A 2026 Sports Calendar for Journalists
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2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest in recent memory for sports media, dominated by two massive, once-every-four-years global events: the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. From the slopes of Milan to the soccer pitches of North America, and all the way to a historic MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia, here is your essential guide to the major sports events and storylines for 2026.
| Date | Event | Location | Details |
| Jan. 18 – Feb. 1 | Australian Open (Tennis) | Melbourne, Australia | It’s the first Grand Slam of the year; focus on generational challenges to established champions. |
| Jan. 23-25 | Winter X Games | Aspen, CO | The gravity-defying spectacle will be a preview of medal contenders ahead of the Winter Olympics. |
| Feb. 6-22 | 2026 Winter Olympics | Milan & Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy | The global event will feature hockey rivalries, new events like ski mountaineering and must-watch fights for alpine medals. |
| Feb. 8 | Super Bowl LX (60) | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA | The NFL’s biggest game returns to the Bay Area; competing for media attention with the Olympics. It’s the first time in 11 years that the Kansas City Chiefs did not make the playoffs. Bad Bunny will perform the Halftime Show. |
| Feb. 13-15 | NBA All-Star Weekend | Los Angeles, CA | The new U.S. vs. World format will feature two teams of U.S. players and one team of international players competing in a round-robin tournament featuring four 12-minute games. Other events over the weekend include the NBA All-Star Practice, the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and an NBA All-Star fan fest. |
| Feb. 15 | Daytona 500 (NASCAR) | Daytona Beach, FL | The “Great American Race” launches the new NASCAR season. |
| March 5-11 | World Baseball Classic | Puerto Rico, Houston, Tokyo and Miami | Teams from 20 countries will battle it out in the 6th WBC. Japan will be defending its 2023 championship title. |
| March 6-15 | 2026 Winter Paralympics | Milan & Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy | The event showcases the world’s best Para athletes in winter sports disciplines. |
| March 15 | F1 Australian Grand Prix | Melbourne, Australia | It’s the official start of the 24-race Formula 1 season. |
| Mid-March – Early April | NCAA Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tournaments | Indianapolis (Men) & Phoenix (Women) | March Madness culminates in the Final Four and championship games. Look for Cinderella stories and bracket busts. |
| March 25-26 | MLB Opening Night/Day | Multiple locations | The official start of the Major League Baseball regular season kicks off with Opening Night on Wednesday, March 25, featuring the New York Yankees at the San Francisco Giants, followed by the traditional full Opening Day with 14 games on Thursday, March 26 (the earliest opening day ever). |
| April 9-12 | The Masters (Golf) | Augusta National Golf Club, GA | It’s the year’s first men’s major. Who will take home the coveted Green Jacket? |
| April 23-25 | NFL Draft | Pittsburgh, PA | A new class of young talent will be inducted into the NFL. |
| May 2 | Kentucky Derby | Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY | “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” kicks off the Triple Crown. |
| May 14-17 | PGA Championship | Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, PA | The second men’s golf major returns to the historic Aronimink for the first time since 1962. |
| May 24 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IN | The 110th running of the Indy 500, themed “Back Home Again,” takes place over Memorial Day Weekend. |
| May 24-June 7 | French Open (Roland-Garros) | Paris, France | Two weeks of clay-court tennis action will culminate in the women’s finals on June 6 and the men’s finals on June 7. |
| May 30 | UEFA Champions League Final | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary | The pinnacle of European club soccer will be hosted by Hungary for the first time. |
| Early/Mid-June | NBA Finals / Stanley Cup Finals | TBD | Both the NBA and NHL crown their champions, concluding the 2025-2026 seasons. |
| June 11 – July 19 | FIFA World Cup 26™ | Canada, Mexico, USA | It will be the marquee sports event of the year. The expanded 48-team tournament kicks off across North America. In your reporting, look for stories on host city readiness and international rivalries. Here’s the match schedule. |
| June 15-21 | U.S. Open (Golf) | Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, NY | The major championship, “golf’s toughest test,” returns to the historic, wind-swept Long Island links. |
| June 29 – July 12 | Wimbledon (Tennis) | All England Club, London, England | The only grass-court Grand Slam is steeped in tradition. The Ladies’ Singles Final will be on July 11, followed by the Gentlemen’s Singles Final on July 12. |
| July 4-26 | Tour de France | Spain & France | Cycling’s most famous race begins its three-week journey, starting its Grand Départ in Barcelona (only the third ever in Spain). Here’s the full route. |
| July 14 | MLB All-Star Game | Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA | The Midsummer Classic coincides with the city’s 250th anniversary celebrations, ensuring high patriotic coverage. |
| July 12-19 | The Open Championship (Golf) | Royal Birkdale Golf Club, England | The oldest major returns to the revered English links course as world-class golfers battle for the Claret Jug. Championship play begins July 16. |
| July 23 – Aug. 2 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, Scotland | It’s an 11-day multi-sport (10 sports and 6 para-sports) event featuring athletes from 74 nations and territories in the Commonwealth. |
| Aug. 23 – Sept. 13 | US Open (Tennis) | Flushing Meadows, NYC | The final Grand Slam of the year, known for its electric energy, will take place under the bright lights of New York. |
| Late Aug. / Early Sept. | NCAA Football Season Kickoff | Various | Get ready for the launch of the college football national championship chase. “Week Zero” begins Aug. 29, which will feature international games in Ireland and Brazil. |
| Sept. 11-13 | F1 Spanish Grand Prix | Madrid, Spain | Formula 1 debuts on a brand-new street circuit hybrid track in Madrid, which replaces Barcelona as the host of the Spanish GP. The 5.4km track has 22 turns, combining street and permanent sections, and the longest banked corner in F1 history. |
| Sept. 22-27 | Presidents Cup (Golf) | Medinah Country Club, IL | Brandt Snedeker’s Team USA battles the International Team led by captain Geoff Ogilvy in this biennial match-play competition. |
| Late October | MLB World Series | TBD | The Fall Classic concludes the baseball season, crowning the new MLB champion. |
| Nov. 19-21 | F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix | Las Vegas, NV | The Saturday night spectacle returns for its second year. The 3.8-mile street circuit passes iconic landmarks like Caesars Palace, Bellagio fountains and the MSG Sphere. |
| Late Nov. | NCAA Football Rivalry Week | Various | The traditional conclusion to the college football regular season will feature high-stakes rivalry matchups. |
| Dec. 4-6 | F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi | The Formula 1 season finale will conclude a year of new technical rules and sustainable fuels. Who will be watching the race from superyachts in the marina? |
| Late Dec. | NCAA Bowl Games | Various | The start of bowl season leads up to the single-elimination College Football Playoff toward the end of December. |
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Rocky Parker is the Manager of Audience and Journalist Engagement at Cision PR Newswire. She's been with the company since 2010 and has worked with journalists and bloggers as well as PR and comms professionals. Outside of work, she can be found trying a new recipe, binging a new show, or cuddling with her pitbull, Hudson.
