Major League Cricket 2026 takes place across three venues: Grand Prairie Stadium (Texas), Oakland Coliseum (California), and the brand-new Knight Riders Cricket Field in Pomona (California).
The fourth season runs from June 18 to July 18, 2026, featuring 34 T20 matches in a double round-robin format followed by IPL-style playoffs.
Oakland Coliseum hosts the most matches and the entire playoff phase, including the Championship Final on July 18. Meanwhile, Knight Riders Cricket Field becomes the first franchise-owned dedicated cricket stadium in MLC history, and it will also host cricket at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Here is everything you need to know about each MLC 2026 venue, from capacity and location to pitch conditions and match schedules.
MLC 2026 Venues At A Glance
Before we break down each ground individually, here is a quick comparison of all three MLC 2026 stadiums. This table covers capacity, home teams, and their specific roles in the tournament.
| Venue | Location | Capacity | Home Team | Role in MLC 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prairie Stadium | Grand Prairie, Texas | ~7,200 | Texas Super Kings | Opening phase + final league leg |
| Oakland Coliseum | Oakland, California | ~12,000 | San Francisco Unicorns | Mid-season + all playoffs + Final |
| Knight Riders Cricket Field | Pomona, California | ~5,000 | LA Knight Riders | MLC debut (July 1–5) |
Notably, Broward County Stadium in Florida, which hosted matches in MLC 2025, no longer features in the 2026 season. MLC dropped all matches from Texas and California venues only for 2026.
1. Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas – The Traditional MLC Launchpad
Grand Prairie Stadium opens MLC 2026 on June 18 with Texas Super Kings vs Seattle Orcas. Originally a baseball park for the Texas AirHogs, American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) converted it into a purpose-built cricket venue through a $20 million renovation in 2022–23.
| Details | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | 1600 Lone Star Parkway, Grand Prairie, Texas (near Dallas) |
| Capacity | 7,200 (expandable to 15,000 for major events) |
| Home Team | Texas Super Kings (IPL partner: Chennai Super Kings) |
| Renovation Cost | $20 million |
| Architect | HKS (designed SoFi Stadium, AT&T Stadium) |
| Pitch Type | Natural grass turf wicket (batter-friendly) |
| Amenities | 13 luxury suites, 1,000+ premium seats, sports bar, training nets, batting lanes |
| International History | Hosted ICC T20 World Cup 2024 matches (USA vs Canada opener, USA vs Pakistan) |
| MLC 2026 Matches | ~15 matches across two phases (June 18–23 and July 6–12) |
2. Oakland Coliseum, California – The Playoff Fortress
Oakland Coliseum carries the heaviest load in MLC 2026, hosting the mid-season league matches plus the entire playoff phase and Championship Final. That makes it the most significant venue of the tournament.
This is the first time in MLC history that all four knockout matches and the final are at the same ground. Previously, Grand Prairie hosted the playoffs in MLC 2025.
| Details | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | Oakland, California (San Francisco Bay Area) |
| Cricket Capacity | ~12,000 (reduced from 63,000 full stadium capacity) |
| Home Team | San Francisco Unicorns |
| Built | 1966 (hosted baseball and American football for decades) |
| Former Tenants | Oakland Athletics (MLB), Oakland Raiders (NFL) |
| Pitch Type | Drop-in pitches (transported from Nassau County, New York) |
| Public Transport | BART (Coliseum Station), Amtrak, Bay Ferry |
| MLC Debut | MLC 2025 (9 matches hosted) |
| MLC 2026 Role | Mid-season league matches + Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, Championship Final |
MLC 2026 Playoff Schedule at Oakland Coliseum
| Match | Date |
|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | July 15, 2026 |
| Eliminator | July 15, 2026 |
| Qualifier 2 (Challenger) | July 16, 2026 |
| Championship Final | July 18, 2026 |
3. Knight Riders Cricket Field, Pomona – MLC’s Historic New Venue
The Knight Riders Cricket Field at Fairplex, Pomona is the most exciting addition to MLC 2026. It is the first franchise-owned dedicated cricket stadium in the league’s history, and it will also serve as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cricket venue.
Construction officially began on April 23, 2026, in a ceremony attended by ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta and LA28 officials. ICC Chairman Jay Shah called the groundbreaking a “major milestone” for cricket’s 2.5 billion fans worldwide.
| Details | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona, California (~50 km east of downtown LA) |
| Current Capacity | ~5,000 (expanding to 8,500 in 2027 and 15,000 by 2028) |
| Home Team | Los Angeles Knight Riders |
| Owner/Operator | Knight Riders Group (co-owned by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan) |
| Venue Type | Purpose-built, temporary cricket stadium with permanent features |
| Unveiled | March 19, 2026 |
| Construction Started | April 23, 2026 |
| First MLC Match | LA Knight Riders vs Washington Freedom – July 1, 2026 |
| MLC 2026 Matches | 5 matches (July 1–5, 2026) |
| Olympic Role | Cricket venue for 2028 LA Olympics (sport returns after 128 years) |
MLC 2026 Match Schedule at Pomona
The venue hosts a compact five-day window of matches. Here is the confirmed schedule at Knight Riders Cricket Field:
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | LA Knight Riders vs Washington Freedom | Pomona |
| July 2, 2026 | Seattle Orcas vs MI New York | Pomona |
| July 3, 2026 | LA Knight Riders vs Texas Super Kings | Pomona |
| July 4, 2026 | LA Knight Riders vs Seattle Orcas | Pomona |
| July 5, 2026 | San Francisco Unicorns vs MI New York | Pomona |
The July 4 match is particularly significant. It falls on America’s 250th Independence Day, and MLC has deliberately scheduled cricket on this date to build cultural relevance for the sport in the US.
MLC 2026 Venue-Wise Schedule Breakdown
The tournament follows a traveling format across three cities. Here is the phase-by-phase breakdown of where MLC 2026 matches will be played.
| Phase | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Opening League Phase | June 18–23 | Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas |
| Mid-Season League Phase | June 24–30 | Oakland Coliseum, California |
| New Venue Phase | July 1–5 | Knight Riders Cricket Field, Pomona |
| Final League Phase | July 6–12 | Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas |
| Playoffs + Final | July 15–18 | Oakland Coliseum, California |
This structure means the tournament moves from east (Texas) to west (California) and then back east again before wrapping up in Oakland. Consequently, fans in both regions get multiple windows to catch live action.
MLC 2026 Venue Comparison: Which Stadium Stands Out?
Each venue brings something different to the table. Here is a side-by-side look at how the three MLC 2026 stadiums stack up against each other.
| Feature | Grand Prairie | Oakland | Pomona |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 7,200 | 12,000 | 5,000 |
| Pitch Type | Natural turf | Drop-in | Natural turf |
| Batting Conditions | Batter-friendly | Balanced (early seam, then flat) | TBD (new venue) |
| Nearest Airport | DFW (25 min) | OAK (10 min) | ONT (20 min) |
| Public Transit | Limited | Excellent (BART) | Limited |
| MLC History | Every season (2023–present) | Since 2025 | Debut in 2026 |
| Olympic Connection | None | None | 2028 LA Olympics |
Final Thoughts: 3 Venues – Grand Prairie, Oakland, and Pomona Ready to Host MLC Season 4
The three MLC 2026 venues reflect how far American cricket has come in just four seasons. Grand Prairie remains the reliable workhorse, Oakland adds scale and playoff prestige, and Pomona brings genuine Olympic ambition.
With ACE’s $150 million+ investment and a target of 10 international cricket grounds by 2030, this is clearly more than a passing experiment. As MLC CEO Johnny Grave put it, the next phase is further infrastructure investment to give fans better access and players better environments.
Whether you are planning to attend in person or watching from home on JioHotstar, the 2026 season promises to be MLC’s most exciting yet. Keep an eye on that July 4 match at Pomona, too. Cricket on America’s 250th birthday? That is how you build a sport in a new country.
