London Guide: Football, Cricket, Rugby & More Sport Experiences

London is a sports-mad city, and for any sports enthusiast, there’s a huge amount of things to do and experience. In this guide, we detail some of the best sporting events and experiences on offer and give you a little information about how to get involved, from buying tickets to registering for activities.

We're giving you the full sport experience in London! And yes, it includes info about cricket in London. While you’re at it, heck out the Nannybag guide for football enthusiasts visiting London, which offers an exciting journey through the heart of Europe's football scene, showcasing iconic stadiums like Wembley, Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Fulham's Craven Cottage, and Chelsea's Stamford Bridge. Though London isn’t all about football; rugby fans can also discover the vibrant rugby culture there. This guide is your passport to the thrilling world of sports in the city, ensuring an action-packed visit for all sports enthusiasts!

One thing to keep in mind, though - if you’re attending a sports event as a tourist, any bags or luggage you might have with you will likely not be allowed into the stadium. Therefore, you should check out Nannybag!

This handy service in London allows you to find helpful luggage storage sites in London with their app or website, then drop off items for only £6 per bag per day. What should you sports fans look to get up to while in London? Follow this sport guide about London to find out!

Football

Let’s start with perhaps the nation’s main pastime, football! London is a football-mad city, and for the 23/24 season, there are eight London clubs playing in the Premier League, one of the world’s most popular professional sports leagues.

These are Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Luton Town, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. These matches are always colorful, boisterous, and exciting, offering a true taste of London sports culture.

Grab a pint in a nearby pub to soak up the atmosphere ahead of a game, and learn some of the chants so you can sing along with the thousands of other fans in the stadium! Going to a Premier League game is a true must-do if you’re a sports fan visiting London, but tickets can be hard to come by.

You might need to become a member of the clubs to find tickets for certain high-profile games. Being a member usually involves making a one-time purchase, but it comes with great benefits, like priority access to tickets.

It's important to note that clubs often categorize matches as Grade A, B, or C. If you're looking for more availability, keep an eye out for lower-grade matches. Grade A match tickets, like local derbies, are usually offered to regular fans first.

You can consider hospitality packages if you're looking for a more special experience. Especially if you're coming on one of the big match days. These packages include match tickets and provide additional perks. Among the amenities, fantastic food and drink options, car parking, match programs, and souvenir gifts.

Each club has its own sales processes; you can find more detailed information about them on their websites. There are other tournaments played by these teams, like the FA Cup, the Europa League, or the Carabao Cup, where tickets are also easier to come by - check schedules ahead of your visit!

If you haven’t been lucky enough to find tickets but still want to experience these amazing stadiums, you should consider taking a stadium tour.

Most Premier League clubs offer a stadium tour. Still, we especially recommend checking out the Stamford Bridge(home of Chelsea FC) tour and the Emirates Stadium (home of Arsenal FC) tours.

These are London’s two biggest and most successful clubs, and both stadiums are magnificent. They both also have museums dedicated to each club's history and exploits, which are worth checking out.

Tickets for the Arsenal Tour start at £30, with tickets valid for three months. Meanwhile, the Chelsea Stadium tour costs £40 for an adult -check out more information here.

Finally, you can visit the biggest stadium in London for a tour, Wembley Stadium, which is an iconic and enormous venue for England matches, cup finals, and concerts, seating over 80,000 people.

Tickets to Wembley matches are really hard to come by, but getting tickets to an FA Cup final is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Check out their website for more details.

Cricket

While football is a truly global game, nothing quite feels as quintessentially English as a good game of cricket. On a weekend during the summer, many parks around the city will have cricket being played, and it’s lovely to watch idly while relaxing over a picnic.

However, if you want to watch the game being played at a professional standard, head to London’s two major cricket grounds, Lord’s or the Kennington Oval.

Lord’s Cricket Ground is, by a distance, the most prestigious and famous cricket ground in the world. It’s located in the smart St. John’s Wood neighborhood, right beside the tube stop of the same name on the Jubilee Line.

Lord’s history dates all the way back to 1814 when it was established as the home of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). With its hallowed turf and historic pavilion, Lords has witnessed countless legendary matches and has become synonymous with the sport. It’s very architecturally impressive and beautiful, and watching cricket here is an amazing experience.

The ground hosts a variety of cricket matches throughout the year, ranging from international Test matches (which go on for five days each, but you can buy tickets for just one day) to One-Day Internationals and T20 games. It is also the venue for the final of the prestigious English domestic competition, the County Championship.

The historic Ashes series between England and Australia has seen several epic encounters at Lords, but tickets for this are notoriously hard to get your hands on. Check out the full programming and buy tickets on their website here.

Another great place to watch live cricket is the Kennington Oval, the home of Surrey Cricket Club, which plays in the county championship. The England cricket team frequently plays Test matches, One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and T20 Internationals (T20Is) at this renowned venue.

If you have a chance to watch the Ashes at the Oval, don’t miss out - they’re usually pretty epic encounters. The iconic gasometers and the famous Victorian pavilion add to the ground's unique charm. A true cricket lover's paradise! Check out what’s on and where to get tickets here.

Wimbledon

While there are plenty of tennis tournaments in London, the one that truly jumps out is the world’s most famous tennis tournament, which takes place in Wimbledon, west London, which can be reached by train.

Dating back to 1877, Wimbledon showcases the epitome of grass court tennis and timeless traditions. The tournament is renowned for its iconic white attire, strawberries and cream, and the all-important British obsession with the weather.

Usually, it’s sunny in London in July. Still, rain often gets games called off! Wimbledon attracts the top tennis players from both the men's and women's circuits, creating a thrilling display of skill, athleticism, and sheer determination.

With its historic Centre Court and charming 17 outer courts, Wimbledon offers an unparalleled experience for players and spectators alike. The atmosphere is electric as fans cheer on their favorite players while indulging in the traditional treats and sipping refreshing Pimm's, but it always remains famously civilized and quite formal.

Rugby

Another world-famous English game, Rugby, is popular in London. The three main London clubs are Harlequins, Saracens, and London Irish. Still, for the best matchday experience, we recommend heading to Twickenham Stadium in North West London, affectionally known as “Rugby’s Headquarters” or simply “HQ.”

The English men play around 8 matches here every year, but there are plenty of other rugby occasions in this huge, iconic 80,000-seat stadium to enjoy.

One-off international matches are played here, along with the finals of the English Premiership and occasional Women’s Internationals. The London Sevens tournament is one of the most enjoyable and lively events in the rugby Calendar.

Sevens is a shortened form of the game, played only by seven players a side and matches lasting only 14 minutes, with games played throughout the day. The crowds at these games are in full-on party mode, with plenty of drinking, revelry, and costumes on display. See what’s on at Twickenham here.

Other London Sports Events

There are plenty of other great sporting events to catch while in London. If you’re in town in March (2024’s edition takes place on Saturday 30th, March), you should try to witness the famous Boat Race.

This historic race is held between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and is a thrilling rowing contest on the River Thames between Putney Bridge and Chiswick Bridge.

It showcases the fierce rivalry between these prestigious institutions, attracting crowds who gather along the riverbanks to cheer on their favorite teams and enjoy the exhilarating race. You’d be surprised at how vociferous and passionate Oxford and Cambridge University fans can get!

Another prestigious, glamorous sporting event to attend is the Royal Ascot, a highlight of the British social and horse racing calendar taking place in late June. This fancy race meet takes place over five days at Ascot Racecourse, an hour outside London to the west, attracting society's crème de la crème.

It's a magnificent spectacle where fashion and style intertwine with the thundering hooves of magnificent racehorses, offering a unique blend of high society and sporting excellence. If you plan on going, make sure you have a top hat and suit or a fancy dress and hat!

Finally, if you’re a keen runner, want to raise some money for charity, or want to spectate and have a great day out, the London Marathon is a brilliant experience. It will take place on Sunday, 21st, 2024, and is one of the world's most renowned long-distance running events.

Runners from all walks of life participate, racing through the city's iconic landmarks and streets, creating an incredible atmosphere along the way. Thousands of spectators come out to support too.

There’s a £70 entry fee, but only if you get a place on the ballot - there are so many entrance applications that it’s run as a lottery.

From Saturday, 22 April, you can access the ballot entry page. If you're in a giving mood or want to increase your chances in the ballot draw, you can contribute the entry fee to the London Marathon Foundation.