Test cricket in Australia

When England next play in Australia

England’s next confirmed men’s Test in Australia is the one-off 150th Anniversary Test at the MCG, scheduled for 11–15 March 2027. It is a day-night match, with a pink ball and a 14:00 Melbourne start. That gives you mornings for the city before the cricket begins. The match commemorates the first Test in 1877; it is separate from the Ashes series. Our MCG guide covers both this fixture and Boxing Day.

The next men’s Ashes tour of Australia is planned for 2029–30, referenced by Cricket Australia in its discussion of reciprocal tour preparation. The full match dates and venue sequence are TBC. The ECB’s confirmed 2027 Ashes programme is in England, with five men’s Tests and a separate women’s series. Keep those three trips distinct when looking at travel advertising: Melbourne in March 2027, England in the northern summer, and a later Australian Ashes tour.

There is no fixed annual date for a full Australian fixture announcement. The previous 2025–26 Ashes dates were published in October 2024, whereas the 2026–27 home programme arrived in March 2026. Those examples give a useful sense of the lead time, without a reliable month to put in your diary for 2029–30. For that later tour, choose your preferred length and cities now, then wait for the dated programme before committing to match-specific travel.

Sources: [1] · [2] · [3] · [4] · [5]

The 2026–27 Test summer

New Zealand’s four-Test visit runs through Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney: 9–13 December at Perth Stadium, 17–21 December at Adelaide Oval, 26–30 December at the MCG and 4–8 January at the SCG. Adelaide is a daytime Test this season. The pink-ball fixture is England’s March visit to Melbourne. The Gabba has no Test in this programme.

Boxing Day and the New Year Test are the two traditions around which many visitors arrange their holiday. Cricket Australia’s venue allocation keeps those fixtures at the MCG and SCG through 2030–31. Sydney’s New Year label does not mean a 1 January start: use the actual match dates. The January 2027 game is also the Pink Test, supporting the McGrath Foundation’s cancer care nursing work.

A whole series means repeated travel and a large block of leave. Two grounds let you settle into each city, return to the same seat for several days, and leave room for a non-cricket day. If England are essential to your trip, March is the relevant confirmed option. If the grounds and Australian Test cricket are the attraction, December and January offer the Melbourne–Sydney pairing.

Sources: [5] · [6] · [7]

Buying Australian Test tickets

Start on Cricket Australia’s official ticket page and follow the link for your match. Its current ticketing guidance uses two partners: Ticketek for the MCG and Adelaide, and Ticketmaster for the SCG and Perth Stadium. A single account will therefore not cover every ground on a longer tour. Open the correct match and day before comparing seats, and use its live seating map to see what can be bought together.

Write down the day, stand, level, bay and row before paying. A ticket category tells you less than the actual seat position when you care about shade or the angle down the pitch. For several days, decide whether you want the same view throughout or to try a different side of the ground. Our ground guides separate public seating from members’ areas and explain the questions to ask about cover and access.

The MCG’s Members’ Reserve is managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club. Entry follows membership and authorised visitor rules; a public-reserve ticket does not give access. Eligible reciprocal members have a separate application route, and the anniversary Test has special arrangements. English county membership should be checked against the MCC’s relevant reciprocal category. Have the club confirm your entitlement before treating it as part of the trip.

At the SCG, members and their guests use the club’s membership arrangements. Public admission does not include the heritage Members’ Pavilion or Ladies’ Stand. The 2027 event page has member information TBC, so use the SCG’s current event notice when making an application. If you are travelling with a member, agree who is arranging each day’s entry and where the group can sit before buying public tickets separately.

Keep a record of the booking email and install the relevant Australian ticketing app before match day. Cricket Australia issues digital tickets through its agents. If anyone in your party needs accessible seating, arrange that with the agent while choosing the seats, including space for a companion where required. The MCG accessibility guide and SCG accessibility guide explain the separate routes.

Sources: [8] · [9] · [10] · [11]

Travelling with other England supporters

The Barmy Army has published travel packages for the March 2027 anniversary Test. Its own tour page lists hotel-and-ticket options, including different lengths of stay and seat categories. That is an option if you would like accommodation and cricket arranged together and the company of other England followers. Follow the package’s full itinerary to see the exact cricket days, hotel and transfers included.

Compare a package with the trip you would actually book yourself. Count hotel nights and match days separately, check whether flights are included, and look at the time available after the final scheduled day. Ask the operator how it handles an early finish or a changed itinerary. Barmy Army links here are ordinary information links, and choosing a package is separate from joining a supporters’ club.

Independent travel gives you more control over where to stay and which days to attend. A group should agree its priorities first: the opening day, a particular view, a quieter seating area, or time away from the ground. Put one person in charge of checking that everyone’s tickets are for the same match day. A shared hotel is convenient; it does not require everyone to watch all five days.

Sources: [12]

Combining Melbourne and Sydney

For the 2026–27 pairing, a workable outline is to arrive in Melbourne before Christmas, attend the MCG days you choose from 26 December, then transfer to Sydney ahead of 4 January. Keep the scheduled fifth day free if seeing the whole Test matters to you. Build a buffer between landing from the UK and your first match, particularly if you are travelling with children or need time to adjust to the local clock.

The gap between the scheduled MCG finish on 30 December and the SCG start on 4 January gives you a choice about New Year. You could stay longer in Melbourne, move straight to Sydney, or spend part of the gap elsewhere. Make that choice before confirming both hotels. If Sydney’s harbour celebrations are a priority, arrange them as part of the itinerary rather than expecting a cricket ticket to include access to a viewing area.

A direct Melbourne–Sydney flight is a practical transfer. Qantas lists flight times starting at about one hour 25 minutes, but leave space for the airport journeys, check-in and baggage collection. Read the airport names on each booking and allow a separate travel block in your diary. NSW TrainLink also runs between Melbourne Southern Cross and Sydney Central; its current route guide shows journeys from around eleven hours, so rail takes a substantial part of a day.

For Melbourne, compare the CBD, Southbank and East Melbourne in the MCG Where to stay section. In Sydney, compare the CBD, Surry Hills and Paddington in the SCG guide. Choose the walking or public-transport journey you want to repeat after a long day’s play. Check each property’s cancellation deadline against your ticket and flight plans.

Sources: [13] · [14]

Entry, clocks and a comfortable trip

British citizens need an appropriate visa before visiting Australia. The Electronic Travel Authority, subclass 601, is one route for eligible passport holders and is applied for through the official Australian ETA app. The FCDO also identifies the eVisitor visa as an option. Use the Australian Government’s eligibility guidance for your passport and circumstances, and obtain approval before travel. Entry information was checked on 10 October 2026; the government pages below are the place to check again before departure.

For the listed December, January and March fixtures, Melbourne and Sydney use AEDT, UTC+11, and are eleven hours ahead of the UK. The fixture table gives each opening ball in local time, followed by its UK weekday and date. Perth and Adelaide have different offsets, so use the time shown for your match when adding the tour to a calendar.

The MCG Getting there from the UK section and SCG overseas travel section bring together London flight routes, local time differences and Bureau of Meteorology climate averages. Leave room in your luggage for sun protection and a light layer. Think about shade when choosing a seat for several full days, and plan water breaks alongside lunch and tea.

Arrange travel insurance for the length and activities of your trip. Keep the first and last nights clear enough for the international journeys, then choose one or two non-match plans you can look forward to if cricket finishes early. Melbourne’s museum and river walks, or Sydney’s harbour and coast, give the holiday a shape beyond the scorecard. The ground guides have local suggestions you can fit around the days you attend.

Sources: [15] · [16]

Choose your Australian ground

Start with the MCG for Boxing Day or England’s anniversary Test, and the SCG for the New Year match. Adelaide Oval and Perth Stadium also host New Zealand in December 2026. The Gabba has no Test in this season’s programme; its guide covers the ground and its future. All five guides cover tickets, seating, transport, neighbourhoods to stay in and a separate accessibility page.

Sources

1. Cricket Australia: 150th Anniversary Test — checked 2026-10-10
2. Cricket Australia: 2027 Ashes and 2029–30 tour context — checked 2026-10-10
3. ECB: confirmed 2027 home international programme — checked 2026-10-10
4. Cricket Australia: 2025–26 Ashes announcement — checked 2026-10-10
5. Cricket Australia: 2026–27 home schedule — checked 2026-10-10
6. Cricket Australia: seven-season venue allocation — checked 2026-10-10
7. McGrath Foundation: 2027 Pink Test — checked 2026-10-10
8. Cricket Australia: current ticketing partners and FAQs — checked 2026-10-10
9. MCC: summer of cricket arrangements — checked 2026-10-10
10. MCC: reciprocal clubs — checked 2026-10-10
11. SCG: New Zealand Pink Test 2027 — checked 2026-10-10
12. Barmy Army: anniversary Test travel packages — checked 2026-10-10
13. Qantas: Melbourne–Sydney flights — checked 2026-10-10
14. Transport for NSW: Melbourne–Sydney rail route — checked 2026-10-10
15. Australian Government: Electronic Travel Authority subclass 601 — checked 2026-10-10
16. FCDO: Australia entry requirements — checked 2026-10-10