Sport
Preview
Winter 2026/27 sport preview
From heavyweight showdowns to championship snooker and the return of the Six Nations, the winter sporting calendar is packed with unmissable action
Whether you’re after edge-of-your-seat competition, a festive day out with friends and family or the chance to see some of the biggest names in sport up close, there’s plenty to get excited about. From the roar of the rugby terraces to the sheer spectacle of WWE, sporting stars from across the board will be heading to UK arenas and stadiums over the coming months.
Here, we’ll be keeping a rolling list of the sporting highlights the 2026/27 winter season has to offer, so you can plan ahead and secure your tickets.
Ice Hockey
When: Throughout winter
Where: AO Arena, Manchester & Utilita Arena, Sheffield
The 2026/27 Motorpoint Elite Ice Hockey League season sees Manchester Storm and Sheffield Steelers both setting their sights on silverware. Sheffield, with a blend of experienced leadership and fresh talent following a major summer recruitment drive, will be looking to challenge for the Elite League title and Challenge Cup. Manchester Storm, on the other hand, will be aiming to build consistency and make home advantage count at the AO Arena as they push to compete among the league’s leading sides. With the league title, Challenge Cup and Play-Offs all up for grabs, both teams have plenty to play for in what promises to be a fiercely competitive season.
Find tickets to Manchester Storm here
Find tickets to Sheffield Steelers here
Nations Championship: Finals Weekend
When: 27–29 November
Where: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
For any rugby fans living under a rock this year, the Nations Championship is a new international rugby format that made its debut in 2026, dubbed the “North vs South” competition as it pits Europe’s Six Nations teams (Northern Conference) against a Southern/Rest of the World Conference made up of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Japan and Fiji. The tournament culminates in a Finals Weekend at the end of November at London’s Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. Not just a single championship game, this event features six ranking matches where every team from the Northern Conference plays their equivalent seed from the Southern Conference (1st vs 1st down to 6th vs 6th). While the top team from each conference faces off in the Grand Final to crown the tournament champion, points accumulated across all six weekend fixtures determine the overall winning hemisphere. England will be hoping to make up for a poor Six Nations, though it won’t be easy, as they face Australia, Japan and New Zealand. Got all that?
Find tickets to Nations Championship: Finals Weekend here
London Lions
When: Throughout winter
Where: Copper Box Arena
Following a historic 2025/26 campaign in which they swept all four domestic trophies, the London Lions return to Super League Basketball with a target on their backs. The challenge now is to defend their Championship and Play-Off titles while competing for the SLB Cup, with head coach Tautvydas Sabonis looking to maintain the winning formula that made the Lions the dominant force in British basketball.
Find tickets to London Lions here
Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua
When: 11 December
Where: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
One of the biggest sporting events of 2026, few match-ups in British boxing generate the anticipation of Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff in December. Named the Battle of Britain, Joshua and Fury have never fought despite coming very close over their decade-long rivalry. With 66 wins and 52 knockouts between them, it’ll be a close fight – heavyweight titan Oleksandr Usyk recently told DAZN he believes it’s “50/50”. This blockbuster showdown between two of the country’s biggest heavyweight names is Christmas come early for boxing fans around the world.
Find tickets to Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua here
Chelsea Women vs London City Lionesses — 13 December 2026
When: 12 December
Where: Stamford Bridge, London
London football rivalry gets a fresh chapter as Chelsea Women’s established pedigree meets the ambition of one of the capital’s newer top-flight sides, London City Lionesses. Chelsea currently sit top of the table, level with Manchester City at the time of writing, but London City Lionesses are on the up, and will be galvanised after frustrating The Blues with a 1-1 draw back in March.
Find tickets to Chelsea Women vs London City Lionesses here
McLaren Racing Live In Conversation
When: 14 December
Where: The O2, London
Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Andrea Stella, Zak Brown and more unite for one night only at The O2, London for the first ever McLaren Racing Live in Conversation. This talk event offers fans a chance to explore the stories, people and decisions behind elite-level racing, a look back at the 2026 season as McLaren celebrate their 1000th Grand Prix milestone, and all sorts of exclusive behind-the-scenes intel.
Find tickets to McLaren Racing Live In Conversation here
Harlequins Big Game 18
When: 18 December
Where: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Not just a festive favourite but the biggest club rugby event of the year, Harlequins’ Big Game 18 brings rugby, entertainment and end-of-year atmosphere together for a standout date in the sporting calendar. As always, there’s a double-header from the Women and Men’s teams; this year Harlequin Women face Loughborough Lightning while Harlequin Men take on Northampton Saints, the reigning Gallagher Premiership Champions. Meanwhile, Paul Oakenfold gets behind the decks for the headline music acts, plus expect plenty of fireworks and other family fun.
Find tickets to Harlequins Big Game 18 here
1872 Cup: Edinburgh Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors
When: 27 December
Where: Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
One of rugby’s most celebrated rivalries takes centre stage as Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors meet again for the historic 1872 Cup. The oldest inter-district rugby match in the world (dating back to the year that gives it its name), the fight for the annual bragging rights at stake is a beloved festive tradition and a fiercely contested fixture that promises intensity and a brilliant atmosphere. This year’s the legs are spread further apart, with fans having to wait until April 2027 until the Cup is fully settled, but the first leg still takes place during the Christmas season, as Edinburgh hope to get an early lead at home.
Find tickets to 1872 Cup: Edinburgh Rugby vs Glasgow Warriors here
WWE
When: 18 & 22 January
Where: OVO Hydro, Glasgow & Co-op Live, Manchester
WWE brings its trademark blend of athleticism, showmanship and larger-than-life characters to the UK in January as part of its The Road to Royal Rumble European tour. You can catch Monday Night RAW at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on 18 Jan, featuring superstars such as Oba Femi, Seth Rollins and Woman’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer. On 22 Jan, WWE brings Friday Night Smackdown to Manchester’s Co-op Live for the arena’s first ever televised event, which will feature Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Tiffany Straton and World Heavyweight Champion Sami Zayn.
Find tickets to WWE Monday Night Raw here
Find tickets to WWE Friday Night Smackdown here
Mens Six Nations
When: February–March 2027
Where: Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Scotland; Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
Few sporting occasions signal the arrival of spring quite like the Men’s Six Nations. Europe’s leading rugby nations go head-to-head in a championship packed with fierce rivalries, passionate crowds and momentum-shifting encounters. Reigning champs Les Bleus are hoping to make history and grab the newly commissioned trophy with a three-peat, though Ireland will have a point to prove after missing out this year while England will hope to make the most of their home advantage with three fixtures at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
Find tickets to Wales Six Nations fixtures
Find tickets to Scotland Six Nations fixtures
Find tickets to England Six Nations fixtures
