The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will launch with a bang as London’s iconic Mall plays host to a spectacular Opening Party on the eve of the event. 4000 fans and a global live broadcast audience will be treated to a music and sporting spectacular on 29 May in what will be the most celebrated start to a Cricket World Cup ever.
The ‘not-to-be-missed’ live broadcast Opening Party will be a mix of music, dance and some of the biggest names in sport with a winner takes all sporting competition. The glittering event organised in partnership with The Royal Parks within the backdrop of Buckingham Palace, will be live broadcast around the world between 5-6pm British Summer Time with an audience of spectators at the ticket only event.
Fans around the world will get to enjoy the Opening Party too. It will be broadcast live across multiple territories taking the official opening of cricket’s 50-over pinnacle event to homes and communities of millions of global cricket fans.
Tickets will be allocated through a ballot system and applications will open at 10am British Summer Time on Thursday 4 April via www.cricketworldcup.com/opening-party and will close at 10am British Summer Time on 1 May with winners being notified on 7 May. Subject to success, each applicant will be limited to two free tickets to ensure a fair process across the ballot stage and tickets will not be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Fans without tickets will not be able to attend the live event on The Mall.
Steve Elworthy, Managing Director at ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, said: “The Opening Party will capture the very essence of what makes this tournament so special and will be hugely exciting for the fans that are lucky enough to attend but also across broadcast we will show the world what they have to look forward to over the next 45 days of cricket action.
“The Mall, with Buckingham Palace in the background, is synonymous with some of the biggest events held in the UK and is instantly recognisable to everyone around the globe. It will be a fitting celebration of a World Cup, cricket and sport with diversity at its core.”
Interest in tickets for the 48 matches at the tournament has been unprecedented with over 3 million ticket applications from 148 countries across six continents truly showing the global appeal of the Cricket World Cup.
Alun Mainwaring, Head of Events and Filming at The Royal Parks, said: “The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Opening Party will be a unique and spectacular way to kick off this incredible tournament.
“Millions of people around the world will be watching the excitement unfold in central London and we are honored to be a part of it.”