ECB confirms 2027 Ashes fixtures exclude northern England venues
The England and Wales Cricket Board has finalised the schedule for the 2027 Ashes, confirming all five Test matches will be staged in the Midlands and south of England, with historic northern venues excluded from the men’s fixture list.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has finalised the fixture list for the 2027 Ashes series, confirming that all five Test matches will be held in the Midlands and south of England. The decision excludes Headingley in Leeds and Old Trafford in Manchester from the men’s schedule, despite both grounds having hosted some of the most significant matches in the history of the rivalry.
The series is scheduled to commence at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on 18 June. It will proceed to Lord’s for the second Test on 30 June, followed by Edgbaston in Birmingham on 8 July. Hampshire’s Rose Bowl will host its first men’s Ashes Test on 21 July, becoming the tenth ground in the United Kingdom to stage a men’s Ashes match. The series will conclude at The Oval in south London, with the final Test running from 29 July to 2 August.
The exclusion of northern venues was initially announced in 2023 and drew criticism from Andy Burnham, who was then the Mayor of Greater Manchester and has since become the British Prime Minister. While Headingley and Old Trafford are omitted from the 2027 men’s schedule, both venues are confirmed to host Ashes Tests in 2031. The grounds remain central to the sport’s heritage, having witnessed feats by Don Bradman, Ian Botham, and Ben Stokes in previous decades.
In addition to the five-match Ashes series, the 2027 calendar includes a one-off warm-up Test between England and Bangladesh at Lord’s from 28 May to 1 June. Under a new reciprocal agreement, Australia will also play a four-day warm-up match against England Lions at Old Trafford from 7 to 10 June. The 2027 World Test Championship final is scheduled to begin at The Oval on 9 June.
The multi-format Women’s Ashes will run concurrently with the men’s series, beginning at Headingley on 24 June. This marks a return for the women’s competition to the northern venue, which will host the four-day Test, three T20s, and three One Day Internationals. The last Ashes series in England ended in a 2-2 draw in 2023, while Australia won the 2025-26 series 4-1 on home soil.
