From championship showdowns to global multi-sport spectacles, 2026 promises to be a landmark year on the sporting calendar. Whether you’re a sports executive, a sports professional, or a fan, staying ahead of the schedule is essential.
This article outlines the major sporting events taking place between February and December 2026 in Europe.
If you’d like to see what is happening in Switzerland, check our article 2026 Calendar of Sport Events in Switzerland.
Sport Event Calendar in Europe
Championship League Snooker Invitational
Event Details
- Location: Leicester, United Kingdom
- Period: 2 January – 11 February 2026
- Sport: Snooker
- Important professional ranking snooker event
- Link to the Championship League Snooker Invitational website
Men’s EHF Euro 2026
Event Details
- Location: Denmark, Sweden and Norway
- Period: 15 January – 1 February 2026
- Sport: Handball
- Biennial international men’s handball championship of Europe organised by EHF and featuring top national teams
- Link to the Men’s EHF Euro 2026 website
Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
Event Details
- Location: Milan & Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
- Period: 6 – 22 February 2026
- Sport: Multi-sport (Winter Olympics)
- A global winter multi-sport championship featuring elite competition across all Olympic winter disciplines, from alpine skiing and figure skating to hockey and biathlon. This championship has also introduced a new discipline: ski mountaineering
- Link to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics website
- For any further information, please visit the AISTS article regarding Milano Cortina winter games
Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games
Event Details
- Location: Milan & Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
- Period: 6 – 15 March 2026
- Sport: Multi-sport (Winter Paralympics)
- The premier international winter para-sport event, showcasing top para athletes across disciplines like para alpine skiing, para ice hockey, and para snowboard
- Link to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games website
- For any further information, please visit the AISTS article regarding Milano Cortina winter games
2026 Men’s Rugby Europe Championship
Event Details
- Location: Europe (Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Romania, Germany)
- Period: 7 February – 15 March 2026 (Final)
- Sport: Rugby
- Men’s tournament featuring men’s national teams. It is the annual rugby union competition for the top European national teams outside the Six Nations Championship
- Link to the 2026 Rugby Europe Championship website
2026 Women’s Rugby Europe Championship
Event Details
- Location: Europe (Belgium, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands)
- Period: 28 – 29 March 2026 and 11, 18 April 2026
- Sport: Rugby
- The top-level women’s national XVs competition in Europe outside the Six Nations, played in a round-robin tournament
- Link to the 2026 Women’s Rugby Europe Championship website
2025–26 UEFA Women’s Europa Cup
Event Details
- Location of the final: home stadiums of the two finalists, to be determined
- Period: 31 August 2025 – 3 May 2026 (the first leg of the final is on 25 or 26 April 2026 and the second leg on 2 or 3 May 2026)
- Sport: Football
- The inaugural UEFA Women’s Europa Cup is Europe’s secondary women’s club football tournament organised by UEFA, played as a straight knockout competition with two-leg ties including the final
- Link to the 2025–26 UEFA Women’s Europa Cup website
EuroHockey Club Championships 2026
Event Details
- Location: Europe
- Period: 3 April – 25 May 2026
- Sport: Hockey
- Major hockey tournament featuring various field and indoor, men’s and women’s tournaments across Europe
- Link to the EuroHockey Club Championships 2026 website
Giro d’Italia
Event Details
- Location: Multiple cities in Italy and neighbouring countries (starting in Bulgaria, ending in Italy)
- Period: 8 – 31 May 2026
- Sport: Road Cycling (Grand Tour)
- One of cycling’s three Grand Tours. A three-week stage race featuring high mountains, time trials, and sprint stages across varied European terrain
- Link to Giro d’Italia website
Roland-Garros (French Open)
Event Details
- Location: Paris, France
- Period: 24 May – 7 June 2026
- Sport: Tennis (Grand Slam – clay)
- The premier clay-court Grand Slam, renowned for its physical demands and iconic Parisian setting at Stade Roland-Garros
- Link to the Roland-Garros website
UEFA Europa League
Event Details
- Location of the final: Istanbul, Turkey
- Period: 24 September 2025 – 20 May 2026 (Final)
- Sport: Football (club competition)
- The 55th season of Europe’s secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA. The final will be contested by top European football clubs
- Link to the UEFA Europa League website
UEFA Women’s Champions League
Event Details
- Location of the final: Oslo, Norway
- Period: 7 October 2025 – 23 May 2026 (Final)
- Sport: Football (women’s club competition)
- The 25th edition of the European women’s club football championship organised by UEFA. The final features the continent’s elite teams. It is the first season under a new format, which has one joint group of 18 participating teams, playing six games each against different opponents
- Link to the UEFA Women’s Champions League website
UEFA Champions League
Event Details
- Location of the final: Budapest, Hungary
- Period: 16 September 2025 – 30 May 2026 (Final)
- Sport: Football (men’s club competition)
- The 71st season of Europe’s premier club football tournament organised by UEFA. The final, one of Europe’s most prestigious football games, is contested by the winners of Europe’s top domestic leagues
- Link to the UEFA Champions League website
24 Hours of Le Mans
Event Details
- Location: Le Mans, France
- Period: 10 – 14 June 2026
- Sport type: Motorsport (endurance racing)
- The world’s most iconic endurance motorsport race, featuring top manufacturers and teams battling across day-and-night conditions
- Link of the 24 Hours of Le Mans website
The Championships, Wimbledon
Event Details
- Location: London, United Kingdom
- Period: 29 June – 12 July 2026
- Sport type: Tennis (Grand Slam – grass)
- One of the four Grand Slams. The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, played on grass
- Link to the Wimbledon’s Championships website
Tour de France
Event Details
- Location: Multiple cities in France and neighbouring countries (starting in Barcelona, Spain and ending in Paris, France)
- Period: 4 – 26 July 2026
- Sport: Road cycling (Grand Tour)
- Cycling’s most-watched stage race spanning three weeks of sprints, mountains, and time trials
- Link to the Tour de France website
European Athletics Championships
Event Details
- Location: Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Period: 10 – 16 August 2026
- Sport: Athletics (continental championships)
- The flagship track & field competition for Europe’s best athletes across a full stadium programme
- Link to the European Athletics Championships website
UEFA Super Cup
Event Details
- Location: Salzburg, Austria
- Period: August 2026 (exact date to be confirmed)
- Sport: Football (single-match club trophy)
- An annual football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the top two European club competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League
- Link to the UEFA Super Cup website
Vuelta a España
Event Details
- Location: Spain
- Period: 22 August – 13 September 2026
- Sport: Road Cycling (Grand Tour)
- The third of the cycling Grand Tours and one of the most iconic races in the world
- Link to the Vuelta a España website
2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup
Event Details
- Location: Berlin, Germany
- Period: 4 – 13 September 2026
- Sport: Basketball
- The quadrennial world championship for women’s national basketball teams. The 2026 edition is the 20th edition of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup
- Link to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup website
2026 Women’s Ice Hockey World Championships
Event Details
- Location: Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark
- Period: 6 – 16 November 2026
- Sport: Ice Hockey
- End-of-season international women’s ice hockey tournament organised by the IIHF, featuring the world’s top national teams competing for the world championship title
- Link to the IIHF website
Nitto ATP Finals
Event Details
- Location: Torino, Italy
- Period: 15 – 22 November 2026
- Sport: Tennis
- End-of-season men’s tournament featuring the World’s best eight qualified singles players and doubles teams
- Link to the Nitto ATP Final website
Davis Cup Finals
Event Details
- Location: Bologna, Italy
- Period: 24 – 29 November 2026
- Sport: Tennis
- Premier international men’s tennis team event, often called “World Cup of Tennis”. It is the largest annual team sports event in the world and the oldest international team competition in tennis
- Link to the Davis Cup Finals website
Women’s EHF Euro 2026
Event Details
- Location: Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Czechia, and Turkey
- Period: 3 – 20 December 2026
- Sport: Handball
- Biennial international women’s handball championship of Europe organised by EHF and featuring top national teams
- Link to the Women’s EHF Euro 2026 website
2026 European Formula 1 races
Event Details
- Location:
- Monaco Grand Prix (5 – 7 June 2026)
- Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix (12 – 14 June 2026)
- Austrian Grand Prix (26 – 28 June 2026)
- British Grand Prix (3 – 5 July 2026)
- Belgian Grand Prix (17 – 19 July 2026)
- Hungarian Grand Prix (24 – 26 July 2026)
- Dutch Grand Prix (21 – 23 August 2026)
- Italian Grand Prix (4 – 6 September 2026)
- Spanish Grand Prix (11 – 13 September 2026)
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix (24 – 26 September 2026)
- Period: 5 June – 26 September 2026
- Sport: Formula 1
- A series of international Grand Prix events featuring top teams and drivers from around the world
- Link to the 2026 European Formula 1 races website
These major events highlight Europe’s central role in shaping the global sports industry, with Switzerland playing a key part. Behind every tournament there are professionals managing strategy, operations, governance, media, and commercial performance.
For those seeking to transition from watching and supporting the sports ecosystem to actively contributing in developing it, advanced education and proximity to the industry are key. This is where AISTS stands out.
Why pursue a Master in Sport Management at AISTS?
Studying in the Heart of the Global Sports Industry
Lausanne is at the heart of the global sports landscape. More than just the home of AISTS campus, it’s a city where sport is studied and lived.
Studying at AISTS means:
- Living in a city that hosts international competitions and major sports events such as the Ice Hockey World Championship,
- Networking with leading sports organizations headquartered in and around Lausanne:
- IOC (International Olympic Committee) in Lausanne,
- International federations located in Lausanne: World Aquatics (swimming), FIVB (volleyball), FEI (equestrian), and FIG (gymnastics),
- FIBA (international basketball federation) based in Mies,
- UCI (international cycling union) based in Aigle,
- UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) based in Nyon.
- Being in a central location in Europe with easy access to other major European cities.
Perfectly positioned for sports professionals and aspiring leaders, Lausanne offers unmatched access to Europe’s major sports events and institutions.
A Comprehensive Master’s Programme for Future Sports Leaders
By being at the forefront of the sports industry’s development and the Olympic Movement, AISTS offers an integrated approach to education and sciences through its services.
It is home to the globally recognized Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Management and Technology, which combines academic learning with practical training in a real sports-world environment.
The programme blends 8 months of academic teaching with 7 months of total immersion in the sports business. From internships to applied projects, you will gain the knowledge, the work experience, and the skills required for a career in sports management.
The structure follows a multidisciplinary approach with a focus on management and technology. The curriculum also includes the following subjects applied to sports: science, law, medicine, and sociology. One of the highlights is the third module, Career and Leadership, purposefully designed to prepare you for your professional endeavors.
Contact us to learn how AISTS can support your professional journey and goals in the world of sport.
