A view of Croke Park in Dublin.Ireland's Content Pool
A new study has crowned the world’s best cities for sports-tripping in 2026, with Dublin coming in fifth place.
Stasher, the luggage storage network, found nearly 30% of people have or would consider travelling abroad for a major sport event. And it’s no wonder why.
Sports tourism combines two of life’s greatest things: the thrill of spectator sport and wanderlust, the strong desire to explore the world. It now accounts for 10% of global tourism spending according to UN Tourism, with projections the market could reach $1.3 trillion by 2032.
But where will fans get the best all-round experience, soaking up the atmosphere and diving into local sporting history, whether they have a ticket to an event or not?
Cities were judged on a range of sports and tourism factors, like their sports bar scene sport-related tourist experiences (and whether they are worth the money), affordable food, drink and local transport options, equality and crime levels, how many major international sports events they host, and how many world-class teams call them home.
The study reveals Dublin is one of the world’s best cities for sports-tripping, coming in fifth place overall and scoring 6.2 out of 10.
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Dublin is home to many top professional teams (16) across the big five team sports - cricket, football, rugby union, basketball and baseball. The city has or will host seven major international sport events across 2025 and 2026 including the action-packed six nations, the FIH Hockey Men's Pro League and the fun filled BetMGM Premier League Darts.
The city’s major sport stadiums, notably Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium, are also close by and easy to get to for tourists. Dublin has a vibrant sports bar scene too (174 venues), that has a good average rating of 4.4 stars out of 5.
Dublin’s performance in the study is let down by its expensive food prices and lack of sport-related tourist attractions. On average, a meal in a mid-range restaurant costs over £17 per person and the city has only 13 tourist attractions for sports fans, according to popular booking sites.
According to the research, London has the best all-round experience for sports tourists, scoring 7.6 out of 10, followed by Dubai, UAE, in second place with an impressive score of 7 out of 10.
Tokyo, Japan comes in third place in the study, with an overall sports tourism score of 6.5 out of 10. Closely following in fourth place is Melbourne, Australia, scoring 6.3 out of 10.
Jacob Wedderburn-Day, Co-Founder and CEO at Stasher commented on the findings:
“It has been fascinating to study the world’s best destinations for sports-tripping as supporters travel further, for longer to be part of the action. It’s great to see London, our home city, at the top of the table, building on the legacy of the 2012 Olympics and the capital’s rich sporting history and heritage.
“The study has also made clear how diverse sport offerings are in each city, making for an unforgettable trip. It’s also promising to see the number of elite women’s competitions drawing international crowds and the growing influence this is having on sports travel.
“And as the Gulf States continue to invest in their sports tourism offerings, we can expect to see them rise in the sports-tripping rankings. But with sports tourists wanting more beyond the stadium walls, their success may be limited. Let’s see!”
The full findings of the study can be found here.