The era of massive events crowding the global calendar may be over for now, but 2026 promises several hot tickets.
It's no surprise that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is projected to lead the way when it comes to events driving hotel demand next year, said Kelsey Fenerty, manager of analytics at STR.
"There were fewer events this year than in 2024, and it's looking like 2026 will be the year of sports," she said.
Here's a roundup of the three major events to keep an eye on in 2026:
| Event | Location(s) | Timeframe |
| Bad Bunny World Tour | South America, Australia, Asia and Europe | Jan. 9 to July 22 |
| 2026 Winter Olympics | Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo | Feb. 6-22 |
| 2026 FIFA World Cup | North America | June 11 to July 19 |
Bad Bunny World Tour
Tour start: Jan. 9
Tour end: July 22
Locations: South America, Australia, Asia and Europe
Takeaway: Puerto Rican superstar Bad Buddy began his "Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour" in November in the Dominican Republic, and he is booked and busy in 2026.
He will perform in several South American countries — Chile, Peru and Colombia — before a brief detour in Santa Clara, California, for the Super Bowl halftime performance. But that'll be his only stop in the United States.
"We do think that he'll get a decent-sized American draw, of Americans who want to see him in concert, but obviously can't do that [in the U.S.], so they'll go abroad," Fenerty said. "Plus, he has a huge global fan base anyway."
He'll head back to South America for a few more stops before heading to Sydney and Tokyo for his only performances in Australia and Asia, respectively.
Bad Bunny's tour will conclude after stops in 12 different European cities, including Barcelona, Madrid, London, Marseille, Milan and Brussels.
2026 Winter Olympics
Dates: Feb. 6-22
Locations: Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Takeaway: This will be the third Winter Olympics hosted by Italy, and the first Olympic Games hosted by Milan.
STR is projecting Milan will have 48% average daily rate growth and 60% revenue per available room growth year over year in February, Fenerty said. This is similar to the impact of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which actualized at 60% RevPAR growth.
"We're expecting higher demand growth in Milan, just because Paris dealt with quite a bit of displacement," she said.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Dates: June 11 to July 19
Location: North America
Takeaway: North America will host the quadrennial soccer tournament for the first time since 1994. It will span 39 days, beginning on June 11, 2026, and concluding on July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
This will be the largest World Cup in history both in terms of the field of teams — 48 — and total matches — 104.
Eleven of the 16 host markets are in the United States, three are in Mexico and two are in Canada.
"We've got pretty strong rate growth forecasts across all the World Cup markets," she said. "The big determinant that we're looking at, when we think about forecasting, is not just how many games per month but also the stage of gameplay. The later in the tournament you go, the higher rate growth we expect."