Cricket Australia announces 2025-26 home Ashes schedule, adds a new venue

Cricket Australia (CA) on Wednesday, October 16 confirmed the schedule for the men's Ashes Test summer 2025-26 with the series set to begin in Perth on November 21. For the first time in 43 years, the Ashes opener will be held at a venue other than Brisbane's Gabba and Perth's Optus Stadium will also become the eighth venue to host an Ashes Test in Australia. The Optus Stadium has hosted four Test matches so far, one each against India, New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies.

Now, the Perth Stadium will open two back-to-back home Test assignments, against India this year, followed by the Ashes. Australia are yet to lose a Test match at Optus.

Gabba in Brisbane will be home to the second Test match of the series from December 4. Gabba will host a day-night Test, another first for the Ashes series, overall fourth in the venue's history. Australia lost a day-night Test for the first time in history at this very venue, earlier this year against the West Indies.

Gabba hosting a day-nighter means that the Adelaide Oval will be home to a traditional day Test for the first time since 2013, starting December 17. Melbourne and Sydney will be home to the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests respectively.

 

"The 2025-26 Ashes dates align with our recently released seven-year international schedule and we are grateful for the support state and territory governments are providing to enhance and grow our major events," CA's executive general manager of events and operations, Joel Morrison, said in Perth today.

The series will be part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2025-27 and the second consecutive home Ashes series with the women's teams set to play later this year featuring a historic day-night Test at the MCG.