Australia to Host Ashes Opener in Perth

For the first time in more than 40 years, Australia’s Ashes summer will kick off somewhere other than the Gabba. Cricket Australia announced on Wednesday that the opening match of the 2025-26 Ashes series will be held at Perth Stadium, marking the venue’s first-ever Ashes Test.

Perth Stadium will become just the eighth Australian ground to host an Ashes Test, with the first match set to begin on November 21, 2025. Historically, England has only managed one Ashes victory in Perth. After the opener, the series will move to a day-night Test at Brisbane’s Gabba, starting on December 4.

This will be Brisbane's third day-night Test, following previous matches against Pakistan in 2016 and Sri Lanka in 2019.

The third Test is scheduled at the Adelaide Oval, followed by the iconic Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and the traditional New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Ashes 2025-26 Schedule:

- First Test: November 21-25, 2025, Perth Stadium  

- Second Test: December 4-8, 2025, The Gabba (D/N)  

- Third Test: December 17-21, 2025, Adelaide Oval  

- Fourth Test: December 26-30, 2025, MCG  

- Fifth Test: January 4-8, 2026, SCG