October is shaping up to be another packed month of live sport, with Premier League football, England internationals, three NFL games in London, Formula 1, major horse racing and plenty of darts, snooker and boxing to keep pub screens busy.
With the evenings drawing in and more customers looking for somewhere to watch the big games, October offers plenty of opportunities for pubs and bars to turn live sport into a reason to stay longer.
Football takes centre stage
The Premier League continues to provide the backbone of the sporting calendar, with several eye-catching fixtures scheduled throughout October.
England face Croatia away on Saturday 3 October, before returning to Wembley to take on Czechia on Tuesday 6 October.
Scotland also have two fixtures during the October international window, travelling to face North Macedonia on Saturday 3 October, before hosting Slovenia at Hampden on Tuesday 6 October. Both matches kick off at 7.45pm UK time.
Wales have two home fixtures during the same period, welcoming Norway on Thursday 1 October before facing Denmark on Sunday 4 October.
With England, Scotland and Wales all in action within the first week of October, the Nations League provides a strong start to the month for pubs looking to put international football front and centre.
Domestic football then returns with a particularly strong weekend:
10 October – Arsenal v Leeds United
Arsenal host Leeds in the first Premier League fixture of the weekend, before Manchester United take on Tottenham in the evening at Old Trafford. Both matches are scheduled for live UK broadcast.
11 October – Liverpool v Manchester City
One of the standout fixtures of the month sees Liverpool welcome Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday afternoon. The 16:30 kick-off makes it a natural centrepiece for a busy Sunday session.
There is plenty more to follow later in the month, including Manchester City travelling to Aston Villa on 24 October and Chelsea hosting Manchester United on 31 October. Liverpool v Arsenal then follows on Sunday 1 November, giving the Halloween weekend an additional football fixture to look forward to.
European football will also continue alongside the domestic schedule, providing plenty of midweek opportunities for pubs to keep the screens busy.
NFL comes to London
American football gets an extended run in the UK during October, with three NFL games taking place in London on three consecutive Sundays.
The run begins on 4 October, when the Indianapolis Colts face the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Philadelphia Eagles then meet the Jacksonville Jaguars at the same stadium on 11 October, before the Houston Texans face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley on 18 October. All three games are scheduled for 14:30 kick-offs, making them particularly well suited to a Sunday afternoon in the pub.
For pubs, the London NFL run offers a chance to introduce American football to customers who may not normally follow the sport, while also giving existing NFL fans three consecutive Sundays of live action.
Formula 1 heads to Singapore and Austin
F1 continues its run towards the end of the season with two Grands Prix in October.
The Singapore Grand Prix takes place from 9–11 October, bringing the sport’s distinctive night-race atmosphere to the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Two weeks later, the championship heads to Austin for the United States Grand Prix from 23–25 October.
Both weekends offer pubs the opportunity to build a sporting schedule around qualifying and race-day coverage, particularly where Formula 1 already has an established following.
Racing has a big month
Horse racing also provides several strong dates for the pub calendar.
The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe takes place at ParisLongchamp on 3–4 October, while British racing reaches one of its major annual occasions with QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday 17 October.
Champions Day brings together six races at Ascot, including four Group 1 contests, making it an important date for racing fans as the Flat season reaches its conclusion.
The Dubai Future Champions Festival at Newmarket on 9–10 October provides another weekend of British racing, with the Fillies’ Mile, Dewhurst Stakes and Cesarewitch among the feature races.
Boxing brings a heavyweight showdown
Saturday 17 October also has a major boxing attraction, with Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley meeting in a heavyweight world-title rematch at London’s O2 Arena.
The pair previously met earlier in 2026, with the rematch scheduled for 17 October.
For sports-led pubs, major boxing nights can provide an opportunity to create a dedicated event atmosphere, with the fight sitting alongside British Champions Day earlier in the day.
Darts and snooker keep the action coming
October is also busy for fans of darts and snooker.
The World Grand Prix begins in Leicester on 28 September and runs into the first days of October. Later in the month, the European Championship takes place from 22–28 October, while the Swiss Darts Trophy and Dutch Darts Championship provide further European Tour action.
Snooker fans can also look forward to the Northern Ireland Open, which runs from 18–25 October at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall. The tournament brings many of the world’s leading players together for a week of action.
A month built for the big screen
October offers pubs a particularly broad sporting mix. England internationals open the month, the Premier League provides major domestic fixtures, London hosts three NFL games and Formula 1 visits Singapore and Austin.
Add British Champions Day, major boxing, darts and snooker, and there is something on the sporting calendar for customers across almost every weekend.
With darker evenings encouraging more people to spend time out of the house, October gives pubs plenty of opportunities to make live sport part of the occasion – whether that means a big Premier League afternoon, an NFL Sunday, a Formula 1 weekend or a dedicated fight night.