London’s O2 Arena may be staging its 10th NBA regular season game in the new year (Sunday, January 18, 2026), but it will be the first time since 2019 that the best ballers on the planet have shown off their court skills in the English capital.
This long-awaited return to London reflects the NBA’s continued commitment to its UK fanbase. With a history of sold-out games, The O2 Arena is set to once again deliver a memorable night of world-class basketball.
Tickets for the Orlando Magic vs Memphis Grizzlies NBA London match-up will be hard to come by, but even if you don’t succeed in your initial efforts to secure a seat, there are other options available. Let GOAL show you all you need to know about purchasing NBA UK game tickets.
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When are NBA London 2026 tickets released?
Two NBA teams are hitting up London town in January to see an exciting match-off in the NBA regular season.
If you're looking for tickets, you'll want to join a general sale draw before November 5, after which tickets will be released for general sale on November 14.
Some tickets are available now on secondary ticket websites likeStubHub and Viagogo, with tickets from £130.
When is the NBA London 2026?
The following NBA regular-season game is taking place in the United Kingdom in 2026:
| Date | Fixture | Venue | Tip-off time | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Jan 18 | Orlando Magic vs Memphis Grizzlies | The O2 Arena, London | 5pm GMT (12pm ET) | Tickets from £136 |
There are also plans to stage a NBA regular season game at Co-op Live in Manchester in 2027.
The NBA UK game is once again being staged at The O2 Arena (commonly known as The O2), which is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in London, England. It opened in its present form, under the Millennium Dome, in 2007 and at 20,000, it has the third-highest capacity of any indoor venue in the United Kingdom, behind Co-op Live and Manchester Arena.
It's set to be a busy year at the O2 Arena for basketball fans, as following January’s NBA clash, the 2026 Basketball Play-Off Finals (the climax of the British men’s and women’s basketball seasons) will be held there in May.
A week after that, the arena bids welcome to the famous Harlem Globetrotters, who are hitting London as part of their ‘100 Year Tour’, which is being touted as being the most legendary tour in Globetrotters’ history.
How to buy NBA UK Game 2026 tickets
Tickets for the NBA UK game in London in January 2026 will be released in several phases, an initial phase reserved for NBA subscribers and priority pass holders, followed by general public sales.
Additionally, VIP packages will be offered, including exclusive perks such as premium seating, backstage access, and even meet-and-greet opportunities with players. When the NBA teams have previously visited the United Kingdom, demand for tickets has always been extremely high, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for the sport in the country.
NBA UK fans can aso buy tickets on the secondary market. StubHub and Viagogo have NBA London tickets on offer for as low as £130.
How much are NBA UK Game 2026 tickets?
NBA UK game 2026 ticket prices will vary depending on seat location, category, and visibility.
Based on previous overseas NBA games, seats are likely to range in price from £85-£1750.
VIP packages, with hospitality access and exclusive benefits, may exceed £2600.
Keep tabs on the official NBA ticket portal and links on the O2 Arena site for additional information about availability and prices.
Tickets are currently available on secondary resale sites such as StubHub and Viagogofrom £130.
When have previous NBA games been held?
Prior to the Toronto Raptors and the New Jersey Nets arriving at the O2 Arena in March 2011, no NBA regular-season game had been played on European soil. There had always been a strong NBA following in the United Kingdom though and the 18,000+ crowd that crammed into the Greenwich venue that night (and the night that followed) were in ecstasy from the first tip-off until the clock hit zero in the fourth and final quarter.
Aside from the Raptors and the Nets, ten other NBA teams, including the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, have played regular season encounters at the O2 Arena in London since then. On each occasion, the players have been welcomed with open arms by enthusiastic and knowledgeable London crowds and the Magic and Grizzlies stars can expect more fervent and frenzied support this January.
While London may be staging the sole NBA game on British soil in 2026, basketball fans in other parts of the country were jumping with joy when news broke of a forthcoming encounter taking place in 2027, at the largest indoor arena in the United Kingdom, the Co-op Live in Manchester. While Manchester did stage a preseason NBA encounter between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2013, this scheduled 2027 game will be the first regular season clash to take place away from London in the UK.
History of the NBA UK Games
London’s O2 Arena has hosted nine previous NBA regular season games, the results of which were:
| Date | Fixture & result |
|---|---|
| March 4, 2011 | Toronto Raptors 103–116 New Jersey Nets |
| March 5, 2011 | Toronto Raptors 136–137 New Jersey Nets |
| January 17, 2013 | New York Knicks 102–87 Detroit Pistons |
| January 16, 2014 | Brooklyn Nets 127–110 Atlanta Hawks |
| January 15, 2015 | New York Knicks 79–95 Milwaukee Bucks |
| January 14, 2016 | Toronto Raptors 106–103 Orlando Magic |
| January 12, 2017 | Indiana Pacers 112–140 Denver Nuggets |
| January 11, 2018 | Boston Celtics 114–103 Philadelphia 76ers |
| January 17, 2019 | New York Knicks 100–101 Washington Wizards |
Which teams are playing in the NBA London game 2026?
While the Orlando Magic visited London to play a regular season game a decade ago, the Memphis Grizzlies are making their debut at the O2 Arena
Orlando Magic
The Magic were established in Orlando, Florida in 1989 as an NBA expansion franchise. Several hoops legends have plied their trade in Orlando, including the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and Dwight Howard. The Magic may have topped the Southeast division standings on 8 occasions and reigned supreme as Eastern Conference champs twice, but they are still awaiting their first NBA Championship triumph. The closest they got to reaching the holy grail was finishing as NBA Finals runners-up in 1995 and 2009. Last season they were knocked out in the opening round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics (4-1).
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have a huge local following back in the United States, as they are currently the only team of the four major professional North American sports leagues, based in the city of Memphis. The NBA franchise was originally established in Vancouver, Canada for the start of the 1995/96 NBA season. After the 2000/01 season concluded, the Grizzlies departed Canada and moved to Memphis. The Grizzlies topped the Southwest division in both 2022 and 2023, although you have to back to 2013 for their best ever playoff performance, when they reached the Western Conference Finals, losing 4-0 to the San Antonio Spurs. Last season, they were whitewashed during the opening round of the playoffs by the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder.