Mega-events occupy important roles within global consumer societies, and so, this article aims to advance the sociological understanding of mega-events by using UEFA Euro 2020 as a case. Traditionally, sport mega-events have been staged in one or two countries. However, for the first time ever, 12 European countries shared the hosting rights for Euro 2020, which was postponed for a year following COVID-19. In global sports, this temporary shift was highly remarkable and the 12-country format’s implications raised a host of sociological questions. Drawing upon qualitative interviews, documentary analysis and media sources, this article examines this mega-event’s distinctive format and its broader implications. The article explores the socio-political conditions under which Euro 2020’s format became a reality and examines stakeholder outlooks on this event format. It is argued that the event’s format was considered to limit negative ‘legacies’ for host cities, yet the format was perceived to generate logistical and financial difficulties for potential mega-event consumers. In an epoch characterized by growing opposition to mega-event hosting, such findings are particularly important.

大型活动在全球消费社会中占有重要地位，因此，本文旨在以 UEFA Euro 2020 为例，促进对大型活动的社会学理解。传统上，大型体育赛事在一两个国家举办。但是，有史以来第一次，12 个欧洲国家共享了 2020 年欧洲杯的主办权，该赛事在 COVID-19 之后被推迟了一年。在全球体育运动中，这种暂时的转变非常显着，12 个国家/地区的赛制的影响引发了一系列社会学问题。本文利用定性访谈、文献分析和媒体资源，探讨了这一大型活动的独特形式及其更广泛的影响。本文探讨了 2020 年欧洲杯的形式成为现实的社会政治条件，并考察了利益相关者对这种事件形式的看法。有人认为，该活动的形式被认为可以限制主办城市的负面“遗产”，但这种形式被认为会给潜在的大型活动消费者带来后勤和财务困难。在一个以越来越多的人反对举办大型活动为特征的时代，这样的发现尤为重要。