Live Events & Tickets in Lexington

Lexington's live sports calendar is anchored by Rupp Arena (the legendary 20,500-seat home of Kentucky Wildcats basketball — one of the toughest tickets in college sports, with a fanbase that treats basketball as a way of life) and Kroger Field (Kentucky Wildcats football in the SEC). Kentucky Wildcats basketball drives the state's biggest year-round event demand — Big Blue Nation regularly fills Rupp Arena beyond capacity and major UK basketball weekends fill every hotel within 30 miles. The program's eight national championships and the annual rivalry with Louisville are among the most intense traditions in college basketball. Kentucky also fields nationally competitive programs in volleyball, softball, and track and field. Lexington sits in the heart of Kentucky's bourbon and horse country — Keeneland racecourse hosts spring and fall thoroughbred meets that bring international tourism and some of the most prestigious horse racing outside of the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby every first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in nearby Louisville fills the entire state with related events for two weeks. The Breeders' Cup has been hosted at Keeneland multiple times, cementing Lexington's status as a world-class horse racing destination.