CAMBRIDGE CHESTERTON CONFIRMED AS VENUE FOR 2026 WBT UK OPEN

 The World Bowls Tour (WBT) is pleased to announce Cambridge Chesterton Indoor Bowls Club as the host venue for the reformed WBT UK Open. It will take place from Tuesday-Thursday, March 3-5, 2026.

Thanks to the £1 million sponsorship agreement with Potters Resorts earlier in the year, the event, last staged in 2022, will return to the calendar for the coming season.

This will be the first time that the WBT has been able to run three of its leading events in the same season since 2017/18 and provides a stability that the WBT Board have been working towards for some time.

The UK Open will follow the model made successful by West Lothian Indoor Bowls Club – hosts of the Scottish International Open for the last three years. It will see 32 players from around 12 countries compete in exciting knockout action over the three-days. The final of the competition is scheduled for Thursday, March 5, at around 4pm.

The event will be streamed live on the WBT Facebook and YouTube channels, while there will be around 400 spectators present in the club each day of the event.

Seven UK qualifying venues and dates have been organised and can be found on the WBT website (www.worldbowlstour.org).

Cambridge Chesterton is one of the leading clubs in England and has changed radically as a club since re-opening after hosting a Covid Vaccination Centre in 2020/21.

Gordon Woods, WBT Events Manager, said: “We are delighted to partner with such a vibrant club in Cambridge Chesterton for the 2026 WBT UK Open. This event marks a culmination of a number of years work to stabilise the World Bowls Tour and we are pleased to have secured a three-event season for the first time in seven years. We will not only crown the 2026 UK Open champion at this event, but it will also be the last ranking event of the season with the new World No 1 player crowned at the end of the tournament. We look forward to a fantastic few days at Cambridge in March.”

Kevin Kent, CEO of Cambridge Chesterton, said: “We are honoured to have been chosen to host such a prestigious event as the WBT UK Open. It’s a testament to the strength of our membership and dedication of our management team and our shared vision for excellence. We look forward to playing our part in delivering an unforgettable experience for all involved.”

18th June 2025