The single-day ticket sales record for international cricket in Australia has been blitzed by unprecedented demand for the 2025-26 Men’s Ashes series.
The craze for the Ashes series amongst Australian fans was on display on Tuesday as Cricket Australia announced that the allocations for the first three days of the Brisbane and Sydney Tests, and day one of the Melbourne Test were completely exhausted.
Cricket Australia revealed that 311,066 tickets were bought by the fans on Tuesday for the international matches in the 2025-26 home season, the highlight of which is a five-Test Ashes series against England.
The previous record – set during the pre-sale period for the 2017-18 summer when 111,741 tickets were sold in a day – was surpassed within a few hours of this year’s priority pre-sale period opening, and had been more than doubled by the close of business, according to Cricket Australia.
The record was officially surpassed as thousands snapped up Boxing Day tickets to the MCG, spurred on by huge demand for the opening two days at the Gabba in what will be the first day-night Ashes Test at that venue.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said he was now expecting some days to sell out.
“The record demand for tickets shows the excitement fans are feeling about the fantastic international season to come,” Greenberg said.
“To surpass our previous ticket sales record even before NSW and WA tickets had gone on sale is a remarkable achievement and reaffirms our position as Australia’s national sport.”
This season, the Ashes will begin in Perth in late November. The second Test of the series will be played in Brisbane as a day-night match while the third game will be played in Adelaide, The last two Tests of the series will be played in Melbourne and Sydney in December (26th) and January respectively.
Before the start of the Ashes, Australia will also host South Africa and India in a T20I and one-day international series. The women’s team will play against India in all three formats in February and March.
More than 120,000 tickets had been sold across the international season – the vast majority for the Ashes Tests – even before tickets went on sale for matches in New South Wales and Western Australia, with that number continuing to balloon throughout Tuesday afternoon.
The pre-sale allocation was exhausted for days one and two of both the Gabba and SCG Test matches, while more than 55,000 seats have been snapped up for Boxing Day alone.
More tickets are expected to be released for the Gabba and SCG Tests on Friday, June 6, which will be able to be accessed by those registered for the priority pre-sale.
With South Africa and India’s men’s teams also visiting for white-ball matches against Australia ahead of the Ashes Tests, and with a multi-format women’s series against India coming at the end of the summer, high demand had been expected.
The previous record in 2017-18 was set in an Ashes summer, and was the last time Barmy Army supporters were able to travel Down Under. The Covid-19 outbreak restricted travel for the last men’s Ashes series on these shores in 2021-22, and Australia is braced for an influx of overseas fans this summer.
Australia’s men’s team are set to play in every state and territory during 2025-26 season for first time.
India will tour Australia for a bumper eight-game, eight-city white-ball trip across October and November.
South Africa’s three-ODI, three-T20I tour of northern Australia meanwhile heralds the first internationals played in Darwin in 17 years, with Cairns and Mackay also to host the Proteas in August.
Men’s T20I Series v South Africa
August 10: Marrara Stadium, Darwin (N)
August 12: Marrara Stadium, Darwin (N)
August 16: Cazalys Stadium, Cairns (N)
Men’s ODI Series v South Africa
August 19: Cazalys Stadium, Cairns (D/N)
August 22: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (D/N)
August 24: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (D/N)
Men’s ODI Series v India
October 19: Perth Stadium, Perth (D/N)
October 23: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (D/N)
October 25: SCG, Sydney (D/N)
Men’s T20I Series v India
October 29: Manuka Oval, Canberra (N)
October 31: MCG, Melbourne (N)
November 2: Bellerive Oval, Hobart (N)
November 6: Gold Coast Stadium, Gold Coast (N)
November 8: The Gabba, Brisbane (N)
NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes
November 21-25: West Test, Perth Stadium, Perth
December 4-8: Day-Night Test, The Gabba, Brisbane
December 17-21: Christmas Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
December 26-30: Boxing Day Test, MCG, Melbourne
January 4-8: Pink Test, SCG, Sydney
Women’s T20I Series v India
February 15: SCG, Sydney (N)
February 19: Manuka Oval, Canberra (N)
February 21: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (N)
Women’s ODI Series v India
February 24: Allan Border Field, Brisbane (D/N)
February 27: Bellerive Oval, Hobart (D/N)
March 1: CitiPower Centre, Melbourne (D/N)
Women’s Test v India
March 6-9: WACA Ground, Perth (D/N)
