For the first time in 20 years, an official Grand Sumo Tournament is set to be held outside Japan. London’s Royal Albert Hall will be the setting for the event that will take place over five days, starting on October 15, 2025. It’s the second time for the iconic 154-year-old Kensington venue to host a sumo tournament. On the last occasion, in 1991, Yokozuna Hokutoumi triumphed in front of a sold-out crowd. Now known as Hakkaku, he is the current Japan Sumo Association chairperson. On Wednesday, he was in London to help launch the event.
Conveying the Appeal of Sumo to the People of London
“I will be making every effort to convey to the people of London the appeal of sumo, an ancient traditional Japanese culture, and to ensure that everyone enjoys the event to their heart’s content,” said Hakkaku. “I look forward to meeting many of you there.”
“Good things come to those who wait,” said the Royal Albert Hall’s CEO James Ainscough OBE. He added, “To find something like Sumo, which isn’t just a sport but is a cultural moment, has a great tradition and ritual attached to it, makes it even more interesting. We’ve had wrestling and boxing here at the Royal Albert Hall for well over 100 years, but sumo is a completely different level and nature of sport and that’s why it’s such a fascinating thing to bring here.”
Asked whether the tournament would be affordable, Ainscough told BBC London that there would be a “whole range of tickets.”
An Authentic Setting
The Royal Albert Hall intends to make things as genuine as possible, with authentic soil and sand dohyo (ring), as well as a roof that is “reminiscent of a Shinto shrine” Forty of Japan’s top wrestlers are expected to compete, with 20 bouts each day. The last Grand Sumo Tournament to take place overseas was at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas in October 2005.
