Cricket fans in Luton will soon be able to play all year round thanks to a new state-of-the-art indoor dome, confirmed as part of a £1.5 million government investment in community sport.
The dome, due to open in early 2026, will give underrepresented groups such as state schools much-needed access to cricket. It will also have the potential to host other sports, including hockey, tennis and badminton, to ensure as many local people as possible have opportunities to get active.
The government says the dome will help smooth the path from grassroots to the elite game, so that boys and girls in Luton and beyond can aspire to follow in the footsteps of national stars like Lauren Bell or Ben Stokes.
The investment is part of a wider project with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which will also see a dome built in Lancashire. Together the facilities are designed to open up cricket to people of all backgrounds as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy said: “Cricket has a remarkable power to inspire and unite communities all over the world and today we are making sure that more people of all backgrounds have the chance to experience the game.
“These domes will be places where cricket-lovers and newcomers alike can come together to play, get active, make real-life connections and chase sporting dreams.”
The announcement follows a period of rapid growth in the sport, with participation among women and girls rising by more than a fifth in 2024. Nationally, around a third of recreational players are of south Asian heritage – a community with deep roots in Luton – and the new dome is expected to play a central role in making the game more accessible.
ECB chair Richard Thompson said: “These state-of-the-art all-weather cricket domes will be transformative for the communities they serve, opening up cricket to more people year-round and providing top-class facilities for elite players too. They are an important part of our plans to break down barriers and make cricket the most inclusive team sport.
“We are pleased to secure government support for these incredible community facilities, which we hope will provide a vital proof point of what can be achieved, and look forward to future collaboration. As we have seen in Bradford, centres like these can have a hugely positive impact — bringing people together, opening up opportunities, and inspiring the next generation.
“As we look ahead to hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026, building on that success by rolling out more domes in communities across England and Wales will be key to creating a genuine and lasting legacy from the tournament.”
The project also forms part of the government’s upcoming National Youth Strategy, to be published this autumn, which promises every young person “somewhere to go, someone to talk to and a community where they truly belong.”
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