Hotels for The Hundred 2026 at Sophia Gardens

Welsh Fire bring The Hundred 2026 to Sophia Gardens, Wales's only Test ground and one of cricket's most picturesque venues, set in a riverside park minutes from Cardiff city centre, with match days through the tournament window from 21 July to Finals Day on 16 August. The green riverside setting, the compact stands and the Welsh supporters' enthusiasm make Sophia Gardens a distinctive and welcoming venue for Hundred cricket.

Individual match days vary across the window — check the fixture list for Cardiff games. Cardiff Central station is within easy walking distance of the ground, and the city centre is directly on the doorstep. Stay in the heart of Cardiff near the castle and the Victorian arcades, and you can walk to the ground along the Taff on match days.

The Hundred, the ECB's 100-ball competition launched in 2021, is the only major English franchise event to reach across the border into Wales, where Welsh Fire play at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. Set in parkland beside the River Taff and home to Glamorgan since 1967, the ground became Wales's only Test venue when it staged the opening match of the 2009 Ashes, the 100th ground in history to host a Test.

That match delivered instant drama: England's last pair, James Anderson and Monty Panesar, survived the closing overs to force a nerve-shredding draw and set the tone for a series England went on to win. Compact, green and welcoming, Sophia Gardens gives The Hundred a distinctive Welsh home, with Cardiff's city centre only a short riverside walk away.

Sophia Gardens is Wales's only Test cricket venue, a riverside ground set in Bute Park on the western bank of the River Taff, just minutes from the heart of Cardiff. Glamorgan call it home and the compact, green setting makes it one of the most welcoming grounds on the circuit. Cardiff Central station is an easy fifteen-minute walk along the river. The city's Victorian arcades, the castle and a wide range of restaurants and bars are all on the doorstep. Book early for any international fixture.