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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 had its first reading in the House of Commons on 1 September 2026, and second reading on 3 September 2026. The bill had two sittings in public bill committee on 20 October 2026. It is scheduled to have its remaining stages in the Commons on 4 November 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's original intention was that the bill’s framework would only apply to 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 Lords that would extend the framework to regular sporting events. At committee stage in the Commons, the government said that it accepted the intention behind the amendment and made its own extending the bill's framework to "recurrent events".

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.

The bill in the House of Commons

The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 1 September 2026.

Second reading

Second reading of the bill took place on 3 September 2026. There was cross-party support for the bill, particularly on:

• the potential for the bill to help the UK be more competitive when bidding to host major sporting events
• measures to address ticket touting for sporting events
• the potential for the bill to result in economic and legacy benefits for the UK (such as increased tourism, the creation of jobs around events, and improvements to infrastructure)

However, issues raised during the debate included:

• the potential impact of advertising and trading restrictions on local businesses and street traders
• calls for further clarification at committee stage around the extent of powers given to ministers to provide financial assistance for sporting events (clause 25 of the bill)
• calls for stronger consideration of traffic management measures and local disruption for residents near large sporting venues
• providing coverage of government-supported events through free-to-air broadcasting

Committee stage

The bill had two sittings in public bill committee on 20 October 2026. No opposition amendments were made to the bill. Government amendments were agreed in the following areas.

Sporting events framework

Government amendments to the bill's sporting events framework were agreed without division.

Stephanie Peacock, Minister for Sport at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said that the government agreed with the "intent" of Lord Addington's amendment. However, she said the bill was now "too broad in scope" with its framework "potentially covering the majority of the professional sporting calendar". Without safeguards to ensure that the framework was applied in a proportionate way, the minister said that the bill risked "giving eligibility for protections to an extremely large pool of events".

Stephanie Peacock explained the purpose of the government's amendments:

...restricting the scope of “domestic sporting event” rightly requires clarity on how the Government will extend the provisions to events that currently operate independently of our operational support. That is why we have brought forward this package of Government amendments. Amendment 28 removes the addition of “national” interest; as I have set out, national interest could be deemed to have an extremely broad interpretation such as frequently held seasonal competitions. There are already two framework conditions. The first is that the sporting event must be held wholly or partly in the United Kingdom. The second is that the sporting event must be of significant international interest and be likely to bring social or economic benefits to the UK—or the event must be of “strategic value”, helping us secure other events that meet those criteria.

Government amendments 23 and 30 introduce a third framework condition that must also be met by recurrent events, referred to in the Bill as “domestic sporting events”. Those are defined under Government amendment 25 as

“a sporting event which is of a kind that is regularly held wholly or partly in the United Kingdom”.

The third condition requires organisers of domestic sporting events to apply to the appropriate national authority requesting that the framework be applied. The event organiser must set out evidence that it is appropriate to apply the framework to its event. The Secretary of State or devolved Governments may then consider such events on a case-by-case basis, notably considering such matters as the prominence of the event within its field of sport and the frequency of such events. That is a necessary distinction for a cohort of domestic sporting events that currently are both numerous and run independently of Government.

The independent events are not routinely subject to Government evaluation that could otherwise inform a decision to extend the provisions. The amendment places the responsibility on an event to articulate the case for inclusion and evidence that provisions of the Bill will support their enduring economic and social value. The requirement to make an application was an amendment from the other place, which we have further refined in this way. That allows the Government to ensure that they are satisfied that the application of framework provisions would be appropriate and proportionate.

Government amendment 24 would mean that the bill's transport provisions would not extend to domestic sporting events. Stephanie Peacock said this was because local authorities already had powers to "appropriately accommodate" the transport requirements of these events.

Government amendment 31 would add a sunset provision ensuring that regulations applying provisions to recurrent events could not run past five years. The minister said this would ensure that no event could "benefit from these provisions in perpetuity without adequate assurance that the criteria are still met and that the event still warrants these benefits.".

In response to concerns from local authorities, Stephanie Peacock explained that the government's new clause 14 would introduce a mechanism for enforcement authorities to recover from events organisers the additional costs of enforcing the advertising and trading offences for recurrent events.

Ticket touting

Schedule 1 of the bill sets out the scope and detail of the ticketing offence and the enforcement measures available. Government amendments 56, and 57 to 60 to schedule 1 were agreed without division.

Amendment 56 would correct a drafting omission by providing that the bill’s reference to the sale of an event ticket also includes reference to giving an event ticket as a prize. This brings prize tickets within the scope of the bill's ticket touting provisions.

Amendments 57 to 60 would ensure that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a financial penalty imposed by an enforcement authority for a ticket touting offence could be recovered without having to seek an order from the county court.

Advertising

Schedule 2 of the bill sets out the detailed framework for the advertising offence – a time-limited criminal offence. It also enables enforcement authorities to issue fixed penalty notices where they have reason to believe that an advertising offence has been committed.

Government amendments 61 and 62 to schedule 2 were all agreed without a division. Taken together, they require the designated authorising person to consider existing advertising licences and whether the applicant is a small or micro business when determining whether to grant an advertising authorisation. Government amendments 45 and 48 define a small business as having between 10 and 50 members of staff, and a micro business as having fewer than 10.

Trading

Clause 11 of the bill requires regulations applying trading restrictions to specify where they apply and for how long. They also provide detail about giving fixed penalty notices.

A group of government amendments to clause 11 were agreed without a division. Taken together, amendments 32, 40, 46 and 47 provide that where regulations apply the trading provisions to a non-domestic sporting event, then in certain circumstances the regulations must require specified public authorities to take reasonable steps to mitigate any adverse impacts on licensed traders. In short, the amendments would establish a clear expectation that options are proactively explored (such as alternative trading arrangements) for those unable to continue trading inside a restricted zone.

Clause 12 provides the mechanism to authorise trading activity that would otherwise be an offence under the bill. Regulations may designate one or more suitable persons, such as a local authority or non-departmental public body, to grant authorisations for trading activity. However, only a public body would be suitable for that role. Those with an existing trading licence may be able to apply for authorisation.

Government amendment 33 to clause 12 was agreed without a division. It provides that the conditions which may be imposed on a designated authorising person include requiring the person to arrange for their authorisation decisions to be reviewed.   

Schedule 3 sets out the detailed framework for the trading offence, along with provision for authorised trading and the issuing of fixed penalty notices. The schedule creates a time-limited criminal offence of carrying out trading activity or arranging for, or permitting, such activity in a relevant public part of a restricted trading zone, unless it is authorised or an exception applies.

Government amendments 63 to 65 to schedule 3 were agreed without a division, they deal with restrictions to trading. Amendment 65 would provide that, in the case of a domestic sporting event, the trading offence does not apply to trading activities carried out in accordance with a trading licence granted by a local authority. Amendments 63 and 64 are consequential to amendment 65.

Unauthorised association

Clauses 14 to 16 and schedule 4 of the bill seek to prevent businesses from presenting their goods or services as being associated with a sporting event if they have not been authorised to do so.

Technical government amendments to the unauthorised association provisions were agreed without division. Government amendments (34 to 37 and 72 to 79) to the provisions, taking account of the inclusion of recurrent sporting events, were also agreed. Stephanie Peacock explained their purpose:

... With the inclusion of recurrent events, we have carefully considered additional proportionate safeguards for businesses in respect of these events, given they may take place year in, year out. First, the amendments establish clear time limits within which provisions can be applied to domestic events: no more than 28 days before a domestic event begins and no more than seven days after it ends. That is the period in which events are most likely to be commercially exploited. Secondly, the amendments introduce blanket protections for the use of intellectual property rights. For example, that means that a business using a registered trademark or design before or after the unauthorised association provisions are applied to a recurrent event will not be captured.

Finally, the amendments set out how activity carried out by a business before the unauthorised association provisions begin to apply—and continued in the same way after—will not be affected. That would ensure, for example, that Wimbledon farmers’ market can continue to operate unaffected. These provisions will ensure that recurrent event organisers can take action against what matters: big businesses carrying out marketing activity to exploit the public interest and excitement surrounding an event to which they have made no contribution. 

Enforcement

Clause 18 provides for enforcement of the ticket touting, advertising and trading offences in the bill. It sets out who can undertake the enforcement action. Specifically, local authority Trading Standards in England, Scotland or Wales, the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, or the Competition and Markets Authority in respect of the ticketing offence.

Government amendment 39 to clause 18 was agreed without a division. It provides for any Northern Ireland department to be an enforcement authority for the purposes of Part 1 of the bill. Consequential government amendment 40 was also agreed.