Good afternoon,
With summer just around the corner, the time is nearly here to open the doors of the Kia Oval, as we welcome you back to your second home, right here in the heart of Kennington. The first day of the home season is among my favourites in the cricket calendar. It is a day filled with anticipation, excitement, and hope, as we wish the best to our brilliant squads, who will be competing for silverware on all fronts.
2025 was a landmark year for us as we celebrated the 180th anniversary year of our great Club. Alongside seeing the Surrey women’s team lift the trophy at home, we set new attendance records for the Rothesay County Championship and women’s county T20 at the Kia Oval, delivered one of the greatest Test Matches of this era, and had more Members of this Club than ever before. 2026 brings more promise, and we are eager to continue growing the game and deliver what should be a spectacular summer of cricket in south London.
Matching the off-season preparations of our men’s and women’s squads, our incredible staff have been hard at work throughout the winter, looking after our world-class facilities as well as making improvements that will continue to help us deliver the finest of match-day experiences for you all.
When you enter the Micky Stewart Members’ Pavilion for the first time this summer, you will notice that the Long Room has been refurbished, and some striking new portraits have also gone up on an already adorned wall. We are also delighted to share that we have redeveloped the fourth floor in the Bedser Stand and will have brand-new, premium hospitality spaces ready ahead of the Vitality Blast. These spacious and comfortable rooms will not only offer a pristine view of the on-pitch action but also allow us to build on our ability to reinvest in the game, the Club, and the ground. You will also find that many of the bathrooms around the concourse have been, or are in the process of being renovated, while works have been done to enhance the power supply and Wi-Fi around the ground, making it smoother and more efficient.
New for this year is our brand-new mobile app. Having listened to your feedback, the app will offer a much-improved mobile ticketing solution and allow you to manage all your match-day tickets at the Kia Oval right in the palm of your hand. Being the first county to introduce the contactless ‘NFC’ Membership Cards, and seeing its success in the last two years, we were glad to once again roll out the innovative technology, allowing our entire Membership base to have the option of adding their Membership Cards to their phone e-wallet and enter the ground seamlessly. For the international match days, including the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, we are also introducing mapped ticketing for general admission ticket holders. Those sitting between Blocks 17-20 and Blocks 21-24 will receive recommended gate information on their tickets to make their entry easier and quicker on match days, which will see thousands of spectators join us in south London.
On County Championship matchdays, we will have several food and drink options for Members in the Pavilion, including complimentary tea and coffee in the Pavilion reception on the first day of the summer. The popular 175 Restaurant will remain available for lunch service bookings during each fixture, while places such as Nip Back Inn, Crispy Wicket, and Pizza and Co will be open under the SSE Energy Solutions Stand. This summer, we have also welcomed on board a new cider partner, and their drinks, which are perfect for a sunny day, join the growing catalogue of our refreshing alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that we offer at the ground.
It was great to see many of you in our Members’ events leading into the cricket season, and we have several events planned for you after the season as well, including the returning Mini-Golf Day and the all-new Surrey Pantomime. Undoubtedly, what we are looking forward to the most right now is cricket on the field, and we cannot wait to welcome you back to the best cricket club in the world.
I would like to finish by thanking you for your invaluable support, as well as encouraging everyone to continue cheering on our world-class squads, in their quest for silverware.
Have a fantastic summer!
Best wishes,
Steve Elworthy, CEO
