Table of contents:
Tokyo Olympics Schedule Overview
Planning Your Tokyo Olympics Trip
Tokyo 2020 Olympics Schedule Summary
The chance to witness the spectacle of the Olympic Games in person is a once in a lifetime experience. But combining the Olympics with a trip abroad makes the whole experience even more special. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are less than a year away now, so if you have dreams of making a trip to Japan to see them, then you better get planning.
While buying tickets to the games is important, you also need to know the Tokyo 2020 Olympics schedule so you can work out the timing of your trip. Here, we’ve put together all you need to know about the Tokyo Olympics schedule to help you plan your trip.
Tokyo Olympics Schedule Overview
Like every Olympic Games, the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony on the 24th July 2020 will be the official start to the Games. The Tokyo Olympics will then run for 17 days until the Closing Ceremony on 9th August 2020. A month later, the Tokyo Paralympics will be on from August 25th to September 6th 2020. However, the schedule of Tokyo 2020 is not that simple.
For scheduling reasons, there are certain sports that will begin before or on the same day as the Opening Ceremony on the 24th. There will be qualifier games of softball and football starting on the 22nd July and the competitions for rowing and archery begin on the 24th July. That being said, it’s really the 25th July when many of the events begin, 19 of them in fact.
Each sport has its own timeframe and structure for how its events are run. Of the 33 sports, some have a string of qualifiers first, while others move straight into the medal events. Sports like skateboarding only take place over 2 days, while volleyball runs for over 2 weeks.
Besides the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and events, travellers may want to factor in other parts of the Olympic Games too. For instance, the Olympic Torch Relay will be running throughout Japan from 26 March 2020.
Planning Your Tokyo Olympics Trip
It makes sense that if you’re travelling all the way to Japan for the Olympics that you will also want to spend some time sightseeing around the country. Getting a Japan Rail Pass for your travel before or after the Olympics can be a great investment, but you’ll want to know exactly when to buy it for.
For those simply sticking to Tokyo during the games, having a valid rail pass won’t do you much good. However, if you plan on watching the football, baseball or softball, there are games being held in other cities like Yokohama and Fukushima. That’s exactly the kind of situation where you will want a rail pass. Since it will be extra busy during the Olympics, it’s also wise to reserve seats (free with the Japan Rail Pass) on your chosen trains to make sure you don’t miss out.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics Schedule Summary
Below you’ll find a summary of the schedules for each of the Olympic sports. This is only accurate as of the time of writing and may be subject to change. For more details on which events are when, consult the full Tokyo 2020 Olympics schedule.
Aquatics
Swimming: July 25 (Saturday) – August 2 (Sunday)
Diving: July 26 (Sunday) – July 29 (Wednesday), July 31 (Friday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Artistic Swimming: August 3 (Monday) – August 5 (Wednesday), August 7 (Friday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Water Polo: July 25 (Saturday) – August 9 (Sunday)
Marathon Swimming: August 5th (Wednesday) – August 6 (Thursday)
Archery
July 24 (Friday) – August 1 (Saturday)
Athletics
Track & Field / Marathon: July 31 (Friday) – August 9 (Sunday)
Race Walk: July 31 (Friday), August 7 (Friday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Badminton
July 25 (Saturday) – August 3 (Monday)
Baseball/Softball
Baseball: July 29 (Wednesday) – August 6 (Thursday), August 8 (Saturday)
Softball: July 22 (Wednesday) – July 23 (Tuesday), July 25 (Saturday) – July 28 (Tuesday)
Basketball
3×3 Basketball: July 25 (Saturday) – July 29 (Wednesday)
Basketball: July 26 (Sunday) – August 9 (Sunday)
Boxing
July 25 (Saturday) – August 2 (Sunday), August 4 (Tuesday) – August 9 (Sunday)
Canoe
Slalom: July 26 (Sunday) – July 31 (Friday)
Sprint: August 3 (Monday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Cycling
BMX Freestyle: August 1 (Saturday) – August 2 (Sunday)
BMX Racing: July 30 (Thursday) – July 31 (Friday)
Mountain Bike: July 27 (Monday) – July 28 (Tuesday)
Road: July 25 (Saturday) – July 26 (Sunday), July 29 (Wednesday)
Track: August 3 (Monday) – August 9 (Sunday)
Equestrian
Dressage: July 25 (Saturday) – July 26 (Sunday), July 28 (Tuesday) – July 29 (Wednesday)
Eventing: July 31 (Friday) – August 3 (Monday)
Jumping: August 4 (Tuesday) August 5 (Wednesday), August 7 (Friday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Fencing
July 25 (Saturday) – August 2 (Sunday)
Football
July 22 (Wednesday)- July 23 (Thursday), July 25 (Saturday) – July 26 (Sunday), July 28 (Tuesday) – July 29 (Wednesday), July 31 (Friday) – August 1 (Saturday), August 3 (Monday) – August 4 (Tuesday), August 6 (Thursday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Golf
July 30 (Thursday) – August 2 (Sunday), August 5 (Wednesday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Gymnastics
Artistic: July 25 (Saturday) – July 30 (Thursday), August 2 (Sunday) – August 4 (Tuesday)
Rhythmic: August 7 (Friday) – August 9 (Sunday)
Trampoline: July 31 (Friday) – August 1 (Saturday)
Handball
July 25 (Saturday) – August 9 (Sunday)
Hockey
July 25 (Saturday) – August 7 (Friday)
Judo
July 25 (Saturday) – August 1 (Saturday)
Karate
Kata, Kumite: August 6 (Thursday)- August 8 (Saturday)
Modern Pentathlon
August 6 (Thursday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Rowing
July 24 (Friday) – July 31 (Friday)
Rugby
July 27 (Monday) – August 1 (Saturday)
Sailing
July 26 (Sunday) – August 5 (Wednesday)
Shooting
Rifle and Pistol: July 25 (Saturday) – July 26 (Sunday), July 28 (Tuesday), July 30 (Thursday) – August 3 (Monday)
Shotgun: July 26 (Sunday) – July 27 (Monday), July 29 (Wednesday) – July 30 (Thursday), August 1 (Saturday)
Skateboarding
Park: August 5th (Wednesday) – August 6th (Thursday)
Street: July 26 (Sunday) – July 27 (Monday)
Sport Climbing
August 4 (Tuesday) – August 7 (Friday)
Surfing*
July 26 (Sunday) – August 2 (Sunday)
Table Tennis
July 25 (Saturday) – July 31 (Friday), August 2 (Sunday) – August 7 (Friday)
Taekwondo
July 25 (Saturday) – July 28 (Tuesday)
Tennis
July 25 (Saturday) – August 2 (Sunday)
Triathlon
July 27 (Monday) – July 28 (Tuesday), August 1 (Saturday)
Volleyball
Beach Volleyball: July 25 (Saturday) – August 8 (Saturday)
Volleyball: July 25 (Saturday) – August 9 (Sunday)
Weightlifting
July 25 (Saturday) – July 29 (Wednesday), August 1 (Saturday) – August 5 (Wednesday)
Wrestling
Freestyle, Greco-Roman: August 2 (Sunday) – August 8 (Saturday)
*Note: The schedule and exact days for the surfing competitions will depend on the wave conditions at the time.
