Overview
- The event marks only the second time the Grand Sumo Tournament has been held outside Japan, returning to the Royal Albert Hall for the first time since 1991.
- More than 44 professional rikishi are contesting roughly 100 bouts across five days, with a champion to be crowned on Sunday.
- Crowds of about 5,400 per day have been praised by wrestlers for polite, attentive support, with Yokozuna Onosato noting a different energy and Ura highlighting the absence of heckling.
- To ensure authenticity, organizers shipped 11 tons of clay from Japan, brought specialist yobidashi with interpreters, and installed a Shinto-inspired roof above the dohyo.
- In-ear English commentary and video replay screens are being provided to help newcomers follow techniques, ranks, and rituals.