The biggest events coming to Phoenix in 2026

Phoenix doesn’t do small events. In 2026, the Valley’s calendar is stacked with major events, from national sporting spectacles to long-running festivals and large-scale cultural gatherings that also draw crowds from outside Arizona.

Some of these Phoenix events are annual tentpoles. Others are rarer, high-stakes weekends that put the city on a national stage. They help shape the year and turn entire stretches of the Valley into destinations.

Each event brings major crowds, national attention and a significant economic impact.

Here are all the biggest events coming to Phoenix in 2026, listed chronologically to help plan ahead.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale

Jan. 17 to 25
One of the world’s largest collector-car auctions draws buyers, sellers and spectators to WestWorld of Scottsdale. The general public can watch in person, while millions more tune in on national television as luxury, vintage, celebrity-owned and high-performance vehicles cross the block.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona

Jan. 17 and 18
The annual half-marathon is the local stop of a national road race series, with a course that runs through Tempe, Phoenix and Scottsdale. Runners race along downtown streets and major corridors across three cities for medals during the two-day event.

Arizona Renaissance Festival

Jan. 31 to March 29
The Arizona Renaissance Festival returns for its annual run across nine weekends in Gold Canyon. The event recreates a 16th-century European village across a 50-acre site with costumed characters, lively attractions, jousting and 16 stages of entertainment.

WM Phoenix Open

Feb. 5 to 8
Metro Phoenix’s PGA Tour stop is Arizona’s largest annual sporting event, drawing massive crowds and golf superstars like Scottie Scheffler to TPC Scottsdale for four days of action. The nationally televised tournament’s celebratory vibe extends beyond the course, with packed hotels, concerts, parties and events across the city.

VNSA Used Book Sale

Feb. 14 and 15
One of the nation’s largest charity book sales, the long-running annual event fills the Arizona State Fairgrounds’ Agriculture Center with more than half a million discounted titles. Readers from across Arizona wait in line for hours to browse used books, along with CDs, DVDs, records and audiobooks, during the two-day event.

Cactus League Spring Training

Feb. 20 to March 24
The multi-week spring training schedule brings Major League Baseball players to metro Phoenix to prepare for the upcoming season. Dozens of games are played at 10 stadiums across the Valley as the Arizona Diamondbacks and 14 other teams take the field.

Art Detour

March 1 to 31
The monthlong arts event connects the public with downtown Phoenix creatives as part of a long-running annual tradition. Dozens of studios, galleries and venues on Roosevelt Row, Grand Avenue and beyond take part in the self-guided tour organized by Artlink.

NASCAR and IndyCar Spring Weekend

March 5 to 8
Phoenix Raceway hosts a rare IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader, putting two top racing series on the same weekend in the desert. Headline races run March 7 and 8, with ancillary races and fan events filling out a four-day stretch at the one-mile oval.

Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival

March 14 to 16 and March 21 to 23
One of Arizona’s most unusual festivals returns to Tumbleweed Park in Chandler for its 36th year in 2026. The annual event spans two weekends with carnival rides, attractions, live entertainment and appearances by its namesake flightless birds.

NCAA Women’s Final Four

April 3 to 5
The women’s college basketball championship will be decided at State Farm Stadium in Glendale during two nationally televised games. The event’s footprint stretches across the Valley, with fan experiences like Women’s Final Four Bounce, Tourney Town and the Super Saturday Concert in downtown Phoenix.

Arizona Bike Week

April 8 to 12
The five-day event takes over WestWorld of Scottsdale each spring for an annual celebration of motorcycles and biker culture. More than 80,000 people attend, with stunt shows, bike displays, vendors, bars and concerts spread across the 380-acre venue.

Phoenix Fan Fusion

June 5 to 7
Arizona’s largest pop-culture convention draws tens of thousands to the Phoenix Convention Center and set its highest-ever attendance in 2025 with 130,145 people. The multi-day event brings celebrity Q&As, fan panels, cosplay, gaming and thousands of vendors together under one roof.

NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Race

Oct. 18
Phoenix Raceway hosts a NASCAR Cup Series playoff race with championship implications as drivers compete for spots in the title finale. The nationally televised semifinal brings top teams back to the one-mile oval late in the season.

Arizona State Fair

October
The Arizona State Fair returns for its annual fall run as one of the largest events on the Valley calendar. The long-running tradition mixes rides, food, games and special attractions that brings tens of thousands from across metro Phoenix to the Arizona State Fairgrounds throughout October.

Phoenix Pride Festival

October
Arizona’s biggest and longest-running LGBTQ+ event every October is centered on visibility, community and culture. The festival at Steele Indian School Park and parade through midtown Phoenix draws large crowds each year with performances by high-profile artists and a party atmosphere.

Canal Convergence

November
The multi-week public art event transforms the Scottsdale Waterfront with large-scale installations, performances and nightly programming along the Arizona Canal. Its distinctive setting, memorable artistry and extended run make Canal Convergence one of the Valley’s most unique cultural events every fall.