Events Outside Europe & Continental Attendance (Q2-Q4, 2026-2028)
This article consolidates our full discussion into a single, structured reference covering major sporting events, globally relevant film festivals, fashion weeks, and other culture/business gatherings scheduled in Q2-Q4 of 2026, 2027, and 2028. The scope is deliberately restricted to events outside Europe. Items known to be European (for example, Barcelona Bridal Week and Expo 2027 Belgrade) are explicitly excluded. Each listing emphasizes projected visitor draw distributed by continent to help planners and sponsors gauge true international reach rather than local headcount alone.
The lineup merges recurring fixtures (e.g., Tokyo Fashion Week spring editions and the Shanghai International Film Festival in June) with one-off or quadrennial moments (e.g., the Los Angeles Summer Olympics). We also retain context from our notes: Sundance runs in January (not in Q3); Alternativa Film Festival announced a 2026 edition in Colombia; and a New York-based fashion festival is slated to launch alongside a revamp of NYFW in September 2027. Where precise totals are uncertain this far out, we present conservative, order-of-magnitude projections and show how that demand distributes across continents.
Method & Sorting
- Inclusion window: Q2-Q4 for the years 2026, 2027, and 2028.
- Geography: only events outside Europe.
- Categories: sport, film, fashion, high-impact culture/business gatherings.
- Ordering: by projected multicontinental draw (largest to smaller, then by date).
- Notes recognized in discussion: Sundance is January; Expo 2027 (Belgrade) and Barcelona Bridal Week are excluded as European.
Top-Tier Multicontinental Draw
Los Angeles Summer Olympics — Jul 21-Aug 6, 2028 (USA)
A quadrennial sporting mega-event with unmatched broadcast, sponsor, and spectator pull. Expect exceptionally broad intercontinental representation driven by national delegations, media, and general spectators.
| Total International | ~1,200,000 |
|---|---|
| North America | ~400,000 |
| Europe | ~300,000 |
| Asia | ~200,000 |
| South America | ~100,000 |
| Oceania | ~80,000 |
| Africa | ~60,000 |
| Other/Unassigned | ~60,000 |
World Athletics Championships — Sep 11-19, 2027 (Beijing, China)
Track-and-field's pinnacle championship outside the Olympics. Attendance skews strongly pan-Asian but remains solidly multicontinental thanks to national teams, federations, and fan travel.
| Total | ~400,000 |
|---|---|
| Asia | ~160,000 |
| Europe | ~90,000 |
| North America | ~60,000 |
| Africa | ~40,000 |
| Oceania | ~25,000 |
| South America | ~25,000 |
FIBA Basketball World Cup — Aug 27-Sep 12, 2027 (Qatar)
Basketball's global championship cycles major intercontinental travel. Expect strong European, Asian, African, and American representation owing to national team participation and diaspora fan bases.
| Total | ~350,000 |
|---|---|
| Asia | ~120,000 |
| Europe | ~80,000 |
| Africa | ~50,000 |
| North America | ~50,000 |
| South America | ~30,000 |
| Oceania | ~20,000 |
Special Olympics World Summer Games — Oct 19-31, 2027 (Santiago, Chile)
A global, athlete-centered movement event with meaningful participation from delegations and families across the Americas, Europe, and beyond. Accessibility and inclusion logistics shape travel patterns.
| Total | ~300,000 |
|---|---|
| South America | ~120,000 |
| North America | ~80,000 |
| Europe | ~50,000 |
| Asia | ~25,000 |
| Oceania | ~15,000 |
| Africa | ~10,000 |
Major Film & Fashion (Strong Intercontinental Mix)
Shanghai International Film Festival — June 2026, 2027, 2028 (China)
A leading Asian film festival and market held annually in June. Its buyer, industry, and cinephile mix draws a consistent international presence, with Asia as the anchor.
| Total (annual) | ~200,000 |
|---|---|
| Asia | ~120,000 |
| Europe | ~30,000 |
| North America | ~25,000 |
| Oceania | ~10,000 |
| South America | ~10,000 |
| Africa | ~5,000 |
Australian Fashion Week (Resort) — May 12-16, 2026; May 2027 & 2028 (Sydney, Australia)
A concentrated industry showcase with measurable buyer and delegate attendance, plus consumer-facing elements. While Oceania leads, key Asian and North American presence is routine.
| Total (example 2026) | ~4,300 |
|---|---|
| Oceania | ~2,200 |
| Asia | ~900 |
| North America | ~500 |
| Europe | ~400 |
| Africa + South America | ~300 |
Tokyo Fashion Week (Spring Editions) — Apr-May 2026, 2027, 2028 (Japan)
A biannual platform; this overview focuses on the spring window (Q2). International buyer and press attendance is stable, with Asia dominant and balanced representation from Europe and North America.
| Total (annual spring) | ~12,000 |
|---|---|
| Asia | ~6,000 |
| Europe | ~2,000 |
| North America | ~2,000 |
| Oceania | ~1,000 |
| Other | ~1,000 |
New York Fashion Festival (parallel to NYFW revamp) — Sep 2027 (USA)
A new format aligned with New York's fashion calendar. While North America leads, international traffic is expected due to media and retail concentration.
| Total | ~20,000 |
|---|---|
| North America | ~12,000 |
| Europe | ~3,000 |
| Asia | ~2,000 |
| South America | ~1,500 |
| Other | ~1,500 |
Emerging & Regional (Growing Global Interest)
Alternativa Film Festival — Q2 2026 (Colombia)
An independent-minded platform with increasing visibility after its 2025 announcement. Attendance is primarily regional with a rising share of international guests and jurors.
| Total | ~5,000 |
|---|---|
| South America | ~3,000 |
| North America | ~1,000 |
| Europe | ~500 |
| Other | ~500 |
U.S. Regional Film Festivals (e.g., Austin, Santa Barbara) — Q4 annually (USA)
Notable Q4 fixtures with strong domestic audiences and limited international travel. Useful for targeted North American outreach near year-end award cycles.
| Total (per event) | ~3,000-8,000 |
|---|---|
| North America | ~80-90% |
| International | ~10-20% (mostly Europe & South America) |
Quarter-by-Quarter Lineup (Outside Europe)
2026
- Q2 (Apr-Jun): Australian Fashion Week (May 12-16, Sydney); Shanghai International Film Festival (June); Tokyo Fashion Week (Spring, Apr-May); Alternativa Film Festival (Q2, Colombia).
- Q3 (Jul-Sep): No flagship non-European additions noted in discussion for 2026 Q3.
- Q4 (Oct-Dec): No flagship non-European additions noted in discussion for 2026 Q4.
2027
- Q2 (Apr-Jun): Australian Fashion Week (May); Tokyo Fashion Week (Spring); Shanghai International Film Festival (June).
- Q3 (Jul-Sep): FIBA Basketball World Cup (Aug 27-Sep 12, Qatar); World Athletics Championships (Sep 11-19, Beijing); New York Fashion Festival (Sep).
- Q4 (Oct-Dec): Special Olympics World Summer Games (Oct 19-31, Santiago); U.S. Regional Film Festivals (Q4 series).
2028
- Q2 (Apr-Jun): Australian Fashion Week (May); Tokyo Fashion Week (Spring); Shanghai International Film Festival (June).
- Q3 (Jul-Sep): Los Angeles Summer Olympics (Jul 21-Aug 6).
- Q4 (Oct-Dec): No additional top-tier non-European events noted in discussion.
Explicit Exclusions & Clarifications
- Barcelona Bridal Week (Spain): Europe — excluded.
- Expo 2027 (Belgrade, Serbia): Europe — excluded.
- Sundance Film Festival: Primarily a January event — outside Q3/Q4 scope.
Condensed Summary Table (by Year & Quarter)
| Year | Q2 (Apr-Jun) | Q3 (Jul-Sep) | Q4 (Oct-Dec) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Australian Fashion Week; Shanghai IFF; Tokyo Fashion Week; Alternativa | — | — |
| 2027 | Australian Fashion Week; Tokyo Fashion Week; Shanghai IFF | FIBA World Cup; World Athletics; NY Fashion Festival | Special Olympics; U.S. Regional Film Fests |
| 2028 | Australian Fashion Week; Tokyo Fashion Week; Shanghai IFF | Los Angeles Olympics | — |