After several months of build-up, the FIFA World Cup 2026 finally begins this week. The England and Scotland squads’ arrivals at their respective training bases in Kansas City and Charlotte, alongside warm-up games against New Zealand and Bolivia respectively, plus a plethora of World Cup preview editorial, kept our weekly Football audience up 25% vs. the 2026 index. Engagement was also up by around a fifth vs. the 2026 page views index.
In other sports news, the Epsom Derby, Monaco Grand Prix, England’s test-match win against New Zealand and the Stockholm Diamond League boosted Horse Racing (2.2x), Auto Racing (+95%), Cricket (+32%) and Athletics (+23%).
Glasto might be missing from the 2026 summer schedule, but music and festival audiences are still on the rise. Last week’s Mighty Hoopla kicked off Pride month in style, while stormy conditions in Barcelona brought UK festival weather to the continent Concerts & Music Events, LGBTQ+ and Festival engagement rose between 10% and 30%.
Beyond the beautiful games, celebrity nuptials captured attention across Ozone. Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s wedding at Marylebone Town Hall and their ongoing five-star celebrations in Sicily eclipsed Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling’s semi-royal union. Pop Culture’s 18% rise was supported by Celeb Style, Celeb Families and Celeb Relationships, while Events & Attractions received a 69% Weddings and 45% Fashion Events boost.
Broadway’s big night – the Tony Awards – took place at Radio City Music Hall, New York City last night, driving up audience engagement with Arts & Culture. Wins for Schmigadoon!, Ragtime, Death of a Salesman and The Lost Boys drove Theatre and Theatre Events to grow between 25% and 50%.
Finally, tributes to Anthony Head, the actor best-known for his roles in television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Merlin and Ted Lasso, have poured in following his death. Obituaries engagement rose by 41% as fans celebrated the actor’s life and legacy.
