Undoubtedly, any mega-event held in the city affects its socioeconomic state. In most cases, such events are not only representative, but also give an impetus to the development of business, infrastructure and improvement of the urban environment. The authors analyzed the results of megaevents for Russian cities. The article considers the experience of holding a major sports event (Universiade) in Kazan and Krasnoyarsk, and analyzes its socio-economic effect. Possible ways of development of the city of Ekaterinburg as a result of the Universiade in 2023 are also predicted.