Cricket Australia (CA) on Wednesday, October 16 announced the Ashes to be played in 2025-26. test series The schedule has been announced. The five-Test series between Australia and England will begin in Perth on November 21. For the first time in 43 years, the first Ashes match will be held at a venue other than Brisbane’s Gabba and Perth’s Optus Stadium will also become the eighth venue in Australia to host an Ashes Test.
Optus Stadium has hosted four Test matches so far, one each against India, New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies. Now, the Perth Stadium will mark the beginning of two back-to-back home Test assignments against India this year and then the Ashes. The interesting thing is that Australia has not lost a single test match in Optus yet.
Gabba in Brisbane will be the venue for the second Test match of the series from December 4. The Gabba will host a day-night Test, a first in an Ashes series. Australia had lost a day-night Test for the first time in history against West Indies on this ground earlier this year. Hosting a day-night Test at the Gabba means Adelaide Oval will be home to a traditional day Test for the first time since 2013, which begins on December 17. The Boxing Day and New Year Tests will be played in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.
“The dates for the 2025-26 Ashes align with our recently released seven-year international program and we are committed to supporting our key players,” CA’s executive general manager of events and operations Joel Morrison said in Perth when announcing the schedule. “We are grateful for the ongoing support to grow and develop the events.”
Full schedule of The Ashes 2025-26
1st Test 21-25 November Optus Stadium, Perth
Second Test 4-8 December Gabba, Brisbane
3rd Test 17-21 December Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Fourth Test 26-30 December Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Fifth Test 4-8 January (2026) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney.
