Melbourne and Victoria has been receiving a lot of nods for its tourism opportunities lately, with the New York Times listing the city as one of the top places to go in 2026, and Lonely Planet including quite a few spots on their best beaches guide. And now, Melbourne has been named as one of the best cities in the world for sports tourism, according to a study from luggage storage network Stasher. And with lots of major events like the Australian Open and the Grand Prix, there’s lots of sporty reasons for travellers to come to our city.
The World’s Best Cities for Sports Tourism in 2026
Researchers from Stasher found that sports tourism accounts for around 10% of global travel spending, and that nearly 30% of people have already travelled, or would consider travelling, overseas for a major sporting event, such as the FIFA World Cup or the Winter Olympics. Sports fans also looked for destinations where there was lots to do before and after the matchday, and considered factors like affordability, safety, and ease of getting around. Cities with year-round sports, like Melbourne, consistently outperformed places that rely on one-off events.
Stasher looked at 50 global cities, and considered factors like number of professional sports teams, major sports competitions, number of sports-related tourist experiences and distance to the largest sports stadium to determine the rankings. They also considered other factors, like cost of public transport, average price of an inexpensive meal and average price for a beer in a restaurant.
Melbourne performed strongly, receiving a score of 6.3 out of 10. We were described as a city where sport is deeply “embedded in everyday life, from cricket and rugby to motorsport and tennis.” The city is the host of major international sport events, and is home to top professional teams across sports like cricket, football, rugby union and basketball.
Stadiums like the MCG are easy to get to for tourists, and there’s also a thriving sports bar scene.
Here are the results:
- London
- Dubai
- Tokyo
- Melbourne
- Dublin
January was the third busiest month for Melbourne Airport on record, with plenty of travellers arriving for the Australian Open. And with heaps of other major events coming soon, like the Australian Grand Prix and the NFL’s first regular-season game at the MCG, there’s a lot more to look forward to.
To read the full results, click here.