Ballon d'Or 2026 Ceremony Moves to London Palladium on October 26

The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England. This marks the first time the gala has been held outside of France's capital in 70 years. Organisers have confirmed the move to London is temporary.

The ceremony will begin at 8:00pm GMT and is forecast to conclude at approximately 10:00pm. Red carpet arrivals are expected from 6:00pm until 7:40pm. The event will be broadcast live by DAZN in much of the world.

“The most glamorous and coveted individual award in football will be leaving Paris for the first time in 70 years.”

Viewers in the United States East Coast can watch at 4:00pm ET, while those on the West Coast can tune in at 1:00pm PT. In Peru, Colombia and Ecuador, the ceremony starts at 3:00pm local time. Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay will see the event begin at 5:00pm.

The gala will crown the successor to Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 men's Ballon d'Or winner. In the women's category, attention will focus on who follows Aitana Bonmatí, winner of the last three editions. Awards will also be presented for the best goalkeepers, young talents, coaches and teams.

The London Palladium opened in 1910 and has hosted artists including Bing Crosby, Kate Bush, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The choice of venue pays tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the English winger who became the award's inaugural winner in 1956. Previously, the ceremony was held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris since 2019, after rotating between Parisian settings such as the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower.

France Football organises the gala in collaboration with UEFA. The ceremony is one of the key dates in the 2026/27 football season. Further details about nominees and additional broadcast arrangements are expected closer to the event.