Sporting Events Bill [HL] 2026-27

The Sporting Events Bill [HL] was introduced in the House of Lords on 14 May 2026 where it completed its stages on 21 July 2026. The bill is scheduled to have its first reading in the House of Commons on 1 September 2026. Second reading is scheduled for 3 September 2026.

Aims of the bill

The background briefing notes (PDF) to the 2026 King’s Speech included a commitment to introduce a Sporting Events Bill to “support and enhance the UK's status as a world-leading host of major sporting events”.

In the past, the UK Government has introduced event-specific legislation for major sporting events, such as the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Act 2020.

The aim of the bill is to enable the efficient delivery of major international sporting events and to improve the UK’s competitive advantage when bidding to host future events. It would do so by creating a sporting events framework, ensuring that the UK is ‘event ready’ and can meet event organisers’ requirements without having to legislate for each individual event, which could cause delay and uncertainty.

The government intends that the bill’s framework could only be used for sporting events that do not regularly take place in the UK and that are likely to attract significant international interest and bring social or economic benefits to the UK (or lead to other events in future that would do so). However, the government was defeated on an amendment at report stage in the House of Lords, and the bill to be considered in the House of Commons would extend the framework to regular sporting events.

If the bill is enacted, the government expects the legislative framework to be used for events including the men's UEFA EURO 2028 football tournament and, if the UK's bid is successful, the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2035.

The government’s impact assessment (PDF) for the bill estimates that its framework could deliver savings for the government of approximately £5 million over a 10-year period.

Structure of the bill

The bill consists of three parts and six schedules.

Part 1 of the bill (clauses 1 to 24) would create a sporting events framework that could be applied to major sporting events taking place in the UK. The framework would include provisions to:

• ban ticket touting through the creation of a new ticket touting offence
• restrict advertising and trading around event venues
• protect commercial rights by banning the unauthorised association of goods and services with the sporting event
• enable transport planning

This framework is set out in schedules 1 to 5 of the bill.

The bill’s clauses give the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and, in some cases, devolved authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, powers and duties relating to how to apply the framework. Different elements of the framework could be applied to each sporting event.

Part 2 of the bill (clause 25) would give the Secretary of State the power to give financial assistance to major sporting events taking place in England and Wales, and equivalent powers to Scottish Ministers and Northern Ireland departments for events in their jurisdictions.

Part 3 of the bill (clauses 26 to 30) deals with final provisions, including a power to make consequential provision and a power to make regulations.

The bill would extend to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

More on the bill

A House of Lords Library briefing gives policy background to the bill, further detail on the bill’s provisions, and a summary of stakeholder reaction.

The government has published supporting documents on the bill, including explanatory notes (PDF), an impact assessment (PDF), a Regulatory Policy Committee impact assessment (PDF), and a delegated powers memorandum (PDF).

The bill in the House of Lords

The bill was introduced to the House of Lords on 14 May 2026.

Second reading

Second reading of the bill took place on 3 June 2026. There was broad cross-party support for the bill. However, issues raised during the debate included:

• concerns that the bill is too narrowly focused and excludes some major recurring domestic sporting events
• strong support for ticket touting measures, but concerns about ticket affordability and ensuring inclusive and fair access for spectators
• the importance of ensuring a legacy after the hosting of a major sporting event – through, for example, participation in sport, youth engagement, and improved community facilities
• concerns about delegated and ministerial powers and the opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny when those powers are used
• the potential impact of advertising and trading restrictions on local businesses and street traders

Committee stage

The bill was considered in committee on 22 June 2026 and 24 June 2026. No amendments were made to the bill.

Debates during the two committee sittings focused on the following issues:

• the limited scope of the bill – members raised concerns that significant iconic sporting events which only take place in Britain would be excluded, with specific reference made to Wimbledon, the London Marathon and the British Grand Prix
• the adequacy and appropriateness of the ticket touting provisions – members had concerns about the potential for a series of different restrictions in secondary market ticket sales
• the absence of explicit obligations around climate, sustainability and cyber-resilience
• whether strikes by transport and local authority workers should be restricted during major events, alongside concerns about staffing flexibility and employment legislation affecting the ability to deliver large events
• protecting sports data, tackling illegal gambling, and regulating the relationship between major sporting events and gambling companies
• ensuring major events provide legacy benefits for the local area
• requiring transport plans for sporting events to promote public transport and sustainable modes of travel which minimise emissions
• requiring ‘digital twin modelling’ of crowd and traffic flows for events of a certain size, as well as post-event data sharing with local authorities

Report stage

The bill had its report stage on 15 July 2026.

The government was defeated on an amendment relating to the scope of the bill. The House accepted government amendments in response to concerns about the procedure for making amendments under the bill. Other minor and technical amendments were made.

During report stage, Baroness Twycross, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, also announced that the government intended to publish a major events strategy for all sectors by spring 2027.

The sporting events framework

The government was defeated on an amendment to clause 3 of the bill, tabled by Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat). The amendment, which received cross-party support, as well as the backing of various sporting governing bodies and stakeholders, would remove the requirement for events covered by the bill’s framework to not be regularly hosted in the UK. This would mean the bill’s framework would extend to events such as Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix, and the London Marathon.

When speaking to his amendment, Lord Addington said the bill was “a very good idea”, but that the government should expand its scope to “fit in a few more events that are part of our sporting and cultural heritage”. Doing so would ensure that these events would not be excluded from the potential benefits of the framework.

For the government, Baroness Twycross resisted the amendment, although she did say there was merit in exploring the idea of expanding the scope of the bill.

Lord Addington’s amendment was passed after a division (by 212 to 171 votes).

Regulations made under the bill

In a June 2026 report (PDF), the House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee recommended that the regulation-making powers conferred by clause 2(1) and (2) of the bill should be subject to the affirmative procedure (that is, approved by both Houses of Parliament) whenever they are exercised.

In response to the committee’s report, as well as to concerns raised during debate on the bill, the House agreed government amendments (without division) so that all regulations applying the framework provisions would be subject to the affirmative procedure. There would be an exception for urgent cases, in which the “made affirmative” procedure would be used. This refers to regulations that become law before Parliament has considered them, but that cannot remain law unless approved by Parliament within a set time (usually 28 or 40 sitting days).

Other government amendments

The House also agreed government amendments, without divisions, on the following:

• allowing scope for charitable activities to be excluded from the ticket touting offence
• requiring those granting trading authorisations to consider existing trading licences for local traders
• clarifying that more than one person might be designated to grant ticketing, advertising, trading and association authorisations
• clarifying the definition of a charity as applied to Scotland and Northern Ireland

Third reading

No amendments were made to the bill when it had its third reading on 21 July 2026.