Things to look forward to in 2026

It’s a new year and there’s plenty to look forward to in 2026.

Major sporting events, massive concerts, blockbuster movies and natural phenomena – it’s shaping up to be an incredible year.

So after the thrill of Oasis Live ‘25, BBC Bitesize explores what’s in the mix for ’26.

Sport in 2026

Let’s start with the big one – the biggest ever men’s football World Cup takes place in North America in 2026.

48 nations will compete in Canada, Mexico and the United States and there’s home interest in the tournament.

England will be looking to end 60 years of hurt in the men's game while Scotland make their first men's World Cup appearance since 1998 after that dramatic qualification victory over Denmark.

There could yet be a third team from the UK competing – Wales and Northern Ireland are both in the play-offs, but only one of them can make it through to the final tournament and they’ll have to see off Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy to do so.

It’s not just football though – there are a huge number of major sporting events on the world stage in 2026.

The 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics take place in Milan-Cortina, Italy in February and March. Team GB have genuine medal hopes in the Winter Olympics, with the likes of snowboarder Mia Brookes, freestyle skier Zoe Atkins and the men’s and women’s curling teams set to be in the mix.

The Paralympic squad also boasts a number of medal prospects, with curler Jo Butterfield aiming to be the first British athlete to win gold at both the Summer and Winter Paralympics following Rio 2016 gold in the club throw and skier Neil Simpson defending his super-G skiing gold won in Beijing in 2022.

On warmer ground – the Commonwealth Games return to Glasgow in July 2026 – the second time the city has hosted after the 2014 Games.

Glasgow stepped in to save the 2026 event after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew – 215 gold medals will be up for grabs in 10 sports and six para-sports.

There’s also the biggest ever women’s T20 Cricket World Cup taking place in England and Wales in 2026 as 12 teams compete for the first time.

England will be looking to win the trophy for the first time since 2009 – which was also the last time they hosted.

Entertainment in 2026

There may be no Glastonbury in 2026 with the iconic music festival taking a year off to allow the farmland to recover, but it’s still a huge year for concerts.

There’s few acts bigger than Wicked star Ariana Grande – figuratively, given her height – and her The Eternal Sunshine Tour takes over London’s O2 Arena this summer.

She’s performing a 10-date residency – her only concerts in Europe in 2026 – in what is surely set to be a spectacular series of shows.

Think spectacle though – and this next act’s revival tour is shaping up to be one of the most incredible series of live concerts for 2026.

Take That’s 2009 The Circus Live tour was a phenomenon – a stunning mix of the band’s trademark pop and circus themed theatrics and they’re bringing it back for stadium shows across the country in 2026.

If you prefer your gigs with more guitars, then 2026 also has you covered.

Country music star Luke Combs brings his ‘My Kinda Saturday Night’ tour to the UK with huge shows in Edinburgh at Murrayfield and at Wembley Stadium in London.

Foo Fighters are playing two shows at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium – their only UK dates in 2026 and first shows on Merseyside since playing the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool in 1997.

And if that’s not enough guitars for you yet? Well, Metallica play six huge stadium shows in Glasgow, Cardiff and London on their M72 World Tour – their first UK dates since headlining the Download Festival in 2023.

If that all sounds somewhat loud for you, then 2026 is shaping up to be a big year in cinema, with some huge movies set for release.

Marvel are aiming to bounce back from a somewhat disappointing series of films with a blockbuster pair of films.

December’s Avengers: Doomsday sees your favourite superheroes team up once again – with new and rumoured returning stars – to take on a familiar-looking, but altogether different villain, as Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr portrays the evil Dr Doom.

Before that, here comes the Spider-Man! Tom Holland dons the red and blue again for July’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day – his fourth solo movie as Peter Parker, with many of the scenes shot in Glasgow.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie hits screens in April – with Chris Pratt and Jack Black returning as Mario and Bowser respectively. The film is set to draw inspiration from the Wii series of Super Mario Galaxy games – so expect hijinks from the world’s favourite plumber in space.

And sticking with animation, Toy Story 5 is set for a June release with Woody, Buzz and Jessie facing their ultimate battle for a child’s attention – technology.

But perhaps the most epic film coming our way in 2026 – quite literally – is Christopher Nolan’s retelling of The Odyssey.

An all-star cast including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway will appear in the retelling of Homer’s epic poem.

A natural phenomenon in 2026

If the finest sport and entertainment in the universe doesn’t give you something to look forward to – then how about something created by our universe itself?

The first total solar eclipse in Europe in over 20 years will take place on Wednesday 12 August.

You’ll need to be in Northern Spain, Iceland or Greenland to experience it though – on home shores, parts of the UK will experience a partial solar eclipse.

The last one in Europe took place in March 2006, with parts of Russia and Turkey experiencing the sudden darkness. You have to go back to 1999 for the last time an eclipse fell over the UK, when Cornwall was plunged into dark.

You’ll, of course, need to wear protective equipment in order to look at either a total or partial solar eclipse. And if you’re holding out for a total eclipse in the UK, you've got a long wait – but we’ll make sure to include it in our ‘Things to look forward to in 2090’ article.

This article was published in December 2025