From Wimbledon, Copa America and the Olympics to the Cricket T20 World Cup and Tour de France, make sure you don't miss out on tickets to an incredible summer of sport in 2024
As the summer of 2024 approaches, we quickly realise just how many sports events are happening that all of a sudden we would like to be at. Are you scrambling for tickets just like I am? The Cricket T20 World Cup is taking place across the USA and West Indies, the European Championships will be in Germany, the Olympic Games in Paris, Copa America through-out the USA and the old staples of our summer sporting diet, the Tour de France and Wimbledon. It's an exciting schedule over the coming months, and quite frankly FOMO is setting in as we begin to wonder if it is too late to get a ticket to attend any of these global sporting events! But maybe it's not too late...
Are you hoping to score last-minute tickets to 2024's Summer Sporting events? Don't worry, they don't call me Sports Travel Tom for nothing and I am here to help you, and let me tell you, you can still grab a ticket to a huge array of sporting events this summer. Even better news, in what I have compiled below you'll find a $6 ticket as well as sporting events that won't cost you a dime. You're welcome.
Let's get into it, comment below and let me know the sporting event that you want to attend...
How to get last-minute tickets to 2024's Summer Sporting Events
How to get last-minute tickets to the 2024 Tour de France
Location: Various, Italy and France
Dates: 21st June - 29th July
Ticket Range: Free - High
The Tour de France is the jewel in the crown when it comes to the summer season of sport in France, although it has had to give way a little to the Paris Olympic Games this year. So much so, for the first time in the Tour de France's history, it will not finish in Paris due to the hosting of the Games. Instead, the world's best cyclists will complete the gruelling Tour in Nice. That'll be nice for them (couldn't resist).
The Tour de France this year begins in Florence in Italy with 21 stages following, the first 3 of which will take place in Italy. The 2024 Tour de France will visit Italian and French towns and cities such as Bologne, Turin, Valloire, Dijon, Troyes, Orleans, Aurilliac, Pau, Monaco and Nice.
For the full Tour de France route, see below.
Credit: Tour de France
When it comes to tickets, you have the option of hospitality packages that get you access to the the big moments of the race such as the Grand Departs.
One of the best for Tour de France hospitality experiences is Sports Tours International who currently have packages available in Florence for the Grand Depart and Nice for the finish, as well as bespoke packages at other locations along the route.
The other way to watch the Tour de France is to find a roadside spot to watch the circus of hundreds of cyclists and support cars pass by and the good news is, this is free!
As you can see by the map above, there are plenty of opportunities to find a great location to get roadside in the Italian or French countryside. To get the best experience, choose a mountain stage where the riders are riding uphill. This way, you'll get to experience the riders passing you for longer instead of passing you in a flash on a quicker stage. You'll get more bang for your (free) buck by choosing an uphill mountain stage. So how do you find a location in the mountains?
My best advice for finding a roadside spot in the Italian or French countryside is to either travel by motorhome the night before to give yourself some time to find a location. Many areas along the route will have restricted parking and closed roads, so preparation is the key here. With a motorhome you can drive the route the day before whilst the roads are open and once you find a suitable location to park up, you can fix your watching spot. Another option is find yourself a base such as Orleans or Valloire and then cycle out before the race begins to set up somewhere along the route that day. This way, you have a little more freedom to find somewhere instead of searching for parking areas.
Don't forget the Tour de France Caravan which passes before the riders do. The Caravan is a fleet of cars that hand out free Tour merchandise such as caps and key-rings. It's always a brilliantly fun moment ahead of the race passing by.
Looking at the 2024 Tour de France route, I would say a good option would be to visit the Tour in Pau, a town in southwestern France that is home to the spectacular Boulevard des Pyrenees. The Tour de France's Stage 13 will finish in Pau on the 12th July and Stage 14 will depart on the 13th July so with just one night in Pau, you'll get to see plenty of cycling action. Hotels for the night of July 12th are still pretty reasonable too, considering the Tour is in town for the night.
From the Boulevard, you have the most wonderful view of the Pyrenees to the south and it is scattered with cafes, bars and restaurants all equipped with outdoor seating. The Boulevard would not look out of place along the French Riviera coastline, only here in Pau, it's mountains and rugged landscapes that replace the blue of the ocean.
Pau is also home to the Pau Grand Prix which is a reason to visit the town in itself. First run in 1930, the famous racing event is older than the Monaco Grand Prix, although somewhat overshadowed by its nearby counterpart these days.
I had the pleasure of attending the Pau Grand Prix in 2022 and if you want to know more about Pau, you can read my full guide here. It is worth pointing out that the Grand Prix is cancelled in 2024 and set to return in 2025.
How to get last-minute tickets the 2024 Wimbledon Championships
Location: London, United Kingdom
Dates: 1st July - 14th July
Ticket Range: £30 and below via The Queue
When it comes to a sporting event that encapsulates the British Summer, look no further than the Wimbledon Championships.
Like a number of sporting events, getting a ticket to attend Wimbledon can be incredibly difficult, but where's there a will, there's a way.
For the 2024 edition of The Championships, the public ticket ballot has now closed. It normally asks for entries around the autumn time the year before with successful candidates being informed in the February before the tournament takes place. I will keep you informed as to when it is time to enter the ballot for the 2025 tournament. There is no ticket re-sale either, so once the ballot has come and gone, and you haven't got those all important tickets, you will need to look at other options.
One of those options is deciding to enjoy Wimbledon in Hospitality. Kieth Prowse is the official hospitality partner for The Championships, but get this, even all hospitality options have sold out for 2024. They actually sold out by March, so that gives you an idea of just how popular the tournament is, baring in mind you can get tickets to other tennis Grand Slam events such as the US Open and the Australian Open on the day! The French Open is equally as difficult as whilst there is no ticket ballot, tickets to all show-court matches for both weeks tend to sell out within 2 to 3 hours of going on sale. Don't worry, if you follow me, I will give you warnings as to when tickets will go on sale for the French Open in 2025.
Back to Wimbledon and fear not, if you've had no luck in the Wimbledon ballot, and it's too late to secure a hospitality ticket, there is one more option and this time, with just a little effort and a potentially uncomfortable night's sleep, you'll be in the thick of the action.
I'm talking about the famous Wimbledon Queue. The Queue has become an integral component of Wimbledon. It's part of the charm of the Championships and provides numerous fans entry every day. If you are not aware of what the Queue is at Wimbledon, it's basically a system where you can queue up to be in with a chance to grab one of the daily tickets they allocate to on-the-day fans.
The Queue has taken on a life of its own nowadays as fans became so keen to be at the front of the queue (for the best chance to get a ticket) hundreds of people started to line up the night before. That means that The Championships now use Wimbledon Park next door as a co-ordinated and organised queueing system. Essentially, you should be okay if you join the queue at around 7am, but for those not willing to risk it, get there the night before, camp in the queue and you're all but guaranteed a ticket.
As with any orderly queue, there are some rules, so here is how it works.
Wimbledon Queue tips:
Each day The Championships will have 500 tickets on sale for Centre Court, No. 1 Court and No. 2 Court, apart from the final 4 days of the tournament. Many more Ground Passes are made available each day which will enable you to roam the Wimbledon grounds, sit on Henman Hill to watch the action on the big screen, take it the numerous food & beverage options and have all of the outer courts to choose from. Ground Passes are sold at £30 per ticket per day and become cheaper after Day 9 due there being less matches on the Outer Courts in the latter stages.
When you join the back of The Queue you will be given a Queue Card which will be dated and numbered and you will need to keep this on you at all times and present it to the ticket gate once you reach the front. If you are camping, you will need a tent that is no bigger than a two-person tent. Wimbledon also advises someone in your group will need to stay within in the Queue at all times (if you are on your own then best to ask your camping neighbours to vouch for you if you have popped to the temporary toilets in the park) as organisers make regular checks along the line. You'll also need to be awake and packed up early as the Queue will begin to move around sunrise. There are lockers near the front gates where you can store your tent and belongings before you head into the Wimbledon grounds.
How to get last-minute tickets to the 2024 Cricket T20 World Cup
Location: West Indies and USA
Dates: 2nd June - 29th June
Ticket Range - $6 and upwards
The Cricket T20 World Cup is taking place through June in 2024 at venues across the USA and West Indies. Both host countries offer rather contrasting cricketing legacies. The West Indies are cricket mad of course, whilst the sport in the USA has been somewhat overshadowed by the game of Baseball. Still, it's nice to see America taking to Cricket and hopefully the fast paced nature of T20 will charm many American fans who have yet to be fully introduced to the sport.
There's good ticket news here as T20 World Cup tickets are on general sale and there are still plenty available. There's no ballot to think about, it's as simple as choosing a location, a match and buying a ticket on the official T20 ticketing website.
Some of the best ticket options available for the Cricket T20 World Cup at the moment include:
Australia v Oman, Kensington Oval, Barbados
Date: 5th June
Cheapest Ticket: $25
Australia v England, Kensington Oval, Barbados
Date: 8th June
Cheapest Ticket: $45
United States v India, Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York
Date: 12th June
Cheapest Ticket: $200
Sri Lanka v Netherlands, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia
Date: 16th June
Cheapest Ticket: $6
New Zealand v Papua New Guinea, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad & Tobago
Date: 17th June
Cheapest Ticket: $12
No matter what the sporting event is, a $6 ticket is hard to turn down! Especially in Saint Lucia! I'm already looking at flights.
How to get last-minute tickets to the 2024 Men's European Championships
Location: Various, Germany
Dates: 14th June - 14th July
Ticket Range - Free fanzones and upwards for match tickets
If you want to get a ticket for Euro 2024, no one would blame you for thinking you had missed your chance at this late stage ahead of the tournament being staged through June and July. You would be wrong through, as there is still a chance, albeit, perhaps only a small chance.
UEFA have opened their final resale ticketing portal. These tickets consist of those that have been given back to UEFA from fans who were successful in buying tickets but can no longer attend plus any additional seating once the seating plans of each stadium has been finalised.
From these tickets, there are a very minimal amount left and all priced at at least Euro 400.
UEFA have stated a record low amount of tickets were returned and more than one million fans were in the queue for the final few tickets made available.
If you don't manage to get a ticket, there is another option and it's not to be underestimated. Germany is a wonderful country to visit and each host city for the tournament has a city-centre fanzone which is free to attend. It will include live screenings of matches happening in that city, as well as all Germany matches. Other matches may be selected but are not confirmed as yet. With this option, there is nothing to say you can't travel around Germany throughout Euro 2024 watching your team play in each city they are playing in and attending the fanzones. A great way to be with your own fans, as well as explore the country.
There is nothing better than being around a host city during a major tournament. The atmosphere and buzz is always a thrill and you end up talking to people from far and wide, all in high-spirits.
I visited Kiev, Ukraine in 2012 for the European Championships that were held across Poland and Ukraine and whilst I had a ticket for an England match at the city's Olympic Stadium, for the three other days I was there, I immersed myself in the fanzone areas. It was wonderful with football fans all in their colours, mixing together, enjoying the host country's hospitality and enjoying the atmosphere together.
If a match ticket is out of reach for you, I would fully recommend a visit to Germany and to one of the host cities to attend a fanzone. The Euro 2024 host cities are; Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dortmund, Leipzig, Gelsenkirchen, Stuttgart and Dusseldorf.
If you are looking for a great city to base yourself in for Euro 2024 and take day trips to nearby host cities to soak up the atmosphere on match days, look at Dortmund or Dusseldorf. They are both host cities themselves and also very close to Cologne (around an hour on the train) and Gelsenkirchen (25 minutes by train) for quick day-trips. Equally, city's such as Frankfurt (2 hours by train), Stuttgart (3.5 hours by train), Berlin (3.5 hours by train) and Hamburg (2.5 hours by train) are all within easy reach for visits from your Dortmund or Dusseldorf base. A little further a field, Leipzig is a 4.5 hour train journey away whilst Munich is 5.5 hours. With Germany's efficient train network, exploring the country whilst being based in the North West during Euro 2024 is a great option.
How to get last-minute tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics
Location: Paris, France and various
Dates: Olympic Games - 26th July - 11th August, Paralympic Games
Ticket Range: Euro25 and upwards
With the Olympic and Paralympic Games consisting of so many events across a multitude of locations, you'll not be surprised to know there are still a good amount of tickets available for the Paris 2024 Games.
Pre-April 17th, a lot of the events had already sold out for the Paris Olympics but on April 17th a final ticket sale began at 10am (CEST) across all sports. A total of 250,000 tickets were made available. To find a ticket all you have to do is log on to the Paris Olympics website, create an account and be ready to snap up some last minute Olympic tickets!
If you're prepared to pay, you can still get yourself to the Opening and Closing Ceremony. Tickets for the ceremonies are available on the official Paris Olympic ticketing website but are priced in the thousands.
The Opening Ceremony is expected to be held along the River Seine - the first time ever an Olympic Opening Ceremony has not been held in the confines of a stadium. In theory this will create a monumental sporting spectacle and provide Paris a brilliant showcase to the world - however, the Games do have alternative plans ready should they decide external factors mean it is safer to host the Opening Ceremony somewhere else.
As well as the above, there are still a host of Olympic Hospitality options available should you be prepared to pay to be there. How to get last-minute tickets to the 2024 Paris Paralympics
Location: Paris, France and various
Dates: 28th August - 8th September
Ticket Range: Euro20 and upwards
As for the Paralympic Games, there are many tickets still available and packages such as the Discovery Pass and the Family Pass. Both offer good value and enable you to enter multiple events per day.
Much like with the Olympics tickets, head to the same Paris Olympics website and navigate to the Paralympic tickets section to have a look at all the options available.
How to get last-minute tickets to the 2024 Copa America
Location: United States
Dates: 21st June - 15th July
Ticket Price Range: $35 and upwards
The Copa America is the equivalent of Europe's European Championships. A tournament for The America's best national teams to battle it out. The only difference of course is, the Copa America covers an area a lot bigger than Europe.
In 2024 the Copa America will be hosted in the USA, a good practice ahead of the country co-hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada.
The host venues for the Copa America are Arlington, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Houston, Texas; Inglewood, California; Santa Clara, California; Glendale, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; Miami, Florida; Orlando, Florida.
Unlike the European Championships where ticket sales come and go quite quickly, tickets to Copa America matches are available via Ticketmaster and other official ticketing sites, and you will be directed through from the Copa America website.
Ticket prices vary, but here are some of the best value, most attractive and must-do matches I have seen.
Argentina v Canada, Atlanta, Georgia - Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Date: 20th June
Cheapest Ticket: $334
Mexico v Jamaica, Houston, Texas - NRG Stadium
Date: 22nd June
Cheapest Ticket: $78
USA v Bolivia, Arlington, Texas - AT&T Stadium
Date: June 23rd
Cheapest Ticket: $35
Brazil v Costa Rica, Inglewood, California - SoFi Stadium
Date: 24th June
Cheapest Ticket: $101
Panama v USA, Atlanta, Georgia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Date: 27th June
Cheaptest Ticket: $57
And there we have it, that's my guide to getting a ticket to one of the many sporting events happening around the world in what promises to be a brilliant 2024 summer of sport. Of course, there are more events taking place but the ones I have mentioned I think provide the best experiences, ticket allocation and best value-for-money!
Just as a final note, ticket prices to tend to fluctuate so the prices I have mentioned may change at a moments notice. I do double check prices on a daily basis and update where applicable.
Thanks for the reading.
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