The 2026 English Open Is Coming to Birmingham — A Guide for Notts Players

If there's one event on the UK pickleball calendar that every player in Nottingham should know about, it's the 2026 English Open. And this year, it's closer than ever.

For the first time, the English Open is leaving Telford and heading to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham — a venue so large it can fit 20 interconnecting halls under one roof. The tournament runs from August 11-16, 2026, and the NEC will be transformed into a 60-court pickleball arena for the full six days. Birmingham is roughly 50 minutes from Nottingham by train, making this genuinely accessible as a day trip, or a short overnight stay if you want to take in multiple days.

What Is the English Open?

The English Open started in 2019 with 305 players and 694 event registrations. In 2025, it welcomed 2,350 players from 45 countries and recorded over 4,300 event registrations. For 2026, Pickleball England is targeting more than 3,000 players and 6,000 event registrations — which would cement its position as the biggest indoor pickleball tournament anywhere in the world.

The growth has been remarkable and shows no sign of slowing. Moving to the NEC is a statement of intent — it's a venue more typically associated with major trade shows and music events, and choosing it signals that pickleball in England has genuinely arrived at a national scale.

The Full Schedule

The six days cover every category across all age groups and skill levels:

Tuesday 11th August — Men's and women's doubles (50+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+)
Wednesday 12th — Mixed doubles (50+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+, 80+), wheelchair event, para event (all ages)
Thursday 13th — Unity Cup Team Event (all ages competing together — details TBC)
Friday 14th — Singles events (15+, 35+, 50+, 60+, 65+, 70+)
Saturday 15th — Men's and women's doubles (15+, 35+), junior boys' and girls' doubles
Sunday 16th — Mixed doubles (15+, 35+), junior mixed doubles

Whether you're 16 or 76, there's a category for you. And each age bracket is further split by skill level — 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and Open — so the competition is genuinely matched.

What Does It Cost?

Tournament registration fee (all players): £55
Amateur event entry: £40 per event
Senior Open event entry: £60 per event
Pro event entry: £80 per event
Prize pool: $50,000 (paid in USD) across gold, silver, bronze, semi-final and quarter-final positions

Registration closed on July 24, 2026 — but spectator tickets are available separately via the NEC website, so you can still attend and watch even if you missed the player registration deadline.

How to Get There from Nottingham

By train, it's straightforward:

East Midlands Railway runs regular services from Nottingham to Birmingham New Street
From New Street, the NEC has its own train station — Birmingham International — which is one stop away on the CrossCity line
Total journey time: around 50-60 minutes door to door

By car:

Nottingham to the NEC via the M42 is around 55 minutes outside of peak hours
The NEC has extensive parking on site

If you're staying overnight, there are hotels directly on the NEC campus as well as options in central Birmingham at various price points. The NEC itself has recommended accommodation partners.

What to Expect on the Day

The scale of this event is hard to overstate. Sixty courts running simultaneously across three interconnected halls means there's action everywhere you look. Unlike smaller tournaments where you might wait around between matches, the block scheduling means play is constant and the atmosphere builds throughout the day.

There will be a Vendor Village featuring pickleball equipment brands — useful if you want to try paddles before buying, or pick up accessories. Pickleball England has also confirmed a Seminar Day with speakers from the UK and USA, which could be valuable for players looking to improve their game or coaches looking for development insights.

Should You Go Even If You're Not Playing?

Yes — especially if you're relatively new to the sport. Watching the English Open as a spectator is one of the best things you can do to accelerate your understanding of the game.

You'll see the full spectrum from 3.0 club-level doubles through to Open category matches that are genuinely breathtaking. Watching how good players position themselves at the kitchen line, how they manage the transition zone, and how they construct points will teach you more in an afternoon than weeks of reading about technique.

It's also a social event. The pickleball community in the UK is still small enough that tournaments feel like reunions — you'll meet players from across the country, and if you're looking to build connections in the Nottingham scene or find partners for future competitive play, events like this are where that happens.

Planning Your Visit

A few practical tips if you're heading to the English Open:

Go for multiple days if you can. Each day covers different categories, so picking your two or three most relevant days will give you the best experience.

Wear comfortable shoes. Even if you're spectating, you'll be walking significant distances between courts in a large venue.

Book accommodation early. NEC events fill nearby hotels quickly — the longer you wait, the more expensive and further away your options become.

Check the schedule in advance. Pickleball England publishes detailed day-by-day schedules before the event — knowing which courts your age or skill category is on will save you time on the day.

A Bigger Picture Moment for Notts Pickleball

The English Open at the NEC, combined with the UKSPA 70+ Open at Nottingham Tennis Centre in the same month, makes August 2026 a genuinely significant month for pickleball in the region.

Two major events — one in Nottingham itself, one just down the road in Birmingham — in the same four-week window. If you've been considering getting more serious about the sport, or if you simply want to experience what UK competitive pickleball looks like at its best, this summer is the time to do it.

Check the Pickleball England website for spectator tickets and the latest event information. And if you're looking for somewhere to sharpen your game before August, our Where to Play guide has everything you need to find courts and sessions in Nottingham right now.