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Last checked 2026-10-10 · Source dates below
Start the year with Test cricket at Moore Park. Sydney combines the Pink Test, heritage pavilions and a city break with harbour ferries, coastal walks and dinner in Surry Hills after stumps.
SCG at a glance
| Test | Dates | First ball / gates |
|---|---|---|
| Australia v New Zealand | 4–8 January 2027 | 10:30 / TBCUK: 23:30 Sun 3 Jan |
Australia meet New Zealand at the SCG from Monday 4 to Friday 8 January 2027. The scheduled start is 10:30 each day in Sydney. This is the fourth Test of their series and follows the Boxing Day match in Melbourne, making the two cities a natural pair for a Christmas and New Year cricket holiday.
The New Year Test is one of Sydney’s summer traditions. Come early enough to watch the ground fill and find the old Members’ Pavilion and Ladies’ Stand among the larger modern structures. The two heritage-listed stands give the ground a recognisable face even when you are sitting on the opposite boundary.
The McGrath Foundation confirms that the 2027 match will be a Pink Test, raising support for its cancer care nurses. Jane McGrath Day traditionally falls on Day 3, which is Wednesday 6 January in this fixture. Wear pink if you would like to join in; the detailed 2027 ceremony programme is TBC.
For a first visit, take a moment to look around before concentrating on the pitch. Sydney offers a different scale and outline from Melbourne: pavilion roofs on one side, broad banks of modern seating on the other. Watching two successive Tests lets you experience both settings while following the same series.
| Day | What you’re likely to see | Chance match is already over | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 · Mon | Opening toss and first innings | None before play begins | The start of the Sydney Test |
| Day 2 · Tue | Follow the opening innings | Possible, though early | Two consecutive cricket days |
| Day 3 · Wed | Traditional Jane McGrath Day | Possible | The Pink Test occasion |
| Day 4 · Thu | Possible chase or finish | Greater than early days | A flexible Sydney stay |
| Day 5 · Fri | Closing passage or no further play | Highest of these choices | Visitors with another outing ready |
Monday brings the opening toss and the first decisions about how to use the Sydney surface. Tuesday works well for following the first innings without spending your whole city stay at the ground. Wednesday combines the developing match with the Day 3 Pink Test tradition. Choose two consecutive days if you want to see a partnership or bowling contest unfold.
Thursday and Friday can bring a finish, but a Test can also be over before your booked day. Keep a harbour outing or a coastal walk ready for the later part of the week. Avoid arranging the whole Sydney stop around a single fifth-day ticket, especially when you have travelled from Britain.
If you are coming from Melbourne after the Boxing Day Test, leave a little space between the cities. A quiet arrival day in Sydney helps with laundry, the hotel change and finding your route to Moore Park. It also gives everyone in a mixed cricket-and-holiday party a day together before the next match begins.
Sources: [1]
Check available tickets.
Follow Cricket Australia’s SCG link to Ticketmaster.
Check stand, bay, row and the full booking total.
Use Ticketmaster’s accessible booking route for seats and companions.
A member reservation needs a valid entry entitlement as well.
Save ticket delivery and refund details with the booking.
| Test day | Adult (A$) | Under-16 / junior (A$) | Buying route |
|---|---|---|---|
| All days | TBC | TBC | Official Ticketmaster seat map |
Prices in Australian dollars.
Buy public SCG tickets through the match link on Cricket Australia’s website, which directs Sydney buyers to Ticketmaster. Choose the date first, then compare the available stand and price category. Keep all members of a group in the same transaction when you want to sit together, and check that every selected ticket is for the intended day.
The Members’ Reserve has a separate admission route. A valid member or guest entitlement is required, and additional member day passes depend on the event. Reserved-seat products do not themselves provide admission. If a Sydney friend offers to host you, settle the card, guest arrangements and dress rules before treating that invitation as your Test ticket.
For visitors using the public sale, focus on the seat map and the complete booking total. A more expensive category may offer a different view or shelter; compare the actual row with the stand guidance below. Save the booking email and arrange access to the ticket account before leaving the UK so the gate is not your first attempt to sign in.
The Members’ Pavilion and Ladies’ Stand sit on the western side of the ground. Their heritage appeal comes with member access arrangements: they are not ordinary public-sale alternatives. Current membership guidance makes the Members’ Pavilion an over-18 area and includes unreserved seating in the Ladies’, MA Noble and Bradman stands, subject to the event arrangements.
The Victor Trumper Stand occupies the area once known as The Hill. The old Hill belongs to SCG spectator history; today this part of the ground is a modern grandstand. Trumper gives a broad view from the southern part of the bowl. Across the public seating, compare the Clive Churchill and Brewongle stands with Bill O’Reilly on the eastern side.
For shade, start with the roof and row shown on your chosen ticket. Western seating faces the morning light, with the sun moving behind that side later; eastern seats can face afternoon sunlight. Sydney’s summer sun passes high across the northern sky. These broad directions help narrow your choice, while the precise row determines how much roof shadow reaches you.
Heritage member areas. Valid member or guest admission is required; the Members’ Pavilion is currently over 18 only.
A side-on view across the oval from the western seating, with a choice of heights.
Compare the view and route carefully; the sensory room is in this stand.
The modern stand opened in 2008 on the former Hill area. Choose by bay and level.
A side-on view across towards the heritage pavilions; check shelter at your chosen height.
Northern seating with member areas; check the admission entitlement attached to the seat.
Pack for a long January day: a hat, sunscreen, light clothing and a layer for a change in the weather. Keep a refillable water bottle handy. The SCG visual story identifies water-bottle refilling as part of a visit, and it is worth finding the closest drinking-water point before the first session starts.
Merivale operates food and drink at the ground. Agree whether your group wants to meet for the interval or buy refreshments separately; a fixed stand or concourse meeting point is easier to find than a moving queue. Keep the entrance and bag rules with the ticket, especially if you carry medical supplies or unusual equipment.
A pink shirt or hat makes it easy to take part in the Pink Test atmosphere. If you donate, use the Foundation’s own channels or its event volunteers. Before leaving your row, check who has the tickets and where you will meet if the group becomes separated. A charged phone and a written seat number are useful for children and adults alike.
From Central, take the L2 Randwick or L3 Kingsford light rail at Central Chalmers Street and leave at Moore Park. Both lines also serve the city along George Street. From Moore Park there is a short walk towards the SCG; follow the signed pedestrian route and then the gate on your ticket.
Walking from Central is another option. Transport for NSW describes a 2.3 km route taking about 20–25 minutes via Devonshire Street, the light rail pedestrian bridge and the Albert “Tibby” Cotter Walkway to Driver Avenue. Allow your own pace, particularly in the heat, and keep extra time for the walk around to your entrance.
Regular buses use Anzac Parade, Oxford Street and nearby roads. This can suit a Paddington or eastern-suburbs stay, so compare the complete hotel-to-gate journey in the Transport for NSW planner. Event services and road controls vary by day; use the Pink Test listing when it appears in the planner.
If you drive, the Entertainment Quarter and event car parks serve the precinct. Driver Avenue can close to through traffic while crowds move through, and special-event clearways apply around Moore Park. For a city stay, public transport usually makes the cricket day easier to organise. Arrange any required accessible parking or drop-off separately.
Sources: [12]
London–Sydney is a long journey with a stop. British Airways publishes a Heathrow service via Singapore and a typical total journey of around 22 hours 50 minutes. Compare the actual itinerary and connection time when booking. Arrive with time to recover before your first SCG day, especially if you are combining the flight with another Australian city.
Eligible British Citizen passport holders can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority, subclass 601, through the official Australian ETA app. Use the Australian Government’s Home Affairs page to check your passport eligibility and application requirements before travelling. Entry information checked 12 October 2026. Other British passport categories should check their own visa route.
For the January Test, Sydney is eleven hours ahead of the UK: Sydney uses AEDT, UTC+11, while the UK uses GMT. Put the match and flight times into your calendar with their local zones. The UK opening-ball dates below help friends at home follow your trip.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s all-years Observatory Hill averages give January a mean maximum of 26.0°C. Plan for summer sun and allow for rain in your packing and spare-day choices. Choose travel insurance that suits the trip, including any existing medical conditions and the activities you intend to do away from the cricket.
The CBD is a useful base if the harbour and central sights are a large part of your Sydney visit. Look at the walk from a hotel to an L2 or L3 stop, not just the distance to the SCG. A room near the city light rail lets you combine the cricket journey with an evening elsewhere in town.
Surry Hills puts cafés, restaurants and the Central-to-Moore Park approach within the same part of the city. Compare each address with the light rail and walking route: the neighbourhood covers more than one convenient street. For several Test days, being able to return to a familiar local dinner spot can be as valuable as a room with a view.
Paddington suits visitors who want to explore its streets between cricket days. Check the route from the actual property towards Moore Park, including slopes and the entrance you will use. The three areas below offer different balances of sightseeing and matchday travel; choose with the whole party’s plans in mind.
For city sights, harbour visits and an L2 or L3 journey to Moore Park.
Check Sydney CBD →We may earn a commission if you book through this link.
For local dinners and the Central-to-Moore Park approach; compare the exact address.
Check Surry Hills →We may earn a commission if you book through this link.
For neighbourhood exploring and a route towards the ground on foot or by bus.
Check Paddington →We may earn a commission if you book through this link.
If you arrive for New Year’s Eve as well as the Test, book the whole sequence of nights carefully. Keep the arrival date after your overnight flight beside the reservation, and compare cancellation conditions before committing. A spare Sydney day after the match gives room for a tour or the coast if the cricket finishes early.
Surry Hills is an easy area to build into the evening after the SCG. Choose dinner around your route back from Moore Park, then leave space between stumps and the reservation. The last session can overrun the time you first pencilled into the diary, and the journey out of a crowded ground takes longer than an ordinary walk.
Darlinghurst offers another inner-city evening, particularly if your group wants to continue beyond dinner. Agree an address before everyone leaves their seats. Friends heading back to different hotels can share a meal first, then separate for their onward journeys without trying to negotiate plans in the light rail queue.
Sources: [16]
The SCG’s guided walking tour lasts around ninety minutes and includes its museum and behind-the-scenes areas. Book a tour date around the playing schedule. It is a chance to hear the ground’s stories and see spaces you will not normally reach with a public match ticket, including parts of the historic reserve.
For a coastal day, the Bondi to Coogee walk links beaches and headlands. Start early enough to enjoy it without hurrying, take water and choose a section that fits your energy after several days at the cricket. Destination NSW lists refill points along the route. Use the transport planner for the return from your finishing beach.
The harbour makes a different spare-day plan: begin around Circular Quay and decide how much walking or ferry travel you want. Leave the cricket timetable behind for a while. A harbour outing also works when only part of the group wants a full series of match tickets, giving everyone something to anticipate during the Sydney stay.
Cricket Australia offers premium experiences and official travel-package routes. Compare the specific SCG product with public tickets plus your own accommodation. Read which match day, stand, meals and drinks are included, and whether everyone in your group can use the same facilities throughout the day.
For a guest with access requirements, ask about the dining room as well as the seat. The route between them, available shelter and companion arrangements all matter during a long Test. Keep the package’s cancellation and interrupted-play terms with the booking so the person organising the trip can find them easily.
Sources: [5]
Australia play New Zealand from 4–8 January 2027, with first ball scheduled for 10:30 AEDT.
Yes. The McGrath Foundation confirms the Pink Test for 4–8 January 2027. Jane McGrath Day traditionally falls on Day 3; the detailed 2027 programme is TBC.
Cricket Australia directs SCG public-ticket purchases to Ticketmaster. Start with the official match listing.
A valid member or guest entitlement is required for the Members’ Reserve. The Members’ Pavilion is currently an over-18 area.
Take L2 or L3 light rail from Central Chalmers Street to Moore Park, then walk to your gate. The signed walking route from Central is about 2.3 km.
The Victor Trumper Stand opened in 2008 on the area once known as The Hill. It is modern grandstand seating today.
Compare the CBD for city sights, Surry Hills for local dining and Paddington for a neighbourhood stay. Check the actual route from each property to Moore Park.
Arrange the SCG seat and companion first, then join the route from your hotel to Moore Park with the right gate. Light rail has level boarding; shade and a manageable route inside the ground deserve the same attention as the journey.
Plan an accessible Test at SCG →