Bowls season calendar 2027
Bowls has two seasons. The outdoor game runs from spring to early autumn, and the indoor game fills the winter. In 2027 England also hosts the outdoor World Championship, which makes it an unusually full summer.
The year at a glance
| When | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | World Indoor Bowls Championships | Potters Resort, Hopton-on-Sea |
| April | Outdoor greens open | Clubs across Britain |
| 20 July to 1 August 2027 | World Bowls Championship | Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa |
| 11 to 29 August 2027 | Bowls England National Finals | Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa |
| September | Outdoor season ends | |
| October to March | Indoor season | Indoor clubs |
World Indoor Championships
The World Indoor Championships open the year in January. The 2027 event is the 29th to be held at Potters Resort in Hopton-on-Sea, on the Norfolk coast. Matches are played on a single portable rink in front of a seated crowd, in a sets format made for television.
The outdoor season
Most clubs open their greens in April and close them in late September. League matches, county competitions and club championships are all played in that window.
County competitions matter because they are the route to the National Finals. A player or team that wins the county title goes forward to represent the county at Leamington.
World Bowls Championship 2027
The 2027 World Bowls Championship is at Victoria Park in Royal Leamington Spa from 20 July to 1 August. It is the first time in more than twenty years that England has hosted it.
The event runs for twelve days, with 27 nations expected and titles in singles, pairs, triples and fours for men and women, along with para events.
National Finals
The Bowls England National Finals follow at the same venue from 11 to 29 August 2027. Over nineteen days the county winners play off for the national titles in every discipline.
Victoria Park is the home of Bowls England and also hosted the bowls at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Crown green
Crown green bowls has its own calendar of open competitions and handicap tournaments through the summer, organised separately from the flat green game. Many are knockout handicaps played over several weeks, with the final stages held on one day.
The indoor season
Indoor clubs run leagues from October to March. Many outdoor bowlers switch to indoor play for the winter, and some play indoors only.