Europe's alternative must-see sports revealed in easyJet survey
Finland’s Wife Carrying Championship, Dutch lake-leaping contest and French wine marathon have been revealed as the top must-do alternative sports to travel to watch.
Mud Olympics in Germany, Hobby Horse Championships in Finland and famous Scottish Haggis throwing contest also feature highly in a new alternative European sports tournament list compiled by airline easyJet and voted for by the British public.
With major international tournaments and sporting events taking place across Europe this summer the study of 2,000 sports-loving Brits by the airline has revealed a new hot list of lesser-known, must-see sports events across the continent, with some even offering the opportunity to take part.
As sporting fever sweeps the nation this summer, 87 per cent agreed that attending a sports tournament abroad is on their bucket list.
easyJet boosted its seats by around 20 per cent across routes to European destinations hosting sports events this summer, including the Euro 2024 football champions across Germany and the Olympics in Paris.
The top 10 alternative European sporting events as voted for by the British public are:
- Wife Carrying Championship, Finland (July 2025) – 38 per cent
Couples compete to win the wife's weight in beer. This tournament has evolved into a two-day event that includes karaoke, markets and activities for children.
- Fierljeppen, Netherlands (until September) – 37 per cent
Fierljeppen is a favourite sport of Friesland province. It can be translated as ‘far-leaping’. The aim of the game is to jump over the water body as far as you can. The games are held every year between May and September.
- Concurs de Castille, Spain (5 October) - 37 per cent
A human tower contest. After each level is built, children clamber up the human tower to complete the structure and wave the flag of victory.
- Marathon du Medoc, Bordeaux, France (7 September) – 33 per cent
A 26.2 mile running course through scenic vineyards, where fancy dress is compulsory, and participants sample 23 glasses of famed vintages on route.
- Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling, UK (May 2025) – 32 per cent
In an annual tradition dating back to the early 1800s, people chase a wheel of cheese down a steep incline. The winner of the race keeps the cheese.
- Haggis Hurling, UK (June 2025) – 29 per cent
Contestants climb atop a platform, usually an overturned whisky barrel, and lob a boiled sheep's stomach stuffed with sheep pluck (a sheep's heart, liver, and lungs), onion, oatmeal, suet, and spices. The goal is to throw the haggis, Scotland's national dish, as far as possible.
- Mud Olympics, Germany (17 August) – 27 per cent
Held on the banks of the Elbe River since 1978. Competitors at the Mud Olympics can expect games of football, handball, and the long-distance rubber boot toss.
- Hobby Horse Championship, Finland (June 2025) – 26 per cent
Recently going viral on social media, witness the best of the best Hobby Horse riders put their skills to the test in a multitude of disciplines. The hobby horse has been a tradition in Finland since the 19th Century.
- Air Guitar Championships, Finland (June 2025) – 24 per cent
The Air Guitar World Championship is a physical event, first held in 1996. The aim was to promote world peace, through freedom of expression.
- Turkish Oil Wrestling, Turkey (July 2025) – 23 per cent
Held annually since 1360, the Turkish oil wrestling tournament is Turkey's oldest sport and a historic festival that last three days where people compete to get their opponent in a position where their belly button faces the sky. The winner gets the coveted gold belt for the year and is given the title of Başpehlivan, meaning head wrestler.
Sophie Dekkers, chief commercial officer, easyJet, said: “Sport is unquestionably a great celebration of cultures and communities and with our unrivalled short-haul network offering over 1000 routes to 35 countries, easyJet is perfectly placed to take customers to an amazing range of events they may not have known existed and explore even more of what Europe has to offer this summer.”
