annually in mid-July and runs through to May the following year.
http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/index.html
Monaco Formula One Grand Prix
Running annually since 1929, the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious races in motorsport. The event takes place on a demanding course made up of Monaco’s narrow streets, tight corners and tunnels, making it renowned as a dangerous race despite the relatively low speeds seen here. The race covers a total distance of just over 260km on a 3.337km circuit which requires 78 laps.
Find a spot along the route to enjoy one of the world’s most famous motor races free of charge.
Photo Cred – Gizmodo
Tour de France
If something free sounds more your speed, chase the Tour de France through the beautiful French countryside. This world-renowned multi-stage bike race is held in July and involves 21 daily stages with cyclists covering a total distance of up to 3,500km. The route varies every year – the last couple of editions actually began outside of France; likely in an effort to promote the event in a positive way following Lance Armstrong-gate. In 2014 the tour began in the UK and in 2015 it started in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The best part of the Tour de France is you don’t need tickets – simply check out the route and find yourself a spot along it ready to cheer the cyclists as they pass you in a sweaty blur.
http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2015/us/
Wimbledon
The oldest tennis tournament in the world takes place annually in London in the lukewarm month of July. As one of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments alongside the Australian Open, French Open and US Open, Wimbledon has been held at the All England Club since 1877 and is considered by many to be the most prestigious tennis championship in the world. It also happens to be the only major tennis tournament still played on the sport’s original surface: grass.
Major points in Wimbledon’s corner include the fact that you can buy reasonably-priced tickets on the day – as long as you are prepared to arrive super early and queue for a while – and the copious amounts of strawberries and cream available when you eventually make it inside.
http://www.wimbledon.com/index.html
Photo Cred – SmmmBlogs
The Super Bowl
It’s difficult to compile a list of the world’s biggest sports events without including the Super Bowl, even though the odds of actually scoring tickets to this huge event are unfortunately forever not in your favour.
The Super Bowl is the culmination of the American Football Conference and National Football Conferences 16-game regular season and play-offs, which sees the AFC and NFC champions meet in the ultimate, widely-televised battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy sometime in late January or early February.
The Super Bowl has become such a popular television event that it boasts the most expensive advertising slots in the world, with marketing departments frantically trying to outdo each other for the most memorable advert every year. The pre-game and half-time shows are also a big deal – past stars include pretty much everyone you could think of: Madonna, Prince, The Rolling Stones, and of course, who could forget Miss Janet Jackson’s star performance.
Though tickets may be difficult and super pricey to come by, the fact that it is so widely televised means there is a good chance you can find a Super Bowl event wherever you may be – venues across the world hold special screenings of the game, no matter which time zone they may be in, so you can certainly take part in the festivities from afar.
What are some of your favourite world sporting events around the world?
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC.
