Australia could debut a new venue for Test cricket when Bangladesh visit in 2026
Great Barrier Reef Arena is firming to become the country’s 12th Test venue with the Queensland Premier claiming Mackay is poised to host a Test in Australia’s first post-Ashes series.
The Aussies will welcome Bangladesh in August 2026 with the venues for the two-Test series yet to be announced by Cricket Australia.
Cairns and Darwin, which have both previously held men’s Tests, along with Townsville, are also being considered as CA explores multiple options in the country’s tropical north, where year-round warm weather makes winter cricket possible.
Cricket Northern Territory chief executive Gavin Dovey has previously told cricket.com.au that he is “cautiously bullish” Darwin will get one of the matches.
The 2026-27 summer will be an unusual one for the Aussie men, with only four Tests scheduled over the traditional summer months, to be played against New Zealand in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
That will be followed by the 150th anniversary Test against England at the MCG in March, 2027.
It means no Test match will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane for the first time since the 1976-77 summer, but Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said on Triple M’s Test coverage his state would not completely miss out.
“For the first time in half a century there won’t be a Test in Brisbane,” Crisafulli said.
“And that was unfortunately due to the uncertainty over this venue.
“We will have a Test; it will be in Mackay against Bangladesh.”
Great Barrier Reef Arena was one of the three cities visited by Australia for their white-ball series against South Africa in August this year, along with Darwin and Cairns.
There appears to be an appetite for more cricket in the north, with sold out crowds at all three venues.
The Mackay venue has received more than $20 million dollars of state government funding to build a 10,000-seat grandstand, a broadcasting area and elite training facilities.
In addition to the two ODIs played by Australia’s men this year, the ground hosted two women’s T20Is between Australia and New Zealand in 2024 and three women’s ODIs between Australia and India in 2021.
The series will also be Bangladesh’s first Test tour of Australia since 2003, when Darwin and Cairns hosted the matches in the Aussies’ 2-0 victory.
