Year in and year out, Ireland is the place for major sporting events, and 2025 is no different. Here are the events happening in Ireland during the rest of 2025 that we’re most looking forward to.
British & Irish Lions vs Argentina at the Aviva
Location: Aviva Stadium
When 20th June 2025
The British & Irish Lions, led by Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, take on Australia in a three-match test series across July and August, looking to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to South Africa in 2021.
But before they depart and head Down Under, Irish fans can catch a glimpse of how The Lions are shaping up as Argentina come to the Aviva for the Lions’ first warm-up match of their much-anticipated tour.
The two teams will compete for the 1888 Cup, with the game set to be an historic occasion given it’ll be the first British & Irish Lions match played on Irish soil.
Almost all of the top Irish bookies listed here have the Lions as the favourites to beat the Wallabies and replicate the success they tasted the last time they faced in Australia in 2013.
First-ever NFL game in Dublin
Location: Croke Park
When: End of September 2025
Croke Park will host Ireland’s first-ever NFL regular season game in September. The match will feature the Pittsburgh Steelers as the home team against a still-to-be-confirmed opponent.
The decision to ensure the historic occasion features the Steelers is significant, given the Irish-American Rooney family has owned the franchise since it was formed in 1933.
Having played in Ireland once before (in a preseason fixture against the Chicago Bears), The Steelers are guaranteed to attract a strong army of Irish fans as the NFL continues its broader push to expand its global footprint and reach new audiences around the world.
Along with Dublin, the NFL will play two regular NFL games in London and one each in Berlin and Madrid during 2025, with Melbourne, Australia, announced for 2026.
The Irish Derby Festival
Location: Curragh Racecourse, County Kildare
When: 27th – 29th June 2025
The Irish Derby is a standout event in the flat season calendar at the home of Irish flat Racing, The Curragh Racecourse.
The three day festival gets underway with an evening race meeting featuring the eminent Apprentice Derby, with Ladies Day on the Saturday including feature races The Pretty Polly Stakes (Group 1), Airlie Stud Stakes (Group 2) and the Kildare Village Ladies Derby.
The final day is reserved for the pinnacle of the Irish Flat Racing Calendar, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Los Angeles, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, won the 2024 race.
The 153rd Open
Location: Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
When: 13th-20th July 2025
We couldn’t compile a list of the best Irish sports events without including The Open, the oldest and one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world.
The Open was held at Royal Portrush in 2019, the first time it had been held in Northern Ireland since 1951, but is heading back to County Antrim for 2025.
Shane Lowry will be hoping for a similar result to the last time The Open was played at Portrush after winning the 2019 event, much to the delight of the thousands of fans in attendance..
The 153rd Open is likely to draw a record crowd, with almost 280,000 spectators expected to attend the championship over the four days to see if new Masters Champion, Rory McIlroy, can add to his recent success playing on his home patch.
Aer Lingus College Football Classic
Location: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
When: 23rd August 2025
K-State and Iowa State will play each other in the Aer Linhus College Football Classic to kick off the 2025 college football season.
The fixture will be Iowa’s first international football game and only the second time that K-State has played outside the US.
The Aviva also hosted last year’s College Football Classic as Georgia Tech beat Florida State in front of almost 48,000 spectators.
Dublin will also host the much-anticipated contest between TCU and North Carolina in 2026, with TCU as the designated home team.
