One of the great things about retirement is having more time to travel. And if you like watching sport, you can kill two birds with one stone by timing your travel around top overseas sporting events. You may only get a chance to see them once in your lifetime.
Wimbledon
Wimbledon is arguably the most prestigious tennis tournament out of the 4 Grand Slam events held each year (the other 3 are the Australian, French and US Opens). If you enjoyed watching this year’s Wimbledon event, imagine being there live!
It’s usually held in the first two weeks of July each year. Tickets to finals’ matches are extremely popular and are sold well in advance via a ballot system. Registration for the ballot for Wimbledon 2024 tickets commences in September 2023.
The 2023 prices for the mens’ and womens’ finals on Wimbledon’s famed centre court cost about $470 at current exchange rates. Centre-court crowd capacity is just 15,000.
Of course, tickets to earlier matches in the tournament are significantly cheaper but they also tend to sell out quickly, so make sure you get them well in advance.
An Ashes Test at Lord’s
If you’re following the current Ashes series, then it’s important to know that it’s only played in England once every four years. The next series won’t be until mid-2027, so you’ve got plenty of time to plan a trip!
If you’re only going to go to one Test, try and make it the one that’s held at Lord’s. Steeped in tradition, it isn’t known as ‘the home of cricket’ for nothing!
However, like Wimbledon, you need to get tickets to a Lord’s Ashes Test well in advance via a ballot system. It’s a small ground with a crowd capacity of just 31,000. Ticket prices for the Lord’s Test of the 2023 series ranged from $249 to $399, depending on the seating position.
The FIFA World Cup
Like the Ashes in England, the FIFA World Cup is held every four years. Tickets to the Matildas’ and finals’ matches for the upcoming FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand are already sold out, but the 2026 men’s event should be next on your radar.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico in July and August of that year. Of course, the Socceroos still need to qualify for the event, but given our success in qualifying for the past 5 World Cups, there’s very reason to be confident that they will.
Tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are expected to go on sale in late 2025. They usually sell out very quickly. Official ticket prices for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ranged from $11 to $1,607, depending on the seating position and the match.
The Rugby World Cup
Like the Ashes in England and the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby World Cup is held once every four years. The 2023 men’s event will be held over six weeks in France during October and November.
The Wallabies will be there of course, but official tickets to their three pool matches have already sold out. Like most global sporting events, you need to buy them about a year before the event. The good news is that Australia will host the men’s 2027 Rugby World Cup and the 2029 women’s event, so you can put those in your diary.
Wallabies’ ticket prices for the 2023 event ranged from about $45 to $185 at current exchange rates, depending on the seating position. Finals’ matches of course were far more expensive.
The Monaco Grand Prix
There’s nothing quite like the buzz, glamour and excitement surrounding a Formula 1 race, and what better place to see one than in the idyllic surrounds of Monaco? The Monaco Grand Prix is usually held in May of each year.
Tickets for the 2024 event will likely go on sale in late 2023. Prices typically range from $500 to $1,500, depending on the seating position.
The Olympics
While Brisbane may be hosting the 2032 event, there are still two Olympics before then featuring a huge range of sports. Paris will host the 2024 Olympics in July/August, while the 2028 event will be held in Los Angeles in July of that year. Ticket prices for the 2024 Olympics vary widely depending on the sport.
As anyone who was lucky enough to be in Sydney in 2000 will attest, being in an Olympic host city during the event is a very exciting time.
Want to learn more about making the most of your next 30 years?
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