Why June And July Are the Best Month to Visit London For Sporting Enthusiasts

There are countless reasons to visit London during the beginning of the summer. With tourism slightly lower compared to August  and school holiday season, the months of June and July offer a London which is calmer and milder.

That’s not to say there aren’t ample opportunities to indulge in great deals on luxury London hotel suites, nor does it mean that tourism opportunities and events are few and far between. If anything, London offers up some of the most uniquely local events of the year during June and July.

With Pride blossoming throughout the month and various art fairs and talks attracting the culture lovers, June is full of tradition, entertainment and early summer breezes.

One aspect of June and July which is often overlooked – especially this year – is that the city’s stadiums will be flooded with some of the most unique sporting events in the world. With the Cricket World Cup in full swing in the city, we thought that we’d explore just a few of the exciting sporting events taking place in London this month and the next. With a great range of deals on rooms at the Montcalm Hotel Barbican  and  Barbican restaurants in London buzzing, the months of June and July are the perfect opportunity for sporting fans to visit London.

Cricket World Cup

The Cricket World Cup takes place every four years, and takes centre stage as the world’s leading cricket tournament. With a history which dates back to 1975, the participants this year are slightly fewer than past editions. With ten of the world’s leading cricket teams facing off for the World Cup, this is set to be one of the most heated tournaments to date. Second only to football – the UK’s leading sport – it makes sense that the World Cup takes place in the sport’s country of birth.

With eleven stadiums across cities such as Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham, there are two stadiums in the London area, each with their own unique qualities.

Kia Oval

Based in the Oval area of South London, the Kia Oval will host five different matches, including the opener.

With a stadium capable of holding over 25,500 people, the Kia Oval will take the reins for the first half of the tournament. The Kia Oval is usually the home ground for the revered Surrey County Cricket team, and has been so for the past 174 years. Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, this Cricket Ground is often frequented by members of the Royal Family and is one of the modern bastions of cricketing the world over.

In terms of transportation, the Oval cricket stadium is easily accessible from Vauxhall Station on the Victoria Line and Oval on the Northern Line.

Lord’s Cricket Ground

Based in the St John’s Wood area of West London, Lord’s Cricket Ground will also host five matches from the Cricket World Cup.

Whilst the final is being staged at Lord’s, this stadium has plenty to offer London visitors before the 14th of July. With its own museum exploring the history of the Middlesex County Cricket team and of cricket in general, the stadium is a tourist destination in and of itself.

Lord’s Cricket Ground can hold up 28,000 spectators and is reachable via the Jubilee Lines St John’s Woods or Swiss Cottage station.

Wimbledon 2019

The 2019 Wimbledon Championship will bring in 256 world class tennis players, balanced 50-50 between males and females. This is the largest amount of players ever seen at a Wimbledon tournament and brings in defending champions Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber.

Kicking off – or swinging out – on the 1st of July and finishing off on the 14th, this tournament takes place in the Wimbledon-based All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Church Road and consists of 18 grass courts, 8 American Clay Courts, 2 acrylic courts and 5 indoor courts.

This quintessentially British tournament is one of the summer sporting highlights, and is traditionally attended by some of the country’s Royals and members of the ruling class.

History

The Wimbledon tournament is one of the most historic British sporting events and is the birthplace of the strawberries and cream dessert, a truly British treat! Dating back to 1877, this is the oldest tennis tournament in the world.

How to get tickets for Wimbledon 2019

Wimbledon Cricket tournament gives out advance tickets through a public ballot, which selects the often overfull database of subscribers at random to allocate tickets. Alongside this luck-based approach, tickets for the Centre Court and No.3 Court are released daily throughout the tournament.

Muller Anniversary Games 2019

The Muller Anniversary games is an athletics tournament overlooked in favour of other more widely covered tournaments. Taking place in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the games are easily reachable for guests at Barbican Hotels in London via Overground services from Shoreditch High Street and Liverpool Street station.

The Muller games consist of running, pole vaulting, and many other track and field events. World class athletes such as Usain Bolt and Mo Farah taking part in this yearly showcase of the best athletes in the world.

With tickets on sale starting at just £10, this tournament is a two-day event, taking place from the 20th to the 21st of July.

FIH Pro Hockey League 2019

The much anticipated FIH Pro League Hockey is taking place right now until the 23rd June. The 16 matches pit some of the best men and women’s teams against international rivals from all across the planet. With British teams facing off against the Netherlands, Argentina and many more, the FIH Pro League is a fast-paced, action-packed tournament.

This year sees the tournament staged at various venues around the country, including the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Lee Valley Hockey Centre and The Stoop in Twickenham.