Major Sports & Entertainment Events Fund
FY27 Grant Program Update: FY27 grant applications will open on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET and will remain open for 45 days, closing on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) process has been discontinued. All funding requests must now be submitted through the applicable full grant application. All other FY27 grant program policies and event eligibility requirements remain in effect.
For direct access to the application portals, visit the How to Apply section of the Maryland Sports grants website.
The Major Sports and Entertainment Event Fund (Major Event Fund) allows the Maryland Sports Commission to recruit, retain, secure & execute major, large-scale events in Maryland. Events ranging from international soccer matches to mega star music festivals and more. The Major Events Fund was enacted as part of Chapter 61 (House Bill 897) of the Maryland legislative acts of 2022 with the purpose of:
- Attracting major sporting events and major entertainment events to the State
- Attracting fans, participants, and tourists to the State
- Generating positive media coverage for the State
- Generating a positive economic impact for the State
The Major Event Fund is dedicated to working in conjunction with MSC’s other grant programs to continue moving the state forward, primarily through sports tourism. Specific guidelines, such as what event qualifies as a ‘major entertainment event’ or ‘major sports event’ can be found on our ‘Guidelines‘ page. If you have any questions that cannot be answered by the website please contact Grant Management.