Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Ticket Sales Surpass 145,000, Setting Tournament Record
DUBAI — The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England and Wales has become the highest-selling edition in the tournament’s history, with ticket sales already topping 145,000 a month before the opening match.
The International Cricket Council said sales for the 2026 tournament have already surpassed the total attendance of 136,549 recorded across the entire 2020 edition in Australia. The ICC said the figures show the growing momentum behind women’s cricket and increasing global demand for the women’s game.
The tournament will open with England facing Sri Lanka in Birmingham. The 2026 edition will feature 12 teams playing across seven venues in England and Wales. Warm-up matches are scheduled for June 6-10 at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Derby County Ground and Loughborough University, home of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s National Cricket Performance Centre.
“The 2026 edition becoming the highest-selling ICC Women’s T20 World Cup ever is another milestone for the women’s game,” said Gaurav Saxena, ICC general manager of events and corporate communications.
“It not only highlights the incredible momentum behind women’s cricket but also reflects the strong cultural pull of an ICC pinnacle event, the appeal for which is not limited to sports fans,” Saxena said.
Saxena said the tournament is expected to break attendance and viewership records in the United Kingdom and globally. He credited marketing efforts by the ICC and ECB for helping drive demand ahead of the event.
“This milestone is a hugely exciting moment for everyone involved and has been almost a year in the making,” Saxena said. “The response from fans is a testament to the bold, creative and well-executed marketing efforts of both the ICC and the ECB in the run-up to the tournament, more of which are to follow over the next four weeks.”
Beth Barrett-Wild, tournament director for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, said the sales milestone reflects the growing profile of women’s cricket.
“Surpassing 145,000 ticket sales is an incredible milestone and a powerful signal of the momentum behind the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026,” Barrett-Wild said. “To have exceeded the previous record set in Australia, before a ball has been bowled, shows just how much excitement there is for this tournament and for women’s cricket globally.”
She said organizers have long believed the event could become the biggest women’s cricket tournament in history.
“We’ve always believed this tournament has the potential to be the biggest women’s cricket event in history, and the response from fans has been extraordinary,” Barrett-Wild said. “It reflects the growing profile of the women’s game, the strength of the teams and players on show, and the appetite for world-class sporting events across England and Wales as we build towards an unforgettable summer in 2026.” (Source: IANS)
