Cricket Australia reveals long term Test venue schedule

Australia’s marquee summer Test cricket fixtures are set to remain at their traditional venues with the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests in Melbourne and Sydney are secured until the end of the 2030/31 season

However, Cricket Australia's announcement of its long-term Test schedule does indicate doubts about the future of Tests at Brisbane’s Gabba as uncertainty continues to surround the future of the venue.

The new Cricket Australia schedule see the Boxing Day Test at the MCG and the New Year’s Test at the SCG resist hosting challenges from other states and continue as mainstays of the Australian summer until 2031.

This period includes two Ashes series and two Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, including the much-anticipated clash against 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 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 while Cricket Australia 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.

By contrast, the Gabba has only secured a two-year deal only, meaning the venue could potentially see its final Test next year during the Ashes.

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.

The future for Test cricket in Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory appears limited, with these regions largely left out of the governing body’s long-term Test plans.

However, the proposed new stadium at Hobart’s Macquarie Point, proposed for Tasmania’s new AFL team, could become the first-ever roofed Test cricket venue when completed.

Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series 2024/25
Optus Stadium, Perth - 22nd to 26th November 
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide - 6th to 10th December 
Gabba, Brisbane - 14th to 18th December
MCG, Melbourne - 26th to 30th December 
SCG, Sydney - 3rd to 7th January 

Images: The Gabba (top) and the Adelaide Oval (below).