Edgbaston Stadium has made another industry awards shortlist with the Stadium Business Awards naming NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day 2017 - hosted there - as one of six candidates for Event of the Year.
To be held at Emirates Old Trafford in June, it recognises the best sports or non-sports event, guest event, concert or one-off spectacle held at a major sports venue in the last 12 months.
Finals Day at Edgbaston is named on the shortlist alongside WWE Wrestlemania at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, World Boxing Organisation’s Battle of Brisbane, #Game4Grenfell at Loftus Road in London, the first Day/Night Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval and the Arsenal FC in Sydney Tour.
Gareth Roberts, Commercial Director at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, said: “NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day at Edgbaston has already been shortlisted for the BT Sport Industry’s Entertainment Experience of the Year, arguably the biggest industry awards event in the UK. However, being shortlisted for the Stadium Business Awards puts us onto the international stage against some of the most recognised sporting events in the world.
Being shortlisted shows how far Finals Day has come, whilst it also demonstrates the strength of the partnership between the England and Wales Cricket Board, Sky Sports and Warwickshire County Cricket Club in delivering such a great event for the record crowd in attendance.”
Edgbaston hosted Finals Day for the eighth time in 2017 and it was widely recognised as being the best in the 15-year history of the tournament by breaking records on and off the field.
Finals Day returns to Edgbaston on September 15 this year, with ticket sales currently 170 per cent up compared to the same period in 2017.
In response the venue announced that it is boosting capacity by 850 seats as part of a commercial partnership with Arena Seating, which will see a temporary stand erected above the Stanley Barnes Stand at the Birmingham End of the ground.