FIFA has called this year's demand for Women's World Cup games "unprecedented".Credit: Matt King
FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
When the FIFA Women's World Cup comes to Australia and New Zealand mid-2023, it will mark the first time the event has been co-hosted, and the first time it has been held in the southern hemisphere. Games are scheduled in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton and Wellington in New Zealand. Tickets have been selling like hotcakes for the July 20 to August 20 event – FIFA has called demand "unprecedented". But even if you're ticketless, expect activations, live sites and a general case of football fever Down Under, especially when the hometown heroes, the Matildas, take to the pitch. Interested in trying for tickets? FIFA Women's World Cup games start from $30, and the "Last Minute Sales Phase" opens on April 11, 100 days out from kick off. See fifa.com
CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III AND QUEEN CONSORT CAMILLA
King Charles III's May 6 coronation will attract a lot of interest worldwide.Credit: Ben Stansall/AP
With Britain embroiled in an economic crisis, King Charles III has promised a coronation on May 6 to reflect "the spirit of our times"– that is, be pared back. But no place does pomp and ceremony – even of the pared back kind – better than London, thanks to the British Royal Family. And no people love to turn out for it in droves more than the English. "The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look toward the future, while being rooted in long-standing traditions and pageantry," a spokesperson has said. Cue the horses, horns and hairy hats. The ceremony will be held at Westminster Abbey – only dignitaries will be in attendance but commoners hoping to witness history can line up to view the procession between Buckingham Palace and the Abbey, and if history is anything to go by, there'll be celebrations, both formal and informal, everywhere. Book a hotel in Westminster and immerse. See visitlondon.com
DISNEY100, US
Disney parks will go big to celebrate the brand's 100th anniversary this year.Credit: David Roark/Disney
Disney fans are in for a year of magical treats as The Walt Disney Company celebrates its centenary in a program coined Disney100. In addition to an absolute slew of streaming and theatrical releases including Wish, an original animated musical inspired by the studios' legacy of films, physical highlights for travellers keen to join the celebrations include Disney100: The Exhibition. Opening February 18 at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Chicago, Illinois, and Kansas City, Missouri, set as the next two stops on the North American tour, the 1400-square-metre exhibition tells Disney stories using innovative and immersive technology throughout 10 galleries featuring rarely seen original artworks and artifacts, costumes and props, and other pieces. Meanwhile, at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Disney100 will be celebrated with night-time "spectaculars" referencing Disney's incredible legacy. See Disney.com.au
GOTEBURG 400, GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN
Credit: iStock
Sweden's second largest city's 400th birthday came in 2021, at the height of the pandemic. So, the good people of Gothenburg moved most of their celebrations to 2023. Gothenburg's anniversary party runs from June 2 to September 3, promising to "fill the city with music and dance, culinary experiences, historical walks, cries of laughter, innovations, experiences for all ages and much, much more." The celebrations begin with a five-day free festival in Gothenburg's newest district, Frihamnen. Projects completed for the anniversary include Jubileumsparken, a collection of swimming pools on the river, surrounded by wooden decks and connected to the land by piers. A bunch of new hotels have opened recently in the city that's actively transforming its sustainability profile, including the Scandic Goteborg Central, featuring Gothenburg's largest rooftop terrace offering a panoramic view of the river, Gota alv and new Hisingsbron bridge. See goteburg2023.com; scandichotels.com
RUGBY WORLD CUP, FRANCE
The Rugby World Cup 2023 will spread across nine stadiums in some of France's hottest tourist regions.Credit: World Rugby
It's a testimony to the popularity of rugby union in France, particularly the south, that the country has already hosted the Rugby World Cup twice (on its own in 2007, co-hosting with Ireland and the UK in 1991). And with its third in 2023, France will have hosted more iterations of the event than any other country. Games will be played in nine stadiums across the country in Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse. Followers of the Wallabies can book travel packages that encompass games, culture and wine, ranging from one-game-focused itineraries such as a weekend in Lyon for Australia versus Fiji, to an 11-night package including all finals in Marseilles and Paris through the official travel agent for Australian fans, Wallabies Travel. It's on from September 8 to October 28. See rugbyworldcup.com; wallabiestravel.com.au
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