Michael Vaughan has condemned a steep rise in ticket prices for next summer’s men’s Ashes Test at Edgbaston, calling the 43% increase in one of the ground’s most famous stands “really poor”.
The former England captain reacted on social media after it emerged that seats in the Hollies Stand – the raucous, carnival-style heart of the Birmingham venue – will cost £165 for the 2027 Ashes. Those same tickets were £115 during the 2023 series.
That is a jump of £50 for a single day’s cricket in a stand that holds almost 6,000 spectators.
Prices have climbed sharply across the ground. Members can buy tickets elsewhere in the stadium for £92, while the cheapest adult seats for the first three days of the Test are £115. Every ticket also carries a £2.50 booking fee.
For many supporters, the Ashes is already the most expensive ticket in the Test calendar. The new figures push it further into premium territory.
The backdrop is a series that remains box-office. The 2023 Ashes finished 2-2 after Australia took the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s, and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hailed a blockbuster summer. Every day sold out in advance, and total attendance topped 545,000 across the five matches.
That level of demand has clearly emboldened organisers. Yet the current summer tells a different story.
Edgbaston is operating at reduced capacity because of an on-site hotel development, but tickets for next week’s third Test between England and Pakistan – priced between £57.50 and £87.50 for adults – have still not sold out. Less than half the price of the Hollies for the Ashes, and seats remain available.
The 2027 Ashes ballot opened on Wednesday, and the upward curve is not confined to Birmingham. Lord’s and The Oval are even more expensive, with the best tickets at £190 and £185 respectively, underlining how London venues continue to set the top end of the market.
England's Pursuit of the Ashes
On the field, England’s pursuit of the urn comes with its own edge. They were beaten 4-1 in Australia last winter and will begin their attempt to reclaim the Ashes on home soil at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on 18 June. The second Test follows at Lord’s from 30 June, with the third at Edgbaston starting on 8 July.
The series then moves south. The Utilita Bowl in Southampton will make history on 21 July, becoming the 10th UK ground to stage a men’s Ashes Test when it hosts the fourth match. The finale is set for the Kia Oval from 29 July.
With marquee venues raising prices and former players publicly questioning the direction of travel, the tension around who can actually afford to be part of these occasions is growing almost as quickly as the anticipation for the cricket itself.
BBC Sport has contacted the ECB and all five Test venues for comment.
