European Leader Confident in 'Competitive' Bid for Future WrestleMania

WrestleMania will be held outside of North America for the first time ever in 2027 when the annual 'Showcase of the Immortals' is hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Now, another country overseas is eyeing a future event.
The Councilor for Kilkenny, Ireland, Maurice Shortall, told the Irish Mirror this week that the country is in a good position to put in a competitive bid for WrestleMania, highlighting Ireland's status as one of the top sports and entertainment destinations in the world.
“As a globally recognized event with the capacity to attract tens of thousands of international visitors and generate substantial international media exposure, WrestleMania presents a significant opportunity for Ireland to strengthen its position as a leading destination for major event tourism,” Kilkenny said.
Ireland playing host to WrestleMania may not be as big a stretch as you may think. In addition to regularly welcoming the top rugby teams from across the globe each fall, Croke Park in Dublin was the site of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings regular season match-up this past September as part of the NFL's international tour.
That said, there's a huge difference between hosting a week 4 regular season game and the Super Bowl, which WrestleMania is often referred to as the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. Still, Kilkenny is expressing confidence in Ireland's ability to be competitive.
“Ireland is well placed to present a credible and competitive bid for WrestleMania, given our strong international tourism brand, proven track record in hosting major events, and global reputation as a welcoming destination.”
WrestleMania is likely to return to the United States in 2028

With the host site for WrestleMania 43 next spring already locked in, there are a number of suitors who are already lining up to win the event in 2028 and beyond.
Both Indianapolis and New Orleans already have deals in place to host a future WrestleMania, while Nashville's brand new Nissan Stadium is the reported front-runner for WrestleMania 44, with Music City leaders reportedly in active negotiations with WWE.
"Sources within the city claimed they were at the 'finish line.' [But] There have been city officials elsewhere who have claimed this in the past in order to add buzz to getting the event."
It was heavily rumored that Minneapolis was on the verge of landing WrestleMania 41 before the decision was made to bring the event to Las Vegas. New Orleans was originally announced as the host for WrestleMania 42, before the decision was made to bring it back to Las Vegas.
Nothing is official until it's official. And even then, it may not be. An announcement regarding WrestleMania 44 could be coming within the next few weeks.

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com