About major events
Scotland has an enviable global reputation as a major events destination, hosting a scale and breadth of major international sporting championships and cultural festivals. These provide world leading and authentic experiences for both visitors and locals, and generate valuable international profile.
Ensuring a future pipeline of events is vital for ensuring Scotland’s valuable tourism and events industry continues to grow.
This page highlights some of the major cultural and sporting events supported by our EventScotland team this year and beyond. As well as some major events we worked on.
Some EventScotland-supported major cultural and sporting highlights set to take place in 2023 and beyond:
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Edinburgh Festivals, April - December 2023
Festivals Edinburgh is a strategic umbrella organisation focused on over-arching areas of mutual interest. Its sole focus is to maintain and develop the value of the Festivals’ and the Festival City’s leading position locally and globally, via major collaborative projects and strategic initiatives.
The Tall Ships Races, Lerwick Shetland, 26 - 29 July 2023
Along the waterfront from the town centre, Lerwick’s ‘Cultural Quarter’ sits on the water’s edge at Hay’s Dock – Lerwick’s oldest working dock. Shetland Museum and Archives and arts venue and cinema, Mareel, are both situated here and open to the public. They will host events and activities during the Tall Ships Races event in July 2023.
UCI Cycling World Championships, Glasgow and Scotland, 3 - 13 August 2023
In the first event of its kind - never seen nor cycled before - the world’s greatest riders will come together in Glasgow and across Scotland, 3 - 13 August 2023 to compete at the highest level over 13 UCI World Championships.
World Athletics Indoor Championships, Glasgow, 1 - 3 March 2024
The event, to be staged at the Emirates Arena, is the biggest indoor athletics championships in the world and comes five years after Glasgow hosted the hugely successful European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2019.
World Orienteering Championships, Edinburgh, 12 - 16 July 2024
The Scottish Orienteering 6-Day Event Company, along with partners British Orienteering, Scottish Orienteering Association, EventScotland, University of Edinburgh and the City of Edinburgh Council, is pleased to welcome you to the Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2024.
The 152nd Open, Royal Troon, 14 - 21 July 2024
Royal Troon’s Old Course was founded in 1878, expanded to 18 holes 10 years later and re-designed by five-time Champion Golfer James Braid ahead of its first Open in 1923. It will host its 10th Open in 2024.
AIG Women’s Open, St Andrews, 2024
The AIG Women's Open will take place at St Andrews – the home of golf – between 21 - 25 August 2024. It will be the third time the iconic Old Course will have staged the prestigious Championship.
Orkney 2025 Island Games, 12 - 18 July 2025
A celebration of sports and island communities. This week-long event will see athletes from up to 24 island groups from across the world compete in 13 exciting sports.
Check out more events
Browse our events listingsBrowse our comprehensive list of events in Scotland this year on visitcotland.com.
Some of the major events we worked on
2014
Ryder Cup
2014
XX Commonwealth Games
2014
MTV Europe Music Awards
2018
European Championships
2019
Solheim Cup
2023
UCI Cycling World Championships
