Houston

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Houston}}
{{wide image|Reliant Stadium Houston Rodeo.jpg|700px|align-cap=center|The annual [[Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo]] held inside the [[NRG Stadium]], 2006}}
[[File:Art Car Parade.jpg|right|thumb|[[Houston Art Car Parade]]]]
[[File:Aerial View of the Johnson Space Center - GPN-2000-001112.jpg|right|thumb|[[Johnson Space Center]], 1989]]
[[File:Downtown Houston Aquarium in 2012.jpg|thumb|Fountain of the [[Downtown Aquarium, Houston]], in 2012]]
Located in the [[Southern United States|American South]], Houston is a diverse city with a large and growing international community.<ref>{{cite web |title=Components of Population Change |work=houston.org |url=http://www.houston.org/pdf/research/09AW001.pdf |access-date=March 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711225746/http://www.houston.org/pdf/research/09AW001.pdf |archive-date=July 11, 2010}}</ref> The Greater Houston metropolitan area is home to an estimated 1.1&nbsp;million (21.4 percent) residents who were born outside the United States, with nearly two-thirds of the area's foreign-born population from south of the [[Mexico–United States border|United States–Mexico border]] since 2009.<ref name="ytlzpc">{{cite web |title=Foreign Born Population |work=houston.org |url=http://www.houston.org/pdf/research/09GW025.pdf |access-date=March 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711225904/http://www.houston.org/pdf/research/09GW025.pdf |archive-date=July 11, 2010}}</ref> Additionally, more than one in five foreign-born residents are from Asia.<ref name = "ytlzpc"/> The city is home to the nation's third-largest concentration of consular offices, representing 92 countries.<ref>{{cite web |title=International Representation in Houston |work=houston.org |url=http://www.houston.org/pdf/research/18AW001.pdf |access-date=March 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711235924/http://www.houston.org/pdf/research/18AW001.pdf |archive-date=July 11, 2010}}</ref>

Many annual events celebrate the diverse cultures of Houston. The largest and longest-running is the annual [[Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo]], held over 20&nbsp;days from early to late March, and is the largest annual livestock show and rodeo in the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo |work=hlsr.com |access-date=September 28, 2009 |url=http://www.hlsr.com/m/downloads/08PurposeBrochure.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126191930/http://hlsr.com/m/downloads/08PurposeBrochure.pdf |archive-date=January 26, 2009}}</ref> Another large celebration is the annual night-time [[Houston Gay Pride Parade]], held at the end of June.<ref>{{cite web |title=Houston Pride Parade |work=PrideHouston.com |access-date=May 15, 2012 |url=https://www.pridehouston.org/about/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730015315/https://www.pridehouston.org/about/ |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other notable annual events include the [[Houston Greek Festival]],<ref>[http://www.greekfestival.org/ The Original Greek Festival, Houston, Texas] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824030257/http://www.greekfestival.org/ |date=August 24, 2007 }}. 2006. Retrieved on January 10, 2007. '''''Warning:''''' ''Automatic sound file.''</ref> [[Houston Art Car Parade|Art Car Parade]], the [[Houston Auto Show]], the Houston International Festival,<ref>[http://www.ifest.org/ The Houston International Festival] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725221757/http://www.ifest.org/ |date=July 25, 2010 }}. 2007. Retrieved on January 10, 2007.</ref> and the [[Bayou City Art Festival]], which is considered to be one of the top five art festivals in the United States.<ref name=AmericanStyle2004>{{cite web |access-date=April 26, 2007 |url=http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/Buffalo/Top_25_Fairs_Festivals.cfm.html |title=The 2004 Top 25 Fairs & Festivals |work=[[AmericanStyle]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070413041504/http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/Buffalo/Top_25_Fairs_Festivals.cfm.html |archive-date=April 13, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=AmericanStyle2005>{{cite web |access-date=April 28, 2007 |title=AmericanStyle Magazine Readers Name 2005 Top 10 Art Fairs and Festivals |url=http://www.paradisecityarts.com/public/pdfs/2005top10.pdf |date=October 25, 2005 |work=AmericanStyle |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807185624/http://www.paradisecityarts.com/public/pdfs/2005top10.pdf |archive-date=August 7, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Houston is highly regarded for its diverse food and restaurant culture. Houston received the official nickname of "Space City" in 1967 because it is the location of NASA's [[Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center]]. [[Nicknames of Houston|Other nicknames]] often used by locals include "Bayou City", "[[Clutch City]]", "Crush City", "Magnolia City", "H-Town", and "Culinary Capital of the South".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.visithoustontexas.com/culinary-tours/ |title=Houston: the Culinary Capital of the South |access-date=September 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814200851/https://www.visithoustontexas.com/culinary-tours/ |archive-date=August 14, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/ford-fusion/ |title=Ford Fusion |date=November 18, 2015 |access-date=September 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901174421/https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/ford-fusion/ |archive-date=September 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/travel/houston-restaurants-where-to-eat.html |title=Houston's Culinary Bragging Rights |website=The New York Times |date=April 7, 2016 |access-date=May 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527135821/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/10/travel/houston-restaurants-where-to-eat.html |archive-date=May 27, 2019 |url-status=live |last1=Draper |first1=Robert }}</ref>

===Arts and theater===
[[File:Hobbycenter.jpg|thumb|[[Hobby Center for the Performing Arts]]]]
[[File:MFA houston.jpg|thumb|[[Museum of Fine Arts, Houston]]]]
The [[Houston Theater District]], in Downtown, is home to nine major performing arts organizations and six performance halls. It is the second-largest concentration of theater seats in a Downtown area in the United States.<ref>Ramsey, Cody. "[http://www.texasmonthly.com/content/texas-tidbits-19 In a state of big, Houston is at the top] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628150540/http://www.texasmonthly.com/content/texas-tidbits-19 |date=June 28, 2014 }}", ''Texas Monthly'', September 2002. Retrieved February 16, 2014.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Houston Arts and Museums |publisher=City of Houston eGovernment Center |url=http://www.houstontx.gov/abouthouston/artsandmuseums.html |access-date=February 7, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515172725/http://www.houstontx.gov/abouthouston/artsandmuseums.html |archive-date=May 15, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20061209083929/http://www.houstontheaterdistrict.org/en/cms/?68 About Houston Theater District]", ''Houston Theater District''. Retrieved on December 16, 2006. Archived at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.</ref>

Houston is one of the few United States cities with permanent, professional, resident companies in all major performing arts disciplines: opera ([[Houston Grand Opera]]), ballet ([[Houston Ballet]]), music ([[Houston Symphony|Houston Symphony Orchestra]]), and theater ([[The Alley Theatre]], [[Theatre Under The Stars (Houston)|Theatre Under the Stars]]).<ref name="ikvngd" /><ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20061212043351/http://www.houstontheaterdistrict.org/en/cms/?12 Performing Arts Venues]", ''Houston Theater District''. Retrieved on December 16, 2006. Archived at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.</ref> Houston is also home to [[folk art]]ists, [[art groups]] and various small progressive arts organizations.<ref>"[http://www.artcarmuseum.com/History/history.htm A Brief History of the Art Car Museum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928161618/http://www.artcarmuseum.com/History/history.htm |date=September 28, 2007 }}", ''ArtCar Museum of Houston''. Retrieved on December 16, 2006.</ref>

Houston attracts many touring Broadway acts, concerts, shows, and exhibitions for a variety of interests.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061230024248/http://www.quilts.com/home/news/index.php 2006 fall edition of International Quilt Festival attracts 53,546 to Houston]. ''Quilts., Inc.'' Press release published November 30, 2006. Retrieved on January 12, 2007.</ref> Facilities in the Theater District include the [[Jones Hall]]—home of the [[Houston Symphony Orchestra]] and Society for the Performing Arts—and the [[Hobby Center for the Performing Arts]].

The [[Houston Museum District|Museum District]]'s cultural institutions and exhibits attract more than 7 million visitors a year.<ref>[http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/listing.details.php?id=23096 Houston Museum District] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211044458/http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/listing.details.php?id=23096 |date=February 11, 2007 }}. Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved on February 18, 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite news |access-date=May 22, 2007 |url=http://www.austin360.com/arts/content/arts/stories/2006/04/1austin.html |title=Central Austin has the makings of a museum district |publisher=Austin360.com |first=Jeanne Claire |last=van Ryzin |date=April 1, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070502011750/http://www.austin360.com/arts/content/arts/stories/2006/04/1austin.html |archive-date=May 2, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> Notable facilities include [[The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston|The Museum of Fine Arts]], the [[Houston Museum of Natural Science]], the [[Contemporary Arts Museum Houston]], the [[Station Museum of Contemporary Art]], the [[Holocaust Museum Houston]], the [[Children's Museum of Houston]], and the [[Houston Zoo]].<ref>[http://www.texasmonthly.com/promotions/cadillac/breakthroughs2/museums/ Houston Museum District Day] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129050103/http://www.texasmonthly.com/promotions/cadillac/breakthroughs2/museums/ |date=November 29, 2006 }}. Texas Monthly. 2006. Retrieved on January 10, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.camh.org/ Home Page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070112080338/http://www.camh.org/ |date=January 12, 2007 }}. Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Retrieved on January 10, 2007.</ref><ref>
[http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/parks_and_outdoors/listing.details.php?id=23096 Houston Museum District] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070211044810/http://www.visithoustontexas.com/visitors/parks_and_outdoors/listing.details.php?id=23096 |date=February 11, 2007 }}. Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved on January 10, 2007.</ref>

Located near the Museum District are [[Menil Collection|The Menil Collection]], [[Rothko Chapel]], the Moody Center for the Arts and the [[Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum]].

[[Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens|Bayou Bend]] is a {{convert|14|acre|adj=on}} facility of the Museum of Fine Arts that houses one of America's most prominent collections of decorative art, paintings, and furniture. Bayou Bend is the former home of Houston philanthropist [[Ima Hogg]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Bayou Bend Collections and Gardens, Houston, Texas |access-date=March 23, 2008 |url=http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/1167540 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424055638/http://www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/1167540 |archive-date=April 24, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The National Museum of Funeral History is in Houston near the [[George Bush Intercontinental Airport]]. The museum houses the original [[Popemobile]] used by [[Pope John Paul II]] in the 1980s along with numerous hearses, embalming displays, and information on famous funerals.

Venues across Houston regularly host local and touring rock, blues, country, dubstep, and Tejano musical acts. While Houston has never been widely known for its music scene,<ref>{{cite news |last=Lomax |first=John Nova |title=Nobody Gets Out of Here Alive – The Houston Rock Scene and the Cultural Cringe |work=The Houston Press |date=February 1, 2007}}</ref> [[Houston hip hop]] has become a significant, independent music scene that is influential nationwide. Houston is the birthplace of the chopped and screwed remixing-technique in hip-hop which was pioneered by [[DJ Screw]] from the city. Some other notable hip-hop artists from the area include [[Destiny's Child]], [[Don Toliver]], [[Slim Thug]], [[Paul Wall]], [[Mike Jones (rapper)|Mike Jones]], [[Bun B]], [[Geto Boys]], [[Trae tha Truth]], [[Kirko Bangz]], [[Z-Ro]], [[South Park Mexican]], [[Travis Scott]] and [[Megan Thee Stallion]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Frere-Jones |first=Sasha |title=A Place in the Sun – Houston Hip-Hop Takes Over |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=November 14, 2005 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/11/14/051114crmu_music |access-date=February 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816085538/http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/11/14/051114crmu_music |archive-date=August 16, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Tourism and recreation===
The [[Houston Theater District|Theater District]] is a 17-block area in the center of Downtown Houston that is home to the [[Bayou Place]] entertainment complex, restaurants, movies, plazas, and parks. Bayou Place is a large multilevel building containing full-service restaurants, bars, live music, billiards, and [[Sundance Cinema]]. The [[Bayou Music Center]] stages live concerts, stage plays, and stand-up comedy.

[[Space Center Houston]] is the official visitors' center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The Space Center has many interactive exhibits including [[Moon rocks]], a [[Space Shuttle]] simulator, and presentations about the history of NASA's manned space flight program. Other tourist attractions include the [[The Galleria (Houston)|Galleria]] (Texas's [[List of largest shopping malls in the United States|largest]] shopping mall, in the Uptown District), Old Market Square, the [[Downtown Aquarium, Houston|Downtown Aquarium]], and [[Sam Houston Race Park]].

Houston's [[Chinatown, Houston|current Chinatown]] and the [[Mahatma Gandhi District]] are two major [[ethnic enclaves]], reflecting Houston's multicultural makeup. Restaurants, bakeries, traditional-clothing boutiques, and specialty shops can be found in both areas.

Houston is home to 337 parks, including [[Hermann Park]], [[Terry Hershey Park]], [[Lake Houston|Lake Houston Park]], [[Memorial Park, Houston, Texas|Memorial Park]], [[Tranquility Park]], [[Sesquicentennial Park]], [[Discovery Green]], [[Buffalo Bayou Park]] and [[Sam Houston Park]]. Within Hermann Park are the [[Houston Zoo]] and the [[Houston Museum of Natural Science]]. Sam Houston Park contains restored and reconstructed homes which were originally built between 1823 and 1905.<ref>[http://www.heritagesociety.org/ths.html The Heritage Society: Walk into Houston's Past] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070610115218/http://www.heritagesociety.org/ths.html |date=June 10, 2007 }}. ''The Heritage Society.'' Retrieved on January 10, 2007.</ref>

Of the 10 most populous U.S. cities, Houston has the largest total area of parks and green space, {{convert|56405|acre|km2|0}}.<ref>''Continental Magazine'', March 2008. p.67.</ref> The city also has over 200 additional green spaces—totaling over {{convert|19600|acre|km2|0}} that are managed by the city—including the [[Houston Arboretum and Nature Center]]. The [[Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark]] is a public [[skatepark]] owned and operated by the city of Houston, and is one of the largest skateparks in Texas consisting of a 30,000-ft<sup>2</sup> (2,800 m<sup>2</sup>)in-ground facility.

The [[Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park]] in the Uptown District of the city serves as a popular tourist attraction and for weddings and various celebrations. A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Houston the 23rd most walkable of the 50 largest cities in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/cities/ |title=2011 City and Neighborhood Rankings |publisher=Walk Score |year=2011 |access-date=August 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/69hdEpBFH?url=http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/cities/ |archive-date=August 6, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Sports ===
{{Main|Sports in Houston}}{{see also|Soccer in Houston}}
[[File:Toyota Center Game 7 2018 playoffs.jpg|thumb|[[Toyota Center]] is home of the [[Houston Rockets]].|alt=]]Houston has sports teams for every major professional league except the [[National Hockey League]]. The [[Houston Astros]] are a [[Major League Baseball]] <!-- (MLB) --> [[expansion team]] formed in 1962 (known as the "Colt .45s" until 1965) that have won the [[World Series]] in [[2017 World Series|2017]] and [[2022 World Series|2022]] and appeared in it in [[2005 World Series|2005]], [[2019 World Series|2019]], and [[2021 World Series|2021]]. It is the only MLB team to have won pennants in both modern leagues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nl/houastros/astros.html |title=Houston Astros: Historical Moments |publisher=sportsecyclopedia.com |date=October 18, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331032659/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nl/houastros/astros.html |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Houston Rockets]] are a [[National Basketball Association]] <!-- (NBA) --> franchise based in the city since [[1971–72 NBA season|1971]]. They have won two [[List of NBA champions|NBA Championships]], one in [[1994 NBA Finals|1994]] and another in [[1995 NBA Finals|1995]], under star players [[Hakeem Olajuwon]], [[Otis Thorpe]], [[Clyde Drexler]], [[Vernon Maxwell]], and [[Kenny Smith]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/houston/rockets.html |title=Houston Rockets: History |publisher=sportsecyclopedia.com |date=May 2, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513214630/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/houston/rockets.html |archive-date=May 13, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Houston Texans]] are a [[National Football League]] <!-- (NFL) --> expansion team formed in [[2002 NFL season|2002]]. The [[Houston Dynamo]] is a [[Major League Soccer]] <!-- (MLS) --> franchise that has been based in Houston since [[2006 Major League Soccer season|2006]], winning two [[List of MLS Cup finals|MLS Cup]] titles in [[2006 MLS Cup|2006]] and [[2007 MLS Cup|2007]]. The [[Houston Dash]] team plays in the [[National Women's Soccer League]], who won their first title in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/houston-dash-first-expansion-team-232531252--sow.html |title=Houston Dash first expansion team in NWSL |agency=AP |date=December 12, 2013 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093306/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/houston-dash-first-expansion-team-232531252--sow.html |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=2020-07-26 |title=Houston Beats Chicago to Win N.W.S.L. Title |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/26/sports/soccer/houston-dash-nwsl.html |access-date=2023-09-07 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[Houston SaberCats]] are a [[Rugby union|rugby]] team that plays in [[Major League Rugby]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://abc13.com/sports/plans-to-bring-rugby-franchise-stadium-to-houston/1815266/ |title=All eyes on Houston: New plans to bring rugby franchise, stadium to the Bayou City |date=March 23, 2017 |work=abc13.com |access-date=March 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324225153/http://abc13.com/sports/plans-to-bring-rugby-franchise-stadium-to-houston/1815266/ |archive-date=March 24, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Houston Roughnecks (2020)|Houston Roughnecks]] are a future [[United Football League (2024)|UFL]] team starting operations in 2024. They were previously in the [[XFL (2020)|XFL]] before it was announced they were moving to the UFL in 2024.[[File:Reliantstadium.jpg|thumb|[[NRG Stadium]] is the home of the [[Houston Texans]].|alt=]]

[[Minute Maid Park]] (home of the Astros) and [[Toyota Center (Houston)|Toyota&nbsp;Center]] (home of the Rockets), are in Downtown Houston. Houston has the NFL's first retractable-roof stadium with natural grass, [[NRG Stadium]] (home of the Texans).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uni-systems.com/en/projects/featured-projects/reliant-stadium |title=Reliant Stadium |publisher=UniSystems LLC |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213052639/http://www.uni-systems.com/en/projects/featured-projects/reliant-stadium |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Minute Maid Park is also a retractable-roof stadium. Toyota Center also has the largest screen for an indoor arena in the United States built to coincide with the arena's hosting of the [[2013 NBA All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/start-something-big |title=The Start of Something Big: Toyota Center upgrades to Include New Concourse HD TVs, Wi-Fi and Concessions Systems |publisher=NBA |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=June 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212002744/http://www.nba.com/rockets/news/start-something-big |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Shell Energy Stadium]] is a [[soccer-specific stadium]] for the Houston Dynamo, the [[Texas Southern Tigers football]] team, and Houston Dash, in East Downtown. [[Aveva Stadium]] (home of the [[Houston SaberCats|SaberCats]]) is in south Houston. In addition, [[Reliant Astrodome|NRG&nbsp;Astrodome]] was the first indoor stadium in the world, built in 1965.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.savingplaces.org/treasures/astrodome |title=Discover: The Astrodome |publisher=National Trust for Historic Preservation |date=March 28, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127074833/http://savingplaces.org/treasures/astrodome |archive-date=November 27, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other sports facilities include [[Hofheinz Pavilion]] (Houston Cougars basketball), [[Rice Stadium (Rice University)|Rice Stadium]] ([[Rice Owls]] football), and [[NRG Arena]]. [[TDECU Stadium]] is where the [[University of Houston]]'s [[Houston Cougars|Cougars]] football team plays.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121912aaa.html |title=Houston Unveils New Football Stadium Renderings |publisher=University of Houston Cougars |date=March 28, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114055426/http://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121912aaa.html |archive-date=November 14, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Houston has hosted several major sports events: the [[1968 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1968]], [[1986 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1986]] and [[2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|2004]] [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game]]s; the [[1989 NBA All-Star Game|1989]], [[2006 NBA All-Star Game|2006]] and [[2013 NBA All-Star Game|2013]] [[NBA All-Star Game]]s; [[Super Bowl VIII]], [[Super Bowl XXXVIII]], and [[Super Bowl LI]], as well as hosting the [[1981 NBA Finals|1981]], [[1986 NBA Finals|1986]], [[1994 NBA Finals|1994]] and [[1995 NBA Finals]], winning the latter two, and hosting the [[2005 World Series]], [[2017 World Series]], [[2019 World Series]], [[2021 World Series]] and [[2022 World Series]]. The city won its first baseball championship during the 2017 event and won again 5 years later. NRG Stadium hosted [[Super Bowl LI]] on February 5, 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.housuperbowl.com/docs/PRESSRELEASE_HoustonAwardedSuperBowlLIAnnouncement.pdf |title=Houston to Host Super Bowl LI in 2017 |publisher=Houston Super Bowl LI Committee |date=March 28, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216071213/http://www.housuperbowl.com/docs/PRESSRELEASE_HoustonAwardedSuperBowlLIAnnouncement.pdf |archive-date=December 16, 2013}}</ref> Houston will host multiple matches during the [[2026 FIFA World Cup]].

The city has hosted several major professional and college sporting events, including the annual [[Shell Houston Open|Houston Open]] golf tournament. Houston hosts the annual [[Houston College Classic]] baseball tournament every February, and the [[Texas Kickoff]] and [[Texas Bowl|Bowl]] in September and December, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/hou/ticketing/college_classic.jsp |title=2014 Houston College Classic |work=MLB.com |date=March 28, 2014 |access-date=December 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114102156/http://mlb.mlb.com/hou/ticketing/college_classic.jsp |archive-date=January 14, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Grand Prix of Houston]], an annual auto race on the [[IndyCar Series]] circuit was held on a 1.7-mile temporary street circuit in [[NRG Park]]. The October 2013 event was held using a tweaked version of the 2006–2007 course.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.indycar.com/News/2012/March/3-28-Houston-added-to-2013-schedule |title=Houston, we have liftoff for October 2013 event |first=Dave |last=Lewandowski |work=[[IndyCar Series]] |publisher=[[IndyCar]] |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=March 28, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401185554/http://www.indycar.com/News/2012/March/3-28-Houston-added-to-2013-schedule |archive-date=April 1, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The event had a five-year race contract through 2017 with IndyCar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chron.com/sports/article/IndyCar-s-coming-to-town-Houston-race-slated-for-3442320.php |title=IndyCar's coming to town: Houston race slated for 2013 – Houston Chronicle |publisher=Chron.com |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=June 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120085134/http://www.chron.com/sports/article/IndyCar-s-coming-to-town-Houston-race-slated-for-3442320.php |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> In motorcycling, the Astrodome hosted an [[AMA Supercross Championship]] round from 1974 to 2003 and the NRG Stadium since 2003.

Houston is also one of the first cities in the world to have a major [[esports]] team represent it, in the form of the [[Houston Outlaws]]. The Outlaws play in the [[Overwatch League]] and are one of two Texan teams, the other being the [[Dallas Fuel]].