ICC announces 2026 Women’s T20 WC warm-up venues

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced the venues for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup warm-up matches in England and Wales.

Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens, Derby County Ground, and Loughborough University – home of the ECB’s National Cricket Performance Centre – will play host to a range of warm-up matches before the tournament gets underway on 12 June 2026.

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All three venues share a rich cricketing pedigree and have played a part in propelling women’s cricket onto the global stage. They will play a prominent role in showcasing elite women’s cricket to local fans before the start of the tournament.

The warm-up matches, the full schedule of which will be revealed in due course, will see the best in the world go head-to-head as they prepare for next summer’s groundbreaking tournament.

The expanded ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will see 12 teams compete for the prestigious trophy that is currently held by New Zealand. In all, 33 matches will be played at seven iconic venues across the 24-day competition, before the final takes place at Lord’s on July 5.

Eight countries are already assured of their place, with the final four participants to be decided through a Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier next year.

England and Wales were awarded hosting rights for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in 2022, with the seven host venues selected subsequently following evaluation of various criteria.