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England Tour of South Africa 2026-27 Tickets & Packages

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Tour Overview

England return to South Africa for the first time in seven years for one of the classic festive-season tours in cricket. Three Tests run from 17 December 2026 to 7 January 2027, taking in the Wanderers in Johannesburg, the Boxing Day Test at Centurion and the New Year's Test at Newlands. Three One Day Internationals follow in Paarl and Bloemfontein, with the tour finishing on 15 January 2027.

The Tests count towards the ICC World Test Championship, and South Africa play them as the reigning world Test champions. For travelling fans, the timing is the draw: Christmas in the sun, Boxing Day at the cricket, New Year in Cape Town and the Winelands on the doorstep for the ODIs.

About the Tournament

The tour is a bilateral series hosted by Cricket South Africa (CSA) with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It has two parts. First comes a three-match Test series for the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy, with World Test Championship points at stake. Then comes a three-match ODI series. A T20I leg was originally planned but was removed because it clashed with South Africa's domestic SA20 league; the boards have said they may find another window for it.

Tests are scheduled over five days and start at 10:00 AM local time (08:00 GMT), with Newlands starting at 10:30 AM (08:30 GMT). The first and third ODIs are day games starting at 10:00 AM, and the second ODI in Bloemfontein is a day-night game starting at 1:30 PM (11:30 GMT). There is no final: each series goes to the side that wins more matches.

Tournament History

England and South Africa first played Test cricket in 1889, making this one of the oldest rivalries in the game. Since 2004-05 the two sides have played Test series for the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy. It is named after the Cape Town-born all-rounder who played for England, and whose selection for the 1968-69 tour of South Africa led to that tour being cancelled by the apartheid government. The trophy carries that history every time it is contested.

England hold the trophy, having won the last four series: 2015-16, 2017, 2019-20 and 2022. Their last visit, in 2019-20, began with defeat at Centurion on Boxing Day before England came back to win in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg and take the series 3-1. South Africa last won the trophy in England in 2012, and they arrive this time with far more momentum than in 2020, having become world Test champions at Lord's in 2025.

Host Nation

South Africa

December and January are high summer in South Africa, with long, bright days. The tour covers three very different parts of the country. Gauteng, home to Johannesburg and Centurion, sits on the Highveld about 1,700 metres above sea level, where hot days often end in short afternoon thunderstorms. The Western Cape, around Cape Town and Paarl, is drier, with sea breezes, vineyards and mountains. The Free State, around Bloemfontein, is open, hot interior country.

Cricket here is played in front of relaxed, sociable crowds who bring picnics onto grass banks and stay all day. The country also lends itself to a longer trip, with safari, the Garden Route and the Cape coast all within a short flight or drive of the venues.

Schedule & Key Dates

The first Test is at the Wanderers in Johannesburg from Thursday 17 to Monday 21 December 2026. After a Christmas break, the second Test starts at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December, and runs to 30 December. The third Test opens at Newlands in Cape Town on Sunday 3 January 2027 and runs to 7 January.

The ODIs begin at Boland Park in Paarl on Sunday 10 January. The tour then moves inland to Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein for the second ODI on Wednesday 13 January, a day-night game, and the final ODI on Friday 15 January.

Venues & Host Cities

Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Known as the Bullring for the steep stands that wrap tightly around the field, the Wanderers holds about 34,000 and is one of the loudest grounds in world cricket. It hosted the famous 2006 ODI in which South Africa chased Australia's 434 and reached 438, and its pitches usually offer pace and bounce. Johannesburg is South Africa's biggest city, with the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill, Soweto and the restaurants of Rosebank and Melville all close to the ground.

SuperSport Park, Centurion

Between Johannesburg and Pretoria, SuperSport Park seats about 22,000, with wide grass embankments where families spread out for the day. Centurion has become a regular home for the Boxing Day Test and is one of South Africa's strongest home grounds. It was also where England lost the opening Test of their last tour, in 2019. Pretoria's Union Buildings and jacaranda-lined streets are nearby, and Pilanesberg and other game reserves are a few hours' drive away.

Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town

Newlands, with about 25,000 seats, sits beneath Table Mountain and Devil's Peak and is widely seen as one of the most beautiful grounds in the game. The New Year's Test is one of the highlights of the South African summer, and travelling England supporters have filled whole sections of the ground on past tours. Cape Town gives you the cable car up Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island, Cape Point and the beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton.

Boland Park, Paarl

An hour from Cape Town, Boland Park is a compact ground of about 10,000, ringed by the mountains of the Cape Winelands. It is home to the Paarl Royals in SA20, and its small size makes an ODI feel close and festive. Paarl, Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are among South Africa's best-known wine regions, so the opening ODI pairs naturally with a day or two of tastings and long lunches.

Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein

Mangaung Oval holds about 20,000 and is home to the Knights franchise. It hosts both the day-night second ODI and the series finale. Bloemfontein is South Africa's judicial capital and is known as the City of Roses. Its compact centre, the Naval Hill nature reserve and the National Museum make it an easy two-match base before flying home.

The Teams

South Africa

The Proteas are the world Test champions and play this series as part of their title defence. Temba Bavuma leads the Test side. The home summer before England arrive is packed, with Tests against Australia and Bangladesh, so the squad will have plenty of recent cricket at these venues. At home, South Africa usually build their attack around fast bowling on bouncy Highveld pitches.

England

England arrive in a new era. Ben Stokes stepped down in 2026, and Joe Root has returned as Test captain, with Stephen Fleming as Test head coach. Harry Brook leads the white-ball side, and the ODIs come with the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa later that year, so they double as preparation in near-identical conditions. Squads for the tour have not yet been named.

Why Attend

Few tours pack in three of the calendar's best Test fixtures: a Bullring Test, a Boxing Day Test and a New Year's Test under Table Mountain. On the field, the world champions take on England with the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy and World Test Championship points at stake. Around it, there is the hum of grass-bank crowds, the noise of the Wanderers and the spectacle of Newlands in January.

The calendar is the other reason to go. You can spend Christmas in the sun, see in New Year in Cape Town and add the Winelands and a safari without using much leave, then finish with a short ODI leg for anyone staying into January.

Planning Your Trip

The full tour runs from mid-December to mid-January, but most fans pick a block. Common choices are the first two Tests in Gauteng, flying into Johannesburg, or the New Year's Test plus the Paarl ODI, flying into Cape Town. Domestic flights link Johannesburg, Cape Town and Bloemfontein in under two hours. Centurion is a short drive from Johannesburg, and Paarl is about an hour by road from Cape Town.

The festive period is peak season, especially in Cape Town over New Year, so book flights and hotels early. Many visitors, including UK passport holders, can enter South Africa visa-free for short stays, but check the current rules for your nationality before you travel. The currency is the South African rand. Pack sun protection and a hat, plus a light layer for Highveld thunderstorms and breezy Cape evenings.

CrickBuster packages handle the planning for you. Depending on the package, they include guaranteed official match tickets in general or hospitality seating, flights, accommodation, airport and stadium transfers, and excursions and sightseeing, from Soweto and Table Mountain to Winelands tastings and game drives. Meet-and-greet and fan experiences are added where available.