Sport tourism activity has substantial potential to enrich the lives of the members of the host community by enhancing economic prosperity, providing additional social and recreational opportunities, and the development of new infrastructure. However, if poorly managed, such activities may also generate negative externalities such as disruption, noise and environmental damage. This essay outlines some of the theories and methods that are relevant to a greater understanding of the impact of sport tourism on a host community and how such impacts may be better managed to ensure the sustainability of the activity. It also presents the results of a series of empirical case studies exploring the impact of large scale sporting events.