United States Events 2026 — dates, venues & tickets
American event culture runs on early booking. The biggest festivals, conferences and championship rounds sell out months ahead, and hotel prices in the host city often triple during the event week. If you have just arrived on an H-1B, F-1 or L-1 visa, these dates are also some of the cheapest professional networking you will find — badge prices look high until you compare them with a recruiter fee.
Planning notes for United States
Plan around three practical constraints: domestic flights spike roughly six weeks out, most large venues in the US are now cashless and card-only, and any event requiring alcohol service will ask for a government photo ID — a foreign passport works, a photocopy does not. If you are on a non-immigrant visa, keep your I-94 and status documents at home in a safe place and travel with your passport plus a printed itinerary.
Upcoming events in United States
Listed in date order. Prices are the organiser's published starting rates and change between release tiers — always confirm on the official ticket or RSVP page before booking flights or accommodation.
Sport
US Open Tennis Championships
The final Grand Slam of the tennis season, played on hard courts in Queens with the loudest crowds on the tour.
Date
Time
Day sessions from 11am, night sessions from 7pm
Location
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York CityFlushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY 11368
Entry
Grounds passes from about $85; Arthur Ashe sessions from about $150
Newcomer tip
Qualifying week before the main draw is free to attend and is genuinely good tennis — an easy first outing if you have just moved to New York and want a low-cost day out.
Giant character balloons, marching bands and floats travelling down Manhattan on Thanksgiving morning.
Date
Time
8:30am–12pm
Location
Central Park West to Herald Square, New York CityParade route from W 77th St to Macy's, 151 W 34th St, New York, NY
Entry
Free to watch from the public route
Newcomer tip
Arrive by 6:30am for a usable spot on the Upper West Side stretch. The balloon inflation the evening before is quieter, free and much easier with children.
The most-watched countdown in the world, with performances through the evening from the Times Square stages.
Date
Time
Viewing areas open from 3pm; ball drops at midnight
Location
Times Square, New York CityBroadway & 7th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Entry
Free in the public pens; ticketed hotel and rooftop views vary
Newcomer tip
There are no bathrooms and no re-entry once you are inside a viewing pen. Most newcomers enjoy a neighbourhood bar countdown far more — book a table by early December.
One conference stapled to a music festival stapled to a film premiere circuit. Tech, media, health and creative tracks run in parallel across downtown Austin for a week.
Date
Time
Sessions 9:30am–6pm daily; showcases run to 2am
Location
Austin Convention Center & citywide venues, Austin, Texas500 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701
Entry
From about $1,095 for a Platinum badge; free outdoor events
Newcomer tip
The best-value badge is usually the earliest tier released in the previous summer. Recruiters from most large US tech employers staff the trade show floor, which makes it useful if you are looking for H-1B-sponsoring employers.
The desert festival that sets the tone for the American festival season, with large-scale art installations alongside the headline stages.
Date
Time
Gates 11am, music until midnight
Location
Empire Polo Club, Indio, California81-800 Avenue 51, Indio, CA 92201
Entry
General admission from about $499 plus fees; payment plans available
Newcomer tip
Advance sale registration opens the previous summer and sells through in minutes. Shuttle passes are far cheaper and less stressful than parking or ride-hailing in the desert.
Attending events is fine on almost any status, but paid work at one — including stewarding, bar shifts or paid performance — is not always permitted on a visitor or study permit. If an event is also a work opportunity, confirm your right-to-work conditions first.
Buy from the organiser
Every link on this page points to the official organiser, venue or tourism authority. Resale platforms routinely list tickets that the organiser will refuse at the gate, particularly for named-ticket events like marathons and Grand Slam tennis.
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