Edgbaston Road · Birmingham B5 7QU · Capacity approx 25,000
Edgbaston: cricket as a party
Edgbaston is the loudest Test ground in England, and it is not close. The Hollies Stand behind the bowler's arm sings all day, dresses up on the Saturday and has turned a Test match into something considerably more raucous than the format usually manages.
A large stand behind the bowler's arm that has become the loudest and most inventive part of any English cricket crowd. Fancy dress on the Saturday of a Test is effectively the convention rather than the exception.
What Edgbaston is actually like
If your idea of Test cricket is polite applause and a sandwich, this is the ground that will surprise you.
Behind the bowler's arm
Singing, chanting and a running commentary on everything happening on the field.
The convention
Day three of a Test in particular. Groups plan the outfits weeks ahead.
For a fair proportion
Which is exactly why nobody in your group should be driving home.
Genuinely
Edgbaston has hosted some of the most dramatic Test finishes in the game's history.
Kent to Birmingham
Round the M25 and up the M40, or the M1 and M6 depending on where you start.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley & Orpington | 135 miles | 2h 35m – 3h 15m |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 138 miles | 2h 40m – 3h 20m |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 141 miles | 2h 45m – 3h 25m |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 146 miles | 2h 50m – 3h 30m |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 151 miles | 2h 55m – 3h 35m |
| Rochester & Chatham | 156 miles | 3h – 3h 40m |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 180 miles | 3h 25m – 4h 10m |
Day trip or overnight
Three hours each way plus a full day of cricket is a long stretch. Both formats work; they suit different groups.
| Format | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Day return | Leave Kent around 07:00, home around 22:30 | Groups doing one day of a Test |
| Overnight, one night | Travel up the evening before, back after close | Groups who want the full day without a 7am start |
| Two nights | Two days of cricket in Birmingham | Serious cricket trips and stag-type weekends |
| Corporate day | Hospitality timings and a firm return | Companies, invoiced with VAT shown separately |
A day at Edgbaston
Nobody drives home from this one
It is the single clearest case on our whole site. Edgbaston is a day of sun, beer and singing, three hours from home, and asking one member of the group to sit through it on soft drinks and then drive the M40 in the dark is both unfair and a waste of the day. Split between eight or ten people, the transport costs less per head than the round of drinks that made it necessary.
The Saturday is the one to go to
Day three of a Test at Edgbaston, with the Hollies in fancy dress and a full house, is one of the best days out in English sport. It is also the busiest and the one that books out first, both for tickets and for vehicles. If that is your target, arrange it months ahead rather than weeks.
Consider going up the night before
A seven o'clock departure from Kent to make an eleven o'clock start is achievable and it makes for a very long day at the far end of it. Travelling up the previous evening and staying in Birmingham costs less than most people expect midweek, removes the early start and means the group arrives fresh rather than three hours into a journey.
The exit is easier than a football ground
Twenty-five thousand people leaving a cricket ground do so gradually across the afternoon rather than all at once at a final whistle, and Edgbaston sits in a residential area with reasonable road access. We hold back from the ground where traffic moves and the walk is around ten minutes, which is considerably better than most of the stadium bookings we handle.
Edgbaston questions
The loudest ground in the country.
What is the Hollies Stand?
A large stand behind the bowler's arm which has become the loudest and most inventive part of any English cricket crowd, singing throughout the day and dressing up on the Saturday of a Test.
How far is Birmingham from Kent?
Around a hundred and thirty-five to a hundred and eighty miles, roughly two and a half to four hours each way on the M25, M40 or M1 and M6.
Can we do it as a day return?
Yes, leaving Kent around seven in the morning and getting home around half ten at night. It is a long day, which is why some groups travel up the evening before.
Is it worth staying over?
For many groups, yes. It removes a seven o'clock start, midweek Birmingham rates are modest, and it means arriving fresh rather than three hours into a journey.
Which day should we go?
The Saturday of a Test, day three, is the best atmosphere and the busiest. It sells out first for both tickets and vehicles, so book months ahead.
Where do you collect afterwards?
Back from the ground where traffic is moving, around ten minutes' walk. Cricket crowds leave gradually rather than all at once, so the exit is easier than at a football ground.
Do you do corporate hospitality days?
Yes, with timings built around the hospitality schedule and a firm return, invoiced with VAT shown separately.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before travel and unaffected by motorway delays or how the cricket goes.
Midlands venues and guides
Birmingham from Kent.