Central Florida runs a sports calendar that doesn’t stop. Between Orlando City and the Pride at Inter&Co Stadium, UCF football at the Acrisure Bounce House, the Magic at Kia Center, bowl season at Camping World Stadium and NASCAR up the road in Daytona, there’s a professional or Division I event in the region most weeks of the year.
As part of the broader mission of Orlando Sports, this page covers what’s on across the six counties the Central Florida Sports Commission works with: Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, Volusia and the City of Orlando. Updated monthly.
What’s on right now
| Date | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 2026 | Orlando City SC, Leagues Cup phase one | Inter&Co Stadium |
| Aug 2026 | Orlando Pride, NWSL home fixtures | Inter&Co Stadium |
| 1 Sep 2026 | Leagues Cup semi-final (if Orlando City qualify) | Inter&Co Stadium |
| 18 Sep 2026 | UCF Knights vs Georgia State | Acrisure Bounce House |
| 21 Nov 2026 | Florida Classic: Florida A&M vs Bethune-Cookman | Camping World Stadium |
| Dec 2026 | Bowl season, two games in Orlando | Camping World Stadium |
| Feb 2027 | Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway |
Soccer
Orlando is a soccer city in a way that surprises people who expect theme parks and golf. Orlando City SC joined MLS in 2015 as the league’s twentieth team and won the US Open Cup in 2022, beating Sacramento Republic 3–0 in the final. The Pride play in the NWSL and share the same operator and the same stadium.
Orlando City SC. Home matches run from late February to October at Inter&Co Stadium, a purpose-built 25,500-seat ground downtown. The stadium’s design keeps the crowd close to the pitch, and the supporters’ section behind the north goal is the loudest part of any venue in the region.
The Leagues Cup, the mid-season competition between MLS and Liga MX clubs, pulls the biggest crowds of the summer. The 2026 group stage brought CF Monterrey to Orlando in early August, and the knockout rounds run into September.
Orlando Pride. The NWSL season runs March to November. Attendances have climbed across the league and the Pride now regularly draw crowds that would have been unthinkable five years ago. Tickets stay cheap by comparison with the men’s side, often starting under $20, which makes this the best value live sport in the city.
International fixtures. Orlando picks up US Men’s and Women’s National Team friendlies and CONCACAF matches through the year. The city missed out on being a 2026 World Cup host, with Miami taking Florida’s slot, but it continues to land warm-up and qualifying fixtures because of the stadium and the training infrastructure.
College football
UCF moved to the Big 12 in 2023 and the schedule changed character overnight. Instead of American Athletic Conference opponents, the Knights now host Texas Tech, TCU, Kansas State and the rest of a power conference. Home games happen at the Acrisure Bounce House, capacity around 45,000, and the student section is the reason the place got its nickname: the aluminium stands flex when the crowd jumps.
Home fixtures run September to late November. The atmosphere for a Big 12 night game in October beats anything else on the local calendar, and tickets remain accessible compared with SEC prices two states north.
The Florida Classic. Florida A&M against Bethune-Cookman, played at Camping World Stadium, scheduled for 21 November 2026. This is a different event from a regular college game. It’s one of the largest HBCU rivalry games in the country, the halftime battle of the bands draws as much attention as the football, and the weekend fills downtown hotels. If you attend one college football game in Orlando, make it this one.
Bowl season. Camping World Stadium hosts two bowl games each December, plus the Cure Bowl, which the Orlando Sports Foundation runs as a fundraiser for cancer research. Bowl weeks bring visiting fan bases into the city for three or four nights each, which is why the region takes them so seriously as an economic matter rather than a sporting one.
Basketball
Orlando Magic. NBA regular season runs late October to April at Kia Center, capacity 20,000, at 400 West Church Street downtown. The arena sits inside walking distance of the Church Street bars and restaurants, which makes a Magic game an easy evening rather than a logistics exercise.
Ticket prices vary enormously by opponent. A Tuesday night against a rebuilding team can be found under $25. A weekend visit from a title contender runs several times that. If you want to see a specific star player, buy early; if you want to see NBA basketball, wait and buy cheap.
UCF basketball. Men’s and women’s teams play at Addition Financial Arena on the main campus, capacity 10,072. Big 12 opponents visit through January and February. Student tickets are free, general admission is cheap, and the arena is small enough that seats behind the basket feel close.
Motorsport
Volusia County holds the region’s biggest single sporting event. Daytona International Speedway hosts the Daytona 500 each February, along with the Rolex 24 endurance race in January, Bike Week in March and Biketoberfest in October.
The Daytona 500 is a full week rather than a race day. Practice, qualifying, support races and the infield all run from the Sunday before. Anyone attending for the first time should know that the grandstands are enormous and the view differs hugely by section, so read a seating chart before buying.
The speedway sits about an hour from downtown Orlando by car, which puts it comfortably inside a day trip.
Combat sports and one-off events
Kia Center books boxing and MMA cards through the year, along with professional wrestling. Promotions running crossover events with influencer fighters have used the venue, which draws a different crowd from the traditional boxing audience.
The arena also hosts gymnastics, tennis exhibitions and international basketball as one-off bookings. These land on the calendar with less notice than the league fixtures, so check the venue’s own schedule rather than relying on season previews.
Golf, tennis and endurance
Golf. Bay Hill in Orlando hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour each March, one of the strongest fields on the schedule outside the majors. The Lake Nona area concentrates a serious number of touring professionals as residents, which is why the region hosts as much elite golf as it does.
Running. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January is the region’s largest participation event, drawing tens of thousands of runners. The Daytona Beach Half Marathon runs its own weekend, and smaller 5K and 10K events fill most weekends of the cooler months. The Orlando Sports Foundation runs charity races connected to its cancer research fundraising.
Youth and amateur tournaments. ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World hosts national tournaments across baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, cheerleading and lacrosse throughout the year. These events fill hotels across Orange and Osceola counties and account for a large share of the region’s sports tourism, even though most visitors never see them on a public calendar.
Month by month
January. Rolex 24 at Daytona. Disney Marathon Weekend. Magic and UCF basketball in season. Bowl games have finished and college football is done until autumn.
February. Daytona 500 week dominates. Magic home schedule at its densest. Orlando City pre-season and the MLS opener at the end of the month.
March. Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Bike Week in Daytona. NWSL season opens for the Pride. Spring break brings youth tournament volume.
April. MLS and NWSL in full swing. Magic season ends and the playoff question resolves. Spring football at UCF.
May and June. Soccer carries the calendar. Youth tournaments peak with the school holidays. Heat and afternoon thunderstorms push evening kickoffs.
July and August. Leagues Cup. Pre-season college football camps. International friendlies land in this window when the national teams tour.
September. UCF home opener. Big 12 conference play begins. Soccer runs to the end of its regular season.
October. Biketoberfest in Daytona. Magic season tips off. UCF home games and the best weather of the year for outdoor events.
November. Florida Classic at Camping World Stadium. UCF finishes its home schedule. NWSL playoffs.
December. Bowl season. Two games at Camping World Stadium plus the Cure Bowl. Basketball fills the weeknights.
Venues, briefly
| Venue | Capacity | Location | Hosts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camping World Stadium | ~65,000 | Downtown Orlando | Bowl games, Florida Classic, international soccer |
| Kia Center | 20,000 | 400 W Church St, Orlando | Orlando Magic, boxing, MMA, concerts |
| Inter&Co Stadium | ~25,500 | Downtown Orlando | Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride |
| Acrisure Bounce House | ~45,000 | UCF campus, 4465 Knights Victory Way | UCF football |
| Addition Financial Arena | 10,072 | UCF campus, 4000 Central Florida Blvd | UCF basketball |
| Daytona International Speedway | ~100,000 | Daytona Beach, Volusia County | NASCAR, sports car racing |
| ESPN Wide World of Sports | Multiple venues | Walt Disney World, Osceola | Youth and amateur national tournaments |
If you want to know exactly which seats offer the best views, where to park, and what to expect on game day, dive into our complete guide to Central Florida sports venues.
Getting to games
Downtown venues. Camping World Stadium, Kia Center and Inter&Co Stadium all sit within a mile or so of each other in and around downtown Orlando. LYNX buses and the SunRail commuter line serve the area, though SunRail’s evening service is limited and won’t get you home from a late finish on most nights. [VERIFY current SunRail event service.]
Parking downtown runs $20 to $40 depending on the event and how close you park. Garages a few blocks out cost less and add a ten-minute walk.
UCF campus. East Orlando, about 13 miles from downtown. Traffic on game day backs up on Alafaya Trail and University Boulevard, so leave 90 minutes for a drive that normally takes 25. Campus parking sells permits per event.
Daytona. An hour east on I-4. Race day traffic is its own category of experience. Locals leave before dawn for an afternoon race and consider that normal.
Where the money goes
The Central Florida Sports Commission exists because sporting events move money into the region. A bowl game weekend fills hotel rooms across Orange County. A youth soccer tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports puts several thousand families into rooms, restaurants and theme parks for four days. A Daytona race weekend does the same for Volusia.
That’s why the region competes to host championships, tournaments and one-off events rather than waiting for them to arrive. Sports tourism is an economic development strategy here, and the calendar above is what it produces.
Planning a trip around a game
Most visitors to Central Florida come for the theme parks and add a game as an afterthought. Reverse that and the trip works better, because sporting events anchor a date while parks are flexible.
Book the event first. Bowl games, the Florida Classic and Daytona race weekends fill hotels across the region. Rooms near the venue go early and prices climb rather than drop as the date approaches. Regular season Magic, Orlando City and Pride fixtures are the opposite: buy those close to the day and you’ll pay less.
Pick your base by venue. Downtown Orlando puts you inside walking distance of Kia Center, Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium, and it’s where the bars and restaurants are. International Drive suits families combining a game with parks, though you’ll drive or ride to every fixture. For a UCF game, the hotels along the 417 corridor in east Orlando cut the traffic problem in half. For Daytona, stay in Volusia County the night before rather than driving in on race morning.
Combine what’s close together. A Friday UCF game and a Saturday Orlando City match sit 13 miles apart. A December bowl weekend often puts two games in the same stadium 48 hours apart. Check the calendar for overlaps before you book flights, since the region regularly stacks events on the same weekend.
What it costs
Rough guides, and prices move.
| Typical range | |
|---|---|
| Orlando Pride, NWSL | From around $15 |
| Orlando City SC, MLS regular season | From around $30 |
| Orlando Magic, weeknight | From around $25 |
| Orlando Magic, weekend vs a top team | $80 and up |
| UCF football, non-conference | From around $20 |
| UCF football, Big 12 opponent | $50 and up |
| Florida Classic | $50 and up |
| Bowl games | $40 and up |
| Daytona 500 grandstand | $100 and up |
Add $20 to $40 for parking at most downtown events, and expect stadium food and drink to run at the usual multiples. The cheapest full evening in the region is a Pride match with a walk to a Church Street restaurant afterwards.
Weather, and how it shapes the calendar
Central Florida summers change how events get scheduled, and visitors underestimate this every year.
June through September brings afternoon thunderstorms almost daily, usually between 2pm and 6pm, arriving fast and clearing in under an hour. Outdoor kickoffs get pushed to evenings for this reason. Lightning within a set radius stops play at every outdoor venue in the region, and delays of 30 to 90 minutes are routine rather than exceptional.
Heat is the other factor. A September college football game at 3pm sits in the mid-90s Fahrenheit with high humidity, and the metal stands hold it. Bring water, use the shaded concourses between quarters, and take the sunscreen seriously.
October through April is when the region is at its best for outdoor sport. Daytime highs in the 70s, low humidity, and evening games that need a light jacket rather than an ice pack. If you’re choosing when to visit for sport rather than parks, aim at this window.
Indoor venues sidestep all of it. Kia Center and Addition Financial Arena run at full air conditioning year round, which is part of why the region lands so many indoor tournaments in summer months.
For event organisers looking at Central Florida
The region competes for events rather than waiting for them. Six counties, a stadium inventory covering everything from a 100,000-seat speedway to campus facilities, an airport with direct international service, and roughly 130,000 hotel rooms within reach.
What that means in practice for a rights holder considering the region:
Venue depth. Few markets can host a 65,000-seat stadium event, a 20,000-seat arena event and a 40-court youth tournament in the same weekend without conflict. Central Florida can, which matters for championships with multiple concurrent competitions.
Room inventory. Youth and amateur events live or die on affordable rooms near the venue. The concentration around Osceola County and International Drive was built for theme park visitors and works for tournament families.
Travel. Orlando International handles direct flights from most of North America and a growing list of European and South American cities. For events drawing national fields, that removes a connection for most attendees.
Seasonality to plan around. Spring break and the summer holidays fill hotels regardless of your event. Autumn and January offer better rates and less competition for facilities. Hurricane season runs June through November and any outdoor event in that window needs a contingency plan written into the contract.
The Central Florida Sports Commission works with organisers across Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake and Volusia counties and the City of Orlando on venue selection, local logistics and community partnerships.
Sport by county
The region covers more ground than “Orlando” suggests, and each county contributes something different.
Orange County and the City of Orlando. The professional core. Camping World Stadium, Kia Center, Inter&Co Stadium and the UCF campus all sit here, along with the majority of the hotel inventory and the airport. Bay Hill and the Arnold Palmer Invitational are in Orange County too.
Osceola County. ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and the surrounding hotel corridor. This is where the youth and amateur tournament volume lands, and where a national cheerleading or baseball championship puts several thousand families for a week. Osceola Heritage Park hosts rodeo, motorsport and equestrian events on a different circuit from anything else in the region.
Seminole County. North of Orlando, with a strong high school and club sports scene and facilities used for regional tournaments. Boombah Sports Complex in Sanford draws softball, baseball and soccer events, and the county’s proximity to the 417 makes it workable for competitors staying in Orlando.
Lake County. Cycling, triathlon and open-water events use the chain of lakes around Clermont, and the National Training Center there has hosted elite endurance athletes for two decades. The terrain around Clermont is the closest thing to hills in the region, which is why cyclists train there.
Volusia County. Daytona International Speedway and the beach. Beyond NASCAR, the county runs surf competitions, beach volleyball, the Daytona Beach Half Marathon and events at the Ocean Center arena.
First time at a Central Florida game
A few things that catch visitors out.
Clear bag policies. Camping World Stadium, Kia Center, Inter&Co Stadium and the Acrisure Bounce House all run some version of a clear bag rule. Sizes differ by venue. Check the specific venue page before you leave the hotel, because the walk back to a car park to drop a bag costs you the first quarter. [VERIFY current policy per venue.]
Mobile ticketing. Paper tickets have gone at every major venue in the region. Download your tickets to a phone wallet before you arrive, since stadium wifi and cell coverage both degrade as the crowd builds.
Arrive earlier than you’d think. Not for the queue at the gate but for the road. Traffic around the UCF campus and downtown on event nights runs at a fraction of normal speed, and rideshare surge pricing after a game beats what you paid to get there.
Tailgating. Legal and enthusiastic at UCF and at Camping World Stadium for bowl games and the Florida Classic. Lots open several hours before kickoff. This is a large part of the experience for the Florida Classic in particular, where the parking lots run their own event.
Leaving. Downtown venues empty into a small street grid. Walking six blocks to a restaurant and letting the traffic clear costs less time than sitting in it, and you’ll eat better.
FAQ
What sports events are in Orlando this weekend?
It depends on the season. Between March and October you’ll find Orlando City SC or Orlando Pride at Inter&Co Stadium most weekends. From late October to April, the Orlando Magic play at Kia Center. Autumn Saturdays bring UCF football to the Acrisure Bounce House. Check the venue calendars directly, since one-off bookings for boxing, gymnastics and touring events land with short notice.
What’s the biggest sporting event in Central Florida?
The Daytona 500 in February, by attendance and by national profile. Daytona International Speedway holds around 100,000 spectators and the race week draws visitors from across the country. Within Orlando itself, bowl season at Camping World Stadium and the Florida Classic pull the largest single-day crowds.
Does Orlando have an NFL team?
No. The nearest NFL franchises are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, about 85 miles west, the Jacksonville Jaguars roughly 140 miles north, and the Miami Dolphins around 235 miles south. Orlando has hosted NFL pre-season games and the Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium in past years, and the city’s professional teams are the Magic in the NBA, Orlando City in MLS and the Orlando Pride in the NWSL.
When does UCF football season start?
Late August or early September, with home games running through late November at the Acrisure Bounce House. Since joining the Big 12 in 2023, UCF hosts power conference opponents rather than American Athletic Conference sides, which has raised both the standard of opposition and ticket demand.
Where do Orlando City and the Orlando Pride play?
Both at Inter&Co Stadium in downtown Orlando, a soccer-specific ground holding about 25,500. The two clubs share ownership and operations. Orlando City’s MLS season runs late February to October, and the Pride’s NWSL season runs March to November, so there’s a home match most weeks from spring through autumn.
How do I get tickets for Orlando sports events?
Buy through the team or venue directly where possible. Resale platforms carry most events, and prices for regular-season Magic and soccer fixtures often fall below face value close to game day. For bowl games, the Florida Classic and Daytona race weekends, buy early, since those events draw travelling crowds and prices climb rather than drop.