Houston is getting ready to welcome the world in 2026 - so it seemed the perfect time to kick-off an exciting year for the Texas city with a visit to see its sporting delights, writes Nick Jones.
The fourth largest metropolis in the US (and it’s rapidly closing in on third-placed Chicago) will host eight games in this summer's football World Cup at the stunning NRG stadium - home of their NFL team, the Houston Texans.
For over 50 years H-Town (as it has become nicknamed in recent years) has been mainly famous for astronaut Jim Lovell’s radio message across the void of space from the crippled Apollo 13: “Houston, we have a problem.”
And while the local remains rightly proud of its space exploits (as we shall see later) the 7.8million residents are keen to prove there is so much more to the place they call home.
So after a 10-hour flight from Heathrow and a 30-minute ride into the city centre from George Bush Intercontinental Airport we arrived at our base for four days - the luxurious Four Seasons.
The main highlight of our trip was a visit to see an NFL game as the Texans hosted the San Francisco 49ers and a chance to check out the stadium thousands of football (or soccer as you must say there) fans will experience as the United States, Mexico and Canada host the 48-team finals - the largest in history.
The game kicked off at midday so after a swift (and large) breakfast at the hotel we set off in a cab for the eight-mile drive to the stadium. It's traditional to arrive several hours before kick-off to watch and usually get invited to join in with the American tradition of tailgating. Seldom has a car park been so lively as the fans turn up in their massive SUVs and trucks, unload a massive barbeque and sound system before starting to party.
After watching the spectacle we decided to enter the stadium - walking past the derelict Astrodome which opened in the 1960s and housed local sports teams until the turn of the century. All the tickets are digital and you have to download the Texans app to access them but getting into the stadium was easy. But fans have to seriously take note of a nationwide policy which means no bags are allowed in unless they are see-through. Even small handbags are banned.
After entering the light and airy 72,000-capacity stadium (it has a roof that opens and closes depending on the weather and was shut on the day of our game) you are bombarded with vendors for every kind of fast food and the beer is flowing.
After stocking up on goodies we headed for our seat (costing about £120) and the jaw-dropping first view of the pitch. Anyone who has been to our own Wembley will have the same reaction to NRG. It’s stunning.
We found our seats behind one of the endzones an hour before kick-off and waited for the stadium to fill up. And waited and waited and waited. Then five minutes before kick-off the fans poured in, obviously using every second to eat and drink outside although you can bring beer and food to your seat. San Francisco fans (of which there were thousands) sat happily with Texan supporters and as the match unfolded there was no hint of animosity. A pleasant change from many afternoons at football matches in the UK.
American football made itself the dominant sport in the country by becoming the perfect TV sport – complete with handy stoppages for ad breaks. But unfortunately that leads to long gaps in the action when everything stops and the the clubs have to fill the two minute breaks with competitions for fans and the typical US sports pastime of firing shirts into the crowd from a hand-held ‘cannon’.
The four 15-minute periods of play invariably take three hours to complete and somehow many of the matches come down to the last second – as did this one as the Texans held on for a narrow victory.
Unlike many of our own stadiums the ground emptied remarkably quickly but the infrastructure around the stadium could do with a bit of improvement. It’s in a bit of a wasteland and it was a 15-minute walk and then a long wait to pick up our Uber ride. There is a light rail station nearby that will take you from the city centre and that might well be the best option if you are fortunate enough to attend a game next summer.
So back to the hotel for a sumptuous dinner in the Four Seasons’ in-house restaurant ToroToro. It specialises in ceviche (raw seafood ‘cooked’ in citrus juice) and, this being Texas, steak. The 8oz fillet mignon was superb.
That just left time for a quick nightcap in a bar with a difference. Our server took us through the kitchens and a hidden doorway into Bandista – a recreation of a 1920s prohibition-era speakeasy. You certainly felt like you were having an illicit drink as your cocktail was made to order. Luckily no police raid intervened to ruin the evening.
But if you visit for a World Cup game or to see the Texans, local basketball team the Rockets or baseball side the Astros, you will still need some other distractions.
A couple of attractions include the Buffalo Biyou Cistern – an underground water reservoir built in the 1920s which is used for concerts thanks to its awesome acoustics. It’s a 30-minute tour which might be a nice respite from the summer heat which averages 33 degrees centigrade in July and August. See buffalobayou.org/location/the-cistern.
And, of course, a 30-minute drive out of town is the Houston Space Center (spacecenter.org). Its main visitor centre has a full-size space shuttle replica, artifacts from the moon landings and a cinema with a Tom Hanks narrated film looking at lunar exploration past and future. But the highlight is a short ride away where you walk up a staircase reminiscent of a fire escape into a windowless building where you take a seat at the back of the original mission control. It’s a familiar sight from numerous films but smaller in real life than I imagined. We sat in the public viewing gallery while a film detailing the dramatic landing on July 20, 1969 was shown. I still had me holding my breath as the drama unfolded.
The room, which once heard the crackling message “The Eagle has landed”, may now be quiet but you can still feel the tension in the air. It was a real highlight.
And so back to George Bush airport for the journey home, where we were greeted by a clock counting down the seconds to the start of the World Cup. Houston, we most definitely do not have a problem.
Great restaurants
JUN, Chef Evelyn and Chef Henry ‘plays homage to where Texas has been while
exploring where its food can go’. With its open kitchen, you can watch as the imaginative small plate dishes such as Lamb Belly with tandoori marinade, pickled green tomato and salted yogurt and Red Fish with guajillo and pickled melon are prepared. www.junbykin.com
CasaEma is an award-winning eaterie (closes at 3pm) serving delights from delicious pastries and house roasted coffee to rich dishes celebrating Mexican indigenous flavours. casaemahtx.com
Nancy’s Hustle is a hot ticket - a modern bistro located in Houston’s iconic neighbourhood, EaDo, or East Downtown. It is known for its wine selection and Nancy Cakes. We thoroughly enjoyed being part of the buzz, and the food is great too! www.nancyshustle.com
WORLD CUP MATCHES AT NRG STADIUM
Sunday, June 14
Group E: Germany vs. Curaçao
Wednesday, June 17
Group K: Portugal vs. Congo
Saturday, June 20
Group F: Netherlands vs. Sweden
Tuesday, June 23
Group K: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
Friday, June 26
Group H: Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia
Monday, June 29
Round of 32: Group C winner vs. Group F runner-up.
Saturday, July 4
Round of 16: Winner of Group A runner-up vs. Group B runner-up against winner of Group F winner vs. Group C runner-up.
For more information about Texas, visit www.traveltexas.com
The Four Seasons Hotel Houston offers 468 transformed guest accommodations in its 30-story building, including 103 hotel suites and 12 specialty suites. Each room offers Texas-inspired design and spacious layouts. Rates start at $550 (£415).
Holiday Extras is the market leader in UK airport parking, hotels, lounges, and transfers – and in 2025 its customers saved an average of £200 per trip by booking their airport parking in advance. Booking airport parking means you can enjoy more holiday with less hassle. Plus with Flextras, if you need to cancel or amend you can without charge. Nine days’ Maple Parking Meet & Greet at Gatwick South Terminal is available for £130 based on arrival on 01/07/2026. Entry into the Clubrooms South lounge at Gatwick South Terminal is available for £52 based on arrival on 01/07/2026. For more information and to book, HolidayExtras.com or call 0800 316 5678. www.holidayextras.com
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