ICC BRINGS ‘WICKED’ TO THE OPENING DAY OF WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP 2026

• Collaboration between ICC and its UK broadcast partner - Sky Sports - to bring the West End and Broadway global superhit musical as the opening performance at the tournament’s first match in Birmingham on 12 June  

• Stars Emma Kingston and Zizi Strallen will be defying gravity as Elphaba and Glinda in front of a global audience – marking the first-ever collaboration between a major West End musical and international cricket 

• First-of-its-kind partnership between a live entertainment powerhouse and a global sports governing body, aimed at elevating the cultural and entertainment extravaganza around the sporting event and celebrate the 20th anniversary of Wicked's West End run 

• With more than 150,000 tickets already sold for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 the countdown to the opening game is firmly on, with tickets available via tickets.womens.t20worldcup.com

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is pleased to announce that the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in partnership with its UK broadcast partner Sky Sports, is bringing West End drama to Edgbaston, with the full cast of Wicked set to deliver a spectacular live performance ahead of England’s tournament opener against Sri Lanka on 12 June. 

In a first for global sport, Wicked stars Emma Kingston and Zizi Strallen will take centre stage, leading the Wicked company as Elphaba and Glinda, performing iconic songs from one of the most globally successful musicals of all time in front of a packed-out crowd and millions watching worldwide before the first ball is bowled.  

The collaboration forms part of the ICC’s ambition to elevate the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup beyond sport, creating culturally resonant moments that blend elite competition with world-class entertainment and position the tournament among the biggest global live-event experiences. 

Marking Wicked’s 20th anniversary in London’s West End, the performance will transform Edgbaston into a one-night-only collision of live theatre and elite sport, bringing together the drama and spectacle of two global stages for the opening night of the biggest-ever Women’s T20 World Cup. 

The tournament is already on the yellow brick road to history and has set a new benchmark as the highest-selling edition, with more than 150,000 tickets sold with three weeks to go. 

ICC CEO, Sanjog Gupta said: “Our core belief is that the ICC’s marquee global events should serve as platforms for content, community, culture and commerce with the athletic spectacle as the core product.  

“Partnering with the globally celebrated production of Wicked for the opening ceremony of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 reflects our ambition to take the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 beyond its existing position of a premier sporting event into expanded realms of culture and entertainment. The association with Wicked also helps attract an audience which is increasingly seeking novel, enriching, big-event experiences. 

“We want to blend sport, music, and culture in a way that transcends the traditional boundaries around our competitions. With this performance, we aim to create an immersive, globally resonant moment that drives deeper interest for the event, targets wider cohorts of fans and fosters an enriched sense of community. 

“The Women’s T20 World Cup has grown into one of the most watched and followed women’s sporting events globally, and with this opening ceremony, we are demonstrating that the ICC is committed to delivering novel, world-class experiences both in the stadium and across engagement platforms to billions of fans.” 

A Wicked spokesperson said: “For 20 years Wicked has brought audiences together through unforgettable live performance, so to open the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in front of a global sporting audience is incredibly exciting for us.

“There is a real sense of drama, emotion and anticipation shared between theatre and live sport, and this performance is a chance to bring those worlds together in a truly unique way on one of the biggest stages possible.” 

Women’s T20 World Cup LOC Tournament Director, Beth Barrett-Wild said: “You wouldn't normally expect to see world-class cricket sharing the same stage as a hit West End musical, but that is exactly what makes this such an unmissable way to open the tournament.  

“Bringing the magic of Wicked and its hugely talented cast to Edgbaston will create an epic night of spectacle, emotion, and atmosphere. It will also set the tone for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, opening 24 days of competition showcasing the very best in global cricket, with dramatic showdowns, unlimited excitement and gravity defying moments of unparalleled sporting skill. We can’t wait to get things started!" 

Tickets for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 are on sale now at tickets.womens.t20worldcup.com. 

Notes to editors 

About ICC 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup 
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will take place in England and Wales from 12 June to 5 July next summer. Over the course of 24 days, a total of 33 matches will be played across seven top-tier venues – Edgbaston (Birmingham), Old Trafford Cricket Ground (Manchester), Headingley (Leeds), Hampshire Bowl (Southampton), Bristol County Ground (Bristol), The Oval (London), and Lord’s (London). The newly expanded competition will see 12 teams competing for the prestigious trophy currently held by New Zealand. 

About Wicked 
WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon, opened in its London home, the Apollo Victoria Theatre on 27 September 2006. WICKED is now in its 20th year in the UK, where the production is currently being led by Emma Kingston (‘Elphaba’) and Zizi Strallen (‘Glinda’). “One of the most successful musicals of all time” (BBC News), WICKED has been seen by over 13 million people in London alone and is the 9th longest-running West End show in British history, having played over 7,500 performances. 

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s celebrated stage musical is based on the multimillion-copy best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire and imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Wicked reveals the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming ‘Glinda The Good’ and the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’. Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman collaborated on the blockbuster two-part film version of Wicked. Wicked opened on November 22nd, 2024, and is the highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical in history. The second film, Wicked: For Good, opened on November 21st, 2025, and is currently the third highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical. www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk 

About ICC
The ICC is cricket’s global governing body, representing 110 members worldwide. It oversees major tournaments such as the Men’s and Women’s Cricket and T20 World Cups, enforces the Code of Conduct on professional standards and playing conditions (with the MCC responsible for the Laws of Cricket), appoints match officials for all international formats, and combats corruption through its Anti-Corruption Unit. Its Development department also works with Associate Members to strengthen cricket systems, raise standards, and grow the game globally 

About ECB
The ECB is the national governing body for cricket in England and Wales, responsible for developing and supporting all levels of the game from recreational cricket to the national teams. The ECB’s strategic goal “Inspiring Generations” is to encourage more young people to form a lifelong relationship with the game so that a new generation of fans will say “cricket is the game for me.”