2024’s Most In-Demand Events Around the Globe
More UK holidaymakers than ever before are shunning beach breaks and city escapes for festivals and sporting events overseas.
Research from Mail Metro Media shows that 75% of people in the UK are planning to go on holiday at some point in 2024. But, they aren’t all planning on relaxing on the beach - a growing number of holidaymakers are travelling in search of new experiences.
Jason King, Chief Customer Officer at Sainsbury’s Bank, said: “Today’s travellers are looking for more than just sun, sea and sand. A lot of Brits are looking for exciting experiences when they travel, and they’re putting their money where their mouth is.”
We’ve done our research to bring you a list of the world’s most in-demand events in 2024 – and now we’re ready to book our flights and pack our bags.
We’ve used three ranking factors to crown the most anticipated events:
- Number of UK Google searches which the event get every month
- Percentage of mentions of the event by UK users on social media with a positive sentiment
- Amount of Instagram hashtags for each event.
Top of the list is the Super bowl. It’s the event which most people in the UK want to experience in person. Brits are interested in a wide range of events on the list, taking you from the US to Europe and back home again to the heart of the UK.
Super Bowl
Date: 11 Feb 2024
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Currency: Dollars $
UK search volume: 97,000 per month
UK positive sentiment: 18%
Instagram hashtags: 8,533,272
Top of the list is the Super Bowl. This year’s Super Bowl will be the 58th instalment and will be held in the desert city of Las Vegas, Nevada. A popular destination all year round, the city will have plenty to keep you busy this February.
Our data shows that the Halftime Show is one of the most talked about aspects of the event. If you’re lucky enough to secure tickets for Super Bowl LVIII, you’ll see Usher performing in person. If you’re in the UK and want to watch the Super Bowl live, it can mean staying up into the small hours. However, visiting Las Vegas in person means you get to soak up the amazing atmosphere - and can watch it without the threat of falling asleep.
Coachella
Date: 12 Apr - 21 Apr 2024
Location: Indio, California, USA
Currency: Dollars $
UK search volume: 21,000 per month
UK positive sentiment: 13%
Instagram hashtags: 5,443,270
For fans of music, pop culture and general good vibes, Coachella is a must-visit music and arts festival. California’s equivalent of Glastonbury, here the fashion is almost as important as the music. From the ride on the iconic Ferris wheel to art installations and the fact that it’s always packed with celebrities, it’s easy to see why so many UK festival fans flock to the west coast every year to experience pleasure.
With so many images, videos and content shared across social media, it’s hard not to feel like you’re missing out if you’re stuck at home. Performances often go down in history, with conversations online about who is the best dressed and the wildest performances dominating TikTok and Instagram. Revellers are in for a treat with this year’s headliners being Lana Del Ray, Doja Cat and Tyler, the Creator.
Eurovision Song Contest
Date: 7 May – 11 May 2024
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Currency: Krona kr
UK search volume: 108,000 per month
UK positive sentiment: 21%
Instagram hashtags: 2,222,223
Camp and unabashedly fun, Eurovision is third on our list. Last year’s winner, Loreen, represented Sweden so this year's competition will be held in Malmö. Whether you love, hate, or love to hate Eurovision, it's almost impossible to not be swept up in the excitement of the yearly tradition.
Sweden are no strangers to success at Eurovision. Having won seven times, they’re joint first with Ireland in terms of most wins. It’s also hard to mention Sweden and Eurovision without mentioning ABBA, who broke through into the wider mainstream when they won the competition back in 1974. With Eurovision back in the homeland of pop royalty, there’s no denying they’ll be putting on a show for the ages.
T20 World Cup
Date: 1 Jun – 29 Jun
Location: USA & West Indies
Currency: Various, incl. US Dollar, Guyanese Dollar & Barbadian Dollar
UK search volume: 153,000 per month
UK positive sentiment: 12%
Instagram hashtags: 1,174,447
Coming round every two years, the T20 is a highlight in the cricketing calendar and will be held across several US states and islands in 2024. From New York to Guyana, you can pick a destination that works best for you. With a selection of amazing locations to pick from, it’s easy to align your holiday with a T20 match.
Whether it’s a beach holiday in Barbados or a city break in Dallas, there’s no reason you have to miss out on the fun. Our data shows we love discussing last minute changes to teams, tight schedules and questionable coaching decisions. Regardless of what you love about cricket, it’s all here at the T20.
Tour De France
Date: 29 Jun – 21 Jul
Location: Italy, Monaco, France
Currency: Euro €
UK search volume: 31,000 per month
UK positive sentiment: 18%
Instagram hashtags: 1,233,084
2024’s Tour De France is filled with plenty of firsts. It’s the first time a Grand Depart begins in Italy and because of the 2024 Olympics, it’s the first time the race won’t end in Paris – instead finishing in Nice. The 3493km route passes through Italy, Monaco, and France and will take these world class athletes up into the Alps. There, they’ll travel over Bonette Pass, the highest tarmacked road in France, 2802m above sea level.
The race weaves through some of the most scenic parts of France so it won’t be hard to build a holiday around the event. Online, the most popular Google searches looked for information on the best riders, the fastest teams and who was in the lead. France’s passion for cycling runs deep, so you're likely to find similar discussions taking place in person wherever you go along the route.
Six Nations Championship
Date: 2 Feb – 16 Mar
Location: France, Italy, Wales, Scotland, England, Ireland
Currency: Euro €, Pound £
UK search volume: 194,000 per month
UK positive sentiment: 15%
Instagram hashtags: 408,880
One of the highlights of the rugby union calendar, the Six Nations is a firm favourite in the UK. Six nations, France, Italy, Wales, Scotland, England and Ireland, all compete to take home trophies. With matches happening throughout the UK and Europe, if you’re looking for a holiday with an event, there’s plenty of choice here.
As expected, most online discussions revolve around who won, who lost, and the highlights (and lowlights) of the event. For rugby fans in the UK, this is the must-see event and with the tournament spread over a month it’s possible to travel to multiple games during the competition.
Wider findings
The top six events reflect the UK’s interests in sports and music, and other highly talked about events follow suit. From the other-worldliness of Glastonbury Festival to the thrill of Wimbledon, it’s clear we Brits love a healthy bit of competition and a good sing-along. We’re also fans of international sports, with the Champions League and the 2024 Euros ranking 7th and 9th respectively.
There was also a buzz around several major global events that aren’t on this list. The Olympics, Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, and Formula One Grand Prix’s are all great examples of must-see events that haven’t quite made the cut.
Travel Money Tips
We’ve put together some of our top money tips for people heading abroad for an event in 2024. Travel money doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful – with Sainsbury’s Bank you can get everything you need in one place.
Tips for using travel money in other countries
- If you’re paying by card, you may be asked if you want to pay in the local currency or in pounds. You can choose the local currency and save yourself from some unfriendly exchange rates
- Large notes can be awkward at the best of times and at the worst they make you a target for pickpockets or thieves. If you’re taking cash request smaller denominations where possible
- Similarly, having a variety of denominations can make paying for things easier, especially if you’re in a hurry or don’t want to be carrying lots of loose change
- Almost all aspects of travelling are improved by thorough research, and how people spend money is another one. For example, in Germany paying with cash is favoured, but in other countries you might find that most places prefer card. Find out which is right for your trip and plan accordingly
- Consider using a combination of cash and a pre-paid card. Not having all your eggs in one basket is always a sensible choice, but having multiple options means you adapt if you need to
- If you’re going to be using your personal bank card, check it works online. If your bank sees your card is being used in another country, they may assume it’s fraud and freeze your card. If in doubt, choose a prepaid travel card from Sainsbury’s Bank
Buying Travel Money
- Buy your travel money online through Sainsbury’s Bank and you can choose to pick up instore in 4 hours from our travel money bureaus (subject to bureau opening times).
- We use special delivery when posting money, so you can rest assured your cash will arrive safe and sound
- If you’d prefer to use a card abroad, buying a prepaid travel card can be simpler than buying physical cash
- If you buy a prepaid travel card you can manage your money online, check your balance, top up and exchange between currencies
- If you’re a Nectar member you get access to better exchange rates online, over the phone and in store
- We’ll also buy back any currency you return with.
Conclusion
In the UK, we’re lovers of sports, music and cultural events, and we also love holidaying. With a growing interest in events outside of the UK, it’s not surprising more people want to include something different as a part of their holiday.
Whether it’s travelling to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl or Sweden for Eurovision, we’re undoubtedly developing international interests as a nation. It’s never been easier to keep track of your favourite team or musician, even if they're based on the opposite side of the globe. Social media also means it’s now simple to share exciting events and moments, no matter where you are.
With Sainsbury’s Bank it’s easy to manage your money when abroad and keep track of how much you’re spending. We can’t guarantee your team will win, but we can help with safe, convenient and stress-free money management.
Methodology
To find the events that people most want to travel to this year, we started by creating a seed list of events.
We used Ahrefs to look at monthly search volume in the UK, to identify the ten most searched for events. This data is accurate as of 10/01/2024.
We used Brandwatch to look at mentions of these events by social media users in the UK, and categorised these mentions as ‘positive’, ‘neutral’ and ‘negative’. This data is accurate as of 11/01/2024.
We used Instagram to look at hashtags of these events. This data is accurate as of 12/01/2024.
We added the UK search volume, the UK positive sentiment and the number of Instagram hashtags for each event, to reach a total figure. We then normalised each total, so that they could be compared fairly.