10 of the Biggest Sports Events in May 2023

Monaco, home of the Circuit de Monaco

We sum up 10 of the world’s biggest sports events you can catch in May 2023, with further detail on each of the highlighted events such as travel, ticket and hotel information below.

2023 Giro d’Italia (Cycling)

6th-28th May – Italy

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

The first of the season’s three Grand Tours (along with the Tour de France and Vuelta a España) will be held across three weeks in May. The 2023 Grande Partenza will depart from the Abruzzo region with an individual time trial along the Costa dei Trabocchi cycle path. The grand finale will be held in Rome for the fifth time. With 2022 winner Jai Hindley, concentrating on the Tour de France, the main contenders for the maglia rosa are 2022 Vuelta winner Remco Evenepoel and three time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič. Outside bets include Geraint Thomas, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Joao Almeida and Alexander Vlasov.

Where to Watch

Further information on the route can be accessed on the official website here.

Travel

Italy has a number of international airports, including in Rome, Milan, Venice, Catania, Naples, Bologna and Pisa among others which between them serve many destinations across Europe and the World. Thinking of flying to Italy? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Italy by clicking here.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 Kentucky Derby (Horse Racing)

6th May – Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky, USA)

Churchill Downs

Known as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”, the Kentucky Derby is the longest continually held sporting event in America and is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world with a winning purse of $2 million and best attended with a crowd of 155,000 people. The 2022 race saw the second-largest upset in Derby history as Rich Strike won with odds of 80–1 after only entering the race due to a late scratch.

Tickets

General admission tickets for the 2023 race started at $75. Further information and booking is available on the official website here.

Travel

Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport offers a number of flights across the United States. The airport is approximately 3 miles southwest of the racetrack with driving directions below. The slightly larger Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is about 100 miles away and offers a greater number of destinations. Thinking of flying to Louisville? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Louisville by clicking here.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 Women’s FA Cup Final (Football)

14th May 2023 – Wembley Stadium (LondonEngland)

Wembley Stadium

In a highly significant moment, the 2023 Women’s FA Cup Final is a sell-out for the first time at the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium. The match sold out two weeks before the event and smashes the record from last year when 49,094 fans witnessed Chelsea clinch their fourth title after defeating Manchester City 3-2 after extra time. Chelsea will return to Wembley this year where they will face Manchester United, playing in their first ever Final since being formed in 2018.

Tickets

Tickets were on sale through the official FA website here, starting at just £15 but as noted above sold out two weeks before the match.

Travel

The two busiest airports in the UK serve London and between them have flights to most of the world’s prime destinations – Heathrow Airport is 20 miles west of Wembley, with Gatwick Airport approximately 60 miles south of the stadium. Thinking of flying to London? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in London.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 PGA Championship (Golf)

18th-21st May 2023 – Oak Hill Country Club (Rochester, New York, USA)

Rochester, New York

The 2023 PGA Championship will be played at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, the fourth time the club has hosted the event, having previously hosted in 1980, 2003 and 2013. Favourites for the second major of the year include 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. The 2022 winner at the Southern Hills Country Club was Justin Thomas, who defeated Will Zalatoris in a three-hole aggregate playoff to win his second PGA Championship.

Tickets

Check the official website for the latest updates, tickets are now only available on the Ticket Exchange platform.

Travel

The Greater Rochester International Airport is located three miles southwest of Downtown and offers flights across the United States. Other nearby airports include Buffalo (60 miles away), Syracuse (87 miles away) and Toronto (160 miles away). Thinking of flying to Rochester? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Rochester by clicking here.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 European Rugby Champions Cup Final (Rugby Union)

20th May 2023 – Aviva Stadium (Dublin, Republic of Ireland)

The Aviva Stadium in Dublin

The 2023 European Rugby Champions Cup Final (AKA the Heineken Champions Cup) will be a repeat of 2022, albeit with the host nations reversed as Dublin’s Aviva Stadium will see Irish side Leinster face French team La Rochelle. The 2022 Final at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille saw La Rochelle win their 1st title in dramatic circumstances, scoring a last minute try to defeat Leinster 24-21.

Tickets

Ticket information for the 2023 European Rugby Champions Cup Final will be available on the official EPCR website, you can check for updates on the official website here.

Travel

Dublin Airport is about 15km north of Dublin or about a 25 minute drive. The airport has flights to a number of international airports. Thinking of flying to Dublin? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Dublin by clicking here.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 Monaco Grand Prix (Motorsport)

28th May 2023 – Circuit de Monaco (Monte Carlo, Monaco)

Circuit de Monaco

Round 7 of the 2023 Formula One season is the glamorous Monaco Grand Prix at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Red Bull have started the 2023 season the strongest and will be hoping for a repeat of 2022, with Sergio Pérez winning a rain affected race that was delayed by 65 minutes and only saw 64 of the 78 laps completed as the three-hour time limit was reached.

Tickets

Ticket prices vary considerably depending on which day you attend and which kind of ticket you want – varying from VIP to Grandstand to General Admission.

Monaco F1 tickets are available to purchase through Motorsport Tickets here.

Travel

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is the closest airport to Monaco, being approximately 30km west of the principality. The airport is the third busiest in France, offering flights to a number of different destinations. Thinking of flying? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Monaco by clicking here.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 Indy 500 (Motorsport)

28th May 2023 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Indiana, USA)

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500

Known as The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indy 500 is held over Memorial Day weekend and on the same day as another of motor-racing’s Triple Crown, the Monaco Grand Prix. A crowd of over 300,000 will descend on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to witness the 107th running of the 200 lap, 500 mile race which will be Round 6 of the 2023 IndyCar Series.

In 2022, Marcus Ericsson of Chip Ganassi Racing became the second Swedish winner in the race’s history after Kenny Bräck in 1999, holding off a charge from Pato O’Ward on a restart with two laps to go. Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon had qualified on pole with the fastest speed ever seen at the race and led race for the most laps (95) but was penalised for speeding entering the pit lane and received a drive-through penalty which ultimately cost him victory.

Tickets

General admission tickets start at $45 and $65 for reserved seating. For further information and to purchase tickets, look on the official website here.

Travel

Indianapolis International Airport is located seven miles southwest of downtown mainly offers flights across the United States but does have several international routes. Alternatively, there are several other airports just over 100 miles away including the James M. Cox Dayton International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Fort Wayne International Airport and Louisville International Airport. Thinking of flying to Indianapolis? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Indianapolis by clicking here.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 French Open (Tennis)

28th May-11th June 2023 – Roland-Garros (ParisFrance)

Stade Roland-Garros, host of the Stade Roland-Garros

The prominent Clay court tennis event and the second of the four Grand Slam tournaments to be held in the professional tennis calendar each year, the 2023 French Open takes place at Roland-Garros at the back of May and into June. In the Men’s Singles, 2022 winner and record 14 time champion Rafael Nadal is an injury doubt but still remains an outside contender, with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic among the favourites. In the Women’s singles, two time winner and current Champion Iga Świątek is odds on favourites, with Ons Jabeur, Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka, Cori Gauff and Barbora Krejcikova the outside bets.

Tickets

Tickets for the general public usually go on sale in early March, you can purchase tickets through the official Roland-Garros website here.

Travel

Charles de Gaulle is the second largest airport in Europe and has flights to many international destinations. Located 30km north of the city, the airport has easy access to central Paris via the RER B train network (€10.30), with a travel time of about 35 minutes.

Orly Airport is the smaller airport but is still the second busiest in France. The airport largely serves domestic destinations and budget airlines. The free Orlyval metro service connects the airport with RER B train network at Antony station.

Thinking of flying to Paris? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Paris by clicking here.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 EFL Championship Play-Off Final (Football)

27th May 2023 – Wembley Stadium (LondonEngland)

Wembley Stadium

Dubbed the richest match in Football, the 2023 EFL Championship Play-off Final is the culmination of the 2022-23 EFL Championship season and will see the winners promoted to the riches of the Premier League. With Burnley and Sheffield United already promoted, the match at Wembley Stadium is held between the victors of the play-off semi-finals, contested between the teams finishing between third and sixth in the league table.

At the time of writing going into the final weekend of fixtures, the play-offs will be contested between Luton Town, Middlesbrough and two from Coventry, Millwall, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion or Blackburn Rovers.

Tickets

Ticket information for the 2023 EFL Championship play-off Final will be available on the official EFL website.

Travel

The two busiest airports in the UK serve London and between them have flights to most of the world’s prime destinations – Heathrow Airport is 20 miles west of Wembley, with Gatwick Airport approximately 60 miles south of the stadium. Thinking of flying to London? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in London.

Further Information

Official Website


2023 UEFA Europa League Final (Football)

31st May 2023 – Puskás Aréna (Budapest, Hungary)

Budapest

The Final of UEFA’s secondary club competition, the UEFA Europa League will be held at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. This will be the first time the stadium has hosted the Final, although it has hosted major events such as the 2019 UEFA Women’s Champions League Final, the 2020 UEFA Super Cup and four matches at UEFA Euro 2020. The venue was due to host the Final in 2022 but was shifted back by 12 months due to the knock on effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. The match will take place between either Juventus/Sevilla and Roma/Bayer Leverkusen, with the semi-finals taking place on the 11th and 18th May.

Tickets

Ticket information for the 2023 UEFA Europa League Final will be available on the official UEFA website, you can subscribe to updates on the official website here.

Travel

The Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is located about 24km away from Budapest, with flights to many European destinations as well as North America. Thinking of flying to Budapest? Search & book your flights through Skyscanner here.

Where to Stay

Use TripAdvisor to find some great places to stay in Budapest by clicking here.

Further Information

Official Website


Last Updated on May 6, 2023 by Sports Tourist

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