Cricket Australia unveils long term Test venue schedule
Australia’s marquee summer Test cricket fixtures are set to remain in their traditional homes, but the future of Brisbane’s Gabba remains uncertain as Cricket Australia reveals its long-term Test schedule.
While the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests in Melbourne and Sydney are secured until the end of the 2030-31 season, the Gabba’s place in the lineup is under serious threat, while a standalone celebratory match at the MCG to commemorate Test cricket's 150th anniversary in 2027 has also been announced.
The iconic Boxing Day Test at the MCG and the New Year’s Test at the SCG have resisted challenges from other states and will continue to be staples of the Australian summer until 2031.
This period includes two Ashes series and two Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, including the much-anticipated clash between Australia and India this summer.
Adelaide Oval, known for its day-night Tests, has also secured a long-term deal, confirming its pre-Christmas December slot through to 2030-31. The next Ashes contest in 2025-26 is expected to be played as a red-ball (day) match. The South Australian government’s commitment ensures Adelaide’s place as a premier venue on the summer cricket calendar.
Perth’s Optus Stadium has been designated as the opening venue for the next three summers, hosting Test Matches against India, England, and New Zealand. This means the 2025-26 Ashes campaign begins at a venue other than the Gabba for the first time in more than four decades, and will be the first Ashes Test at the 60,000-seat stadium. CA continues to build a marquee “West Test”, Perth’s position remains somewhat flexible, with short-term agreements keeping the door open for changes in the future.
In stark contrast, the Gabba is facing an uncertain future. The Brisbane stadium has been signed on a two-year deal only, meaning the venue could potentially see its final Test next year during the Ashes (to be played as a day-night Test), with plans for a major redevelopment ahead of the 2032 Olympics now scrapped.
The Brisbane Test is expected to be absent from the 2026-27 schedule, with the venue’s traditional early-season spot likely going to Perth instead.
This leaves Brisbane fans in limbo, as the city’s place in Australia’s Test cricket calendar may hinge on future developments or even temporary solutions. If the Gabba is sidelined, Queensland may still host Tests in late 2027 against Bangladesh, after the World Test Championship final and Ashes series in what is shaping up to be a packed year of Test cricket.
The future for Test cricket in Tasmania, the ACT, and the NT appears limited, with these regions largely left out of CA’s long-term Test plans. However, the new stadium at Hobart’s Macquarie Point planned to open in 2029, could become the first-ever roofed Test cricket venue if it materialises.
Adelaide Oval will continue to host the hugely successful New Year's Eve BBL match over the same period. Meanwhile, the ACT continues to push for greater inclusion in the BBL as it seeks more involvement in Australia’s summer cricket calendar at Manuka Oval.
Similar negotiations and announcements regarding women's international fixtures will follow the conclusion of the current ICC Future Tours Program next April, with the MCG already hosting the 90th anniversary women's Ashes Test from January 30-February 2 next year.
While details are yet to be finalised for the Australia-England celebratory fixture in 2027 that honours the inaugural Test played at the MCG from March 15-19 in 1877, it is expected to rival the memorable Centenary Test staged 100 years later at the same venue.
If it follows the mid-March timing of previous celebrations, it will be the latest in the home summer a men's Test has been staged in Australia since the 1978-79 series against Pakistan (which ended on March 29). The 1977 Centenary Test – held from March 12-17 – was attended by more than 50,000 spectators on each of the first three days.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series 2024-25
Optus Stadium, Perth: November 22-26
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide: December 6-10
Gabba, Brisbane: December 14-18
MCG, Melbourne: December 26-30
SCG, Sydney: January 3-7
