The National Bowls Finals run at Victoria Park until 30 August: 42 competitions on five greens. Tickets, parking and the 2027 world championship.
The National Bowls Finals started at Victoria Park on Wednesday 12 August and run until Sunday 30 August, nineteen days of play that Bowls England says will bring 42 competitions and thousands of competitors onto the town’s five greens.
It is the biggest thing happening in Leamington this month, and the second biggest is already booked. The World Bowls Championship comes to the same greens from 20 July to 1 August 2027, with more than 27 nations expected across 14 world title events. Tickets for that went on sale this month.
What is actually on
Matches are played across five greens and 30 rinks, and the field runs from singles to team events, men’s, women’s, para and mixed, junior and senior. Competitors get to Leamington by winning local and county rounds first, which is why Bowls England describes Victoria Park as “the home of English lawn bowls” and the finals as the culmination of the season.
There is no printed programme this year. Bowls England says that is “due to increasing diminishing returns”, and points spectators instead at its competitions portal for the schedule, the draws and live scores. Play is also streamed on Bowls England TV.
Gates open at 8am every day and close half an hour after play ends, which on some days is 8pm. Seating is unreserved and you are welcome to bring a folding chair to most spots around the greens, though not in front of the grandstand. You can bring your own food and drink, and there are water coolers on site alongside the food traders and the clubhouse bar.
Getting there, parking and tickets
The event car park at Victoria Park opens at 7.30am and closes an hour after play ends. It costs £10 a day for a car, including cars displaying a Blue Badge, £15 a day for a motorhome or caravan, and £45 for a five-day car pass. Spaces are first come, first served and cannot be pre-booked. The entrance is off the roundabout under the railway bridge between Princes Drive, CV31 3PH, and Park Drive, and Bowls England warns there is no access from Park Drive. Coaches cannot park on site.
If you live on Archery Road, or near it, the relevant line is this one: there is strictly no parking on Archery Road for non-residents during the event, and Bowls England says parking attendants will be monitoring it. The road is still the drop-off point for disabled access, and the accessible entrance gate is there too.
The organisers also flag roadworks in both directions on Europa Way, the A452, heading onto Princes Drive, which they expect to slow arrivals from the M40 in particular.
Walking or taking the train is the easier option. The venue is a ten-minute walk from Leamington Spa station, which Bowls England lists as 11 minutes from Coventry, 17 from Banbury, 25 from Birmingham and an hour and a quarter from London Marylebone. Our train times and travel page has the fares and the current timetable.
On tickets, Bowls England says buying in advance is cheaper than paying on the gate. A pass for all 19 days is £95 for an adult and £25 for anyone aged 18 or under. Day tickets for under-18s are £2 bought in advance, under-2s go free, and under-16s must be with an adult. Tickets are not transferable between days and not refundable. Day prices for adults are sold through the event’s ticketing partner rather than published on the FAQ page, so check before you travel.
Discounts in town
Three Leamington businesses are running offers for ticket holders, which is worth knowing if you are making a day of it:
- Rosa’s Thai on The Parade: a free starter with every main course, on production of a National Bowls Finals ticket, valid 10 to 30 August.
- Gamefinity: 50% off online bookings, Monday to Thursday only, 12 to 30 August, using the code SUMMER50BE at the time of booking.
- Coffee Break in the Royal Priors: 10% off, described by Bowls England as a thank you to ticket buyers.
All three are within a short walk of the park. If you want to plan the rest of the day around them, our Leamington business directory lists what else is open nearby.
Next July: the world championship
The 2027 event is a bigger deal than the annual finals, and it is the reason Victoria Park has been in the national bowls conversation for two years. Bowls England says it will be the first time the World Championships have been staged in England in their current form, with men’s, women’s and para competitions together, and the first time the championships have come to the Northern Hemisphere since 2004.
Bowls England puts the estimated economic benefit to the local area at about £4.8 million. The bid was backed by £250,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, along with National Lottery funding and support from Warwick District Council.
“Hosting this event is something that Royal Leamington Spa will be really proud of,” said Councillor Ella Billiald of Warwick District Council in the hosting announcement. “It will provide a real boost to the local economy.” Bowls England’s chief executive, Jon Cockcroft, framed it as a participation play: “We see hosting the 2027 World Bowls Championships as an opportunity to inject impetus in the work we’re doing to grow bowls participation.”
Warwick District Council confirmed on 6 August that tickets are on sale through the championship’s official ticketing site. Victoria Park is not new to this: it staged the bowls at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where Bowls England records England taking seven medals.
What it means for you
If you use Victoria Park for anything else, expect nineteen days of a busy park, a paid car park and full pavements on Archery Road and Adelaide Road. If you drive in from the M40, allow extra time for the Europa Way roadworks rather than assuming the usual run.
If you have never watched bowls, the finals are an unusually cheap way to try it: a £2 advance ticket for a child, a folding chair, your own sandwiches and a full day of national-standard competition. Whether you rate that above a paid attraction is your call, but it is the sort of thing that does not come back round for another twelve months.
And if you run a business in town, the 2027 championship is the date to plan against rather than this one. Thirteen days, more than 27 nations, and an organiser publicly estimating £4.8 million into the local economy. Bowls England has been signing up local venues for offers this year, and it lists a sponsorship contact for businesses that want to be involved next time.
For other things to do while the town is busy, see our guide to things to do in Leamington.
Sources
- Bowls England, National Bowls Finals and the event guide covering travel, parking, accessibility, catering and local offers.
- Bowls England, FAQs for the National Bowls Finals, for ticket types and prices.
- Bowls England, Bowls England to host the 2027 World Bowls Championships and Dates announced for the 2027 World Bowls Championship.
- Warwick District Council, World Bowls Championship 2027 tickets now on sale, 6 August 2026.
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