A global analysis of nearly 2,100 disruptions to mass gatherings and events over 20 years shows climate change is a major cause of cancellations, delays, and modifications, with Canadian sporting events particularly hard hit.

Published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction , the study analyzed 2,091 sporting and business events, as well as festivals and other mass gatherings across 54 countries between 2004 and 2024. The results show a rising pattern of disruption, often driven by storms, wildfires and heat.

Lead author Shawna McKinley—an instructor at the B.C. Institute of Technology—said she and her German, Japanese and Australian colleagues relied on a vast trove of data, including archive research, RSS feeds from event organizers and news media, social media sur

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