May 2021 continues to see a return to some kind of normality, with some of sport’s biggest events being held on their usual dates and fans being allowed back. Highlights include the Monaco Grand Prix, French Open, PGA Championship, the Kentucky Derby and the Finals of the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League.
The football season reaches its climax, with the highlights in England being the FA Cup Final and Play-off Finals at Wembley Stadium. Across London, Twickenham Stadium will host the Final of the European Rugby Champions Cup. The European spring season see’s cycling’s first Grand Tour the Giro d’Italia takes place in Italy whilst Formula One’s Portuguese and Spain Grand Prix’s and the Madrid Open and Italian Open tennis events are held.
Further details on each of the highlighted events, such as travel and ticket information is available by clicking below.
Rounds 3, 4 & 5 of 2021 Formula One Season (Motorsport)
30th April-2nd May 2021 – 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix – Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (Portimão, Portugal)
7th-9th May 2021 – 2021 Spanish Grand Prix – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain)
20th-23rd May 2021 – 2021 Monaco Grand Prix – Circuit de Monaco (Monte Carlo, Monaco)
Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes has really been tested by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the opening races at Bahrain and Imola. Three rounds of racing will be held in May, with a return to the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal for the second successive year, the ever present Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and a return to the glitz and glamour of Monaco after not being held in 2020.
Masters Events & 2021 French Open (Tennis)
30th April-9th May 2021 – 2021 Madrid Open – La Caja Mágica (Madrid, Spain)
10th-16th May 2021 – 2021 Italian Open – Foro Italico (Rome, Italy)
30th May-13th June 2021 – 2021 French Open – Roland-Garros (Paris, France)
The second Grand Slam event of the tennis season has been pushed back by a week to allow more fans to attend but Rafael Nadal will be looking for a record 14th French Open on the clay courts of Stade Roland-Garros. Two key clay court events will be held in the weeks leading up to Roland-Garros, with the Madrid Open and Italian Open.
2021 Kentucky Derby (Horse Racing)
1st May 2021 (19:00 Local) – Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky, USA)
“The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” and the longest continually held sporting event in America returns for its 147th consecutive running at Churchill Downs. The favourites for the 2021 Kentucky Derby, with a purse of $3 million includes Essential Quality, Rock Your World, Known Agenda and Hot Rod Charlie.
2021 Giro d’Italia (Cycling)
8th-30th May 2021 – Italy
The first of cycling’s three Grand Tours, the 2021 Giro d’Italia opens in the Piedmont region in the North of Italy, opening with a 9km flat individual time trial in Turin and finishing on the streets of Milan. Great Britain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart of the Ineos Grenadiers was a surprise winner in 2020 but won’t be returning to defend his maglia rosa as he focuses on the Tour de France.
2021 FA Cup Final & EFL Play-off Finals (Football)
15th May 2021 (17:15) – 2021 FA Cup Final (Chelsea v Leicester City) – Wembley Stadium (London, England)
29th May 2021 (15:00) – 2021 EFL Championship play-off Final (TBC v TBC) – Wembley Stadium (London, England)
30th May 2021 (15:00) – 2021 EFL League One play-off Final (TBC v TBC) – Wembley Stadium (London, England)
31st May 2021 (15:00 – 2021 EFL League Two play-off Final (TBC v TBC) – Wembley Stadium (London, England)
As per usual, Wembley Stadium has a busy month of May as its host some of the most important matches in English football. On the 15th May, the 140th staging of the FA Cup Final will see eight time winners Chelsea face Leicester City, playing in their first Final of the competition since 1969 and aiming to win it for the first time. The play-off Finals of the EFL Championship, EFL League One and EFL League Two take place over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of the month, with the Championship play-off Final known as the richest game in football as they seek promotion to the Premier League.
2021 PGA Championship (Golf)
20th-23rd May 2021 – Kiawah Island Golf Resort (Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA)
The second major of the golf season takes place at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina, the second time the course has hosted the PGA Championship, after hosting the 2012 event. Collin Morikawa will return to defend his 2020 win, winning on his debut at the delayed event in August 2020 at TPC Harding Park by two shots from Paul Casey and Dustin Johnson.
2021 European Rugby Champions Cup Final (Rugby Union)
22nd May 2021 (16:45) – Twickenham Stadium (London, England)
Twickenham Stadium will also the flagship event of European club rugby union, after the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille was once again delayed hosting the Final to 2022. Three of the four remaining teams at the time of writing were French, with Toulouse due to play Bordeaux Bègles and La Rochelle to play Leinster from Ireland.
2021 UEFA Europa League Final (Football)
Semi-Final Second Legs
6th May 2021 (21:00 Local/20:00 UK) – AS Roma (Italy) v Manchester United (England) (Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy)
6th May 2021 (21:00 Local/20:00 UK) – Arsenal FC (England) v Villarreal CF (Spain) (Emirates Stadium, London, England)
Final
26th May 2021 (21:00 Local/20:00 UK) – TBC v TBC (Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland)
The 2020-2021 UEFA Europa League reaches its climax this month, with the second legs of the Semi-Finals followed three weeks later with the Final at Stadion Energa Gdańsk in Gdańsk, Poland. Manchester United very much already have one foot in the Final, having won their first leg against Roma 6-2 at Old Trafford. Arsenal meanwhile narrowly lost their first leg away to Villarreal 2-1 but crucially grabbed an away goal.
2021 UEFA Champions League Final (Football)
Semi-Final Second Legs
4th May 2021 (20:00) – Manchester City (England) v Paris Saint-Germain (France) (City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England)
5th May 2021 (20:00) – Chelsea (England) v Real Madrid (Spain) (Stamford Bridge, London, England)
Final
29th May 2021 (22:00 Local/20:00 UK) – TBC v TBC (Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey)
The race for the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on the 29th May is still very much open as the semi-finals could still go either way. Manchester City scored two second half away goals at the Parc des Princes as they defeated Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 to have the advantage going back to the City of Manchester Stadium. Chelsea also crucially scored an away goal as they drew 1-1 away to Real Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, to hold a slender advantage when they play at Stamford Bridge.
