Guide to ETPL 2026: Follow the Amsterdam Flames from the Canals to Dublin

The European T20 Premier League is bringing a fresh dose of franchise cricket to Europe, and the Amsterdam Flames are right in the middle of it. For Australian cricket fans, it is a brilliant excuse to combine live T20 action with two very different, equally fun European city breaks: canal-side Amsterdam and pub-loving Dublin.

The inaugural ETPL season runs from 26 August to 20 September 2026, with six city-based teams playing across the Netherlands and Ireland. Despite the name, the Amsterdam Flames’ “home” leg is actually played in Voorburg, near The Hague—not in central Amsterdam—before the tournament moves to Malahide, on Dublin’s coast.

The cricket: how to watch

ETPL is Europe’s first ICC-approved franchise T20 competition, with the Amsterdam Flames joining Belfast Wolves, Dublin Guardians, Edinburgh Castle Rockers, Glasgow Cosmic and Rotterdam Dockers. The format is quick, social and easy to drop into a holiday: expect a festival feel, double-header days and plenty of opportunity to see more than one game.

See the Flames, live

Tickets are sold exclusively through Tixr, the league’s official ticketing partner. Individual-match tickets, season passes and group bookings are available through the ETPL ticketing journey — always start from the official ETPL website rather than a resale link.

The Netherlands leg runs from 26 August to 6 September at Voorburg Cricket Club, followed by the Dublin leg at Malahide from 9 to 17 September. The Qualifier is on 19 September and the Final follows on 20 September, both in Malahide.

Watching from Australia

At the time of writing, ETPL has announced broadcast arrangements for India, the UK and Ireland, North America, MENA and Southeast Asia — but not an Australian broadcaster or streaming platform. TNT Sports and HBO Max cover the UK and Ireland; JioStar covers India; and Willow/Cricbuzz cover specified international regions. Australian fans should check the ETPL official site and its match pages close to game day for any late local rights announcement.

A small heads-up for the night owls: most Flames matches land at either 7:30pm or 11:15pm AEST, so the later fixtures are ideal for a late-night cricket session rather than a sneaky lunchtime stream.

Amsterdam: cricket, canals and café stops

For the opening leg, think of Amsterdam as your city base and Voorburg as match day. Amsterdam gives you the canals, galleries, coffee, bars and easygoing buzz; the cricket gives your itinerary a proper focal point.

Best time to visit

For the ETPL, you will be visiting in late summer rolling into early autumn. August is generally Amsterdam’s warmest month, averaging roughly 14–22°C, while September is cooler at around 11–19°C. Rain is possible in either month, often as a passing shower rather than an all-day washout.

For a non-cricket trip, April and May are lovely for tulips, though crowds and prices climb quickly. June to August is great for long, social evenings by the water. September is arguably the sweet spot: still pleasant, usually a little less frantic, and ideal for museums, markets and wandering without feeling rushed.

What to expect

Amsterdam is compact enough to feel walkable, but busy enough to keep you alert. It is a city of canals, narrow gabled houses, trams, terraces and bicycles moving at a pace that may surprise anyone used to Melbourne bike paths.

Build your days around neighbourhoods rather than trying to “tick off Amsterdam” in one hit:

• Start with the canal belt and the Nine Streets early in the morning, before the crowds take over.
• Book the Anne Frank House, Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum well ahead; these are not really walk-up experiences in busy periods.
• Spend an afternoon in De Pijp for Albert Cuyp Market, coffee and a more lived-in neighbourhood feel.
• Take a small canal cruise, preferably early or late in the day, when the water is quieter and the city looks its best.

Offbeat Amsterdam

Skip the urge to spend the whole trip in the very centre. Catch the free ferry behind Centraal Station to Amsterdam Noord, where you can explore waterside cafés, the EYE Film Museum and a more modern side of the city. Or browse the Houseboat Museum, wander Plantage’s quieter canals, or head out to Zaanse Schans for windmills, cheese-making and an easy Dutch countryside day.

For something low-key and delicious, find a table at Foodhallen: a lively indoor food market where everyone in the group can eat something different without a debate that lasts 45 minutes.

The Amsterdam food scene

Amsterdam is much more than tourist waffles and chips — although, to be clear, you should absolutely eat both.

• Try a warm, fresh stroopwafel at Albert Cuyp Market.
• Order bitterballen, crisp fried beef croquettes usually served with mustard, alongside a local beer.
• Give haring (Dutch herring) a go with onion and pickles; it is far better than it sounds to many first-timers.
• Seek out Indonesian food and a proper rijsttafel, reflecting the deep historical links between the Netherlands and Indonesia.
• Book one special dinner in De Pijp, Jordaan or a greenhouse-style restaurant such as De Kas, then let the rest of your meals be market snacks, brown cafés and casual neighbourhood spots.

Dublin: the second innings

When ETPL shifts to Malahide, do not treat Dublin as merely the place where the cricket finishes. It is one of Europe’s best cities for a long weekend: literary, musical, proudly chatty and built for a few unplanned detours.

Malahide Cricket Club sits within the Malahide Castle demesne, north of the city and conveniently close to Dublin Airport. From central Dublin, the DART train serves Malahide, while Cricket Ireland recommends public transport for events at the ground. Check the final ETPL match-day travel information before setting off, particularly for late finishes.

Best time to visit

The ETPL dates fall in early autumn, when Dublin is shifting from its mild summer into cooler, changeable days. September averages around 17°C by day and 11°C at night, with rain entirely possible and a brisk coastal breeze around Malahide.

For a broader Dublin break, June to August offers the best chance of outdoor pub tables, long daylight and coastal day trips, but it also brings peak crowds and higher accommodation prices. September and October are a great compromise: cosier pubs, cultural sights and fewer people competing for the same hotel room.

What to expect

Dublin is smaller and more intimate than many first-time visitors imagine. The centre is very walkable, with the River Liffey dividing the city, Georgian streets, musicians busking around Grafton Street and plenty of pubs that feel like a local lounge room rather than a nightlife venue.

A simple first-timer rhythm works well:

• Visit Trinity College and the Book of Kells early, with tickets booked in advance.
• Walk through the grounds of Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral and St Patrick’s Cathedral.
• Do the Guinness Storehouse even if Guinness is not normally your drink; it gives useful context to the city and its industrial past.
• Spend one evening in Temple Bar for the atmosphere, then move on to a quieter pub around South Great George’s Street, Merrion Square or the Liberties.

Offbeat Dublin

For a cricket-friendly day out, arrive early in Malahide and explore the village, castle grounds and coastline before the match. The DART also makes it easy to visit Howth, a harbour village with seafood, cliff walks and that big, windy Irish-Sea energy.

Back in the city, swap one obvious attraction for Dublinia’s Viking and medieval stories, the GPO Museum’s account of the 1916 Easter Rising, or EPIC: The Irish Emigration Museum. These give you more context for Ireland’s history than a quick photo outside Temple Bar ever will.

Dublin’s food and pub life

Dublin does comfort food very well. Come hungry, but pace yourself: the pub meal followed by “just one more” can become a full evening surprisingly quickly.

• Try Irish stew, seafood chowder and a proper roast or steak-and-Guinness pie.
• Order boxty, a potato pancake-style dish that can come stuffed with all sorts of hearty fillings.
• Book a whiskey tasting if you are curious, but choose a pub with live traditional music for the real Dublin moment.
• Seek out a classic pub such as The Long Hall or The Palace Bar rather than spending every night in the busiest Temple Bar venues.
• Pair a local cheese board with a pint, cider or whiskey; it is a very civilised way to reset after a rainy afternoon.

Culture, packing and the smart bits

The best trips leave room for the big sights, but also for local habits. In Amsterdam, slow down: sit by a canal with a coffee, take a neighbourhood walking tour and learn why the city’s relationship with trade, art, migration and tolerance is much bigger than its party-city reputation. In Dublin, book or stumble into a traditional music session, listen more than you talk, and leave room for stories — someone will almost certainly have one.

What to pack

For this exact ETPL trip, pack for four seasons without hauling half your wardrobe across Europe:

• A lightweight waterproof jacket with a hood.
• A warm mid-layer or knit for evenings, especially in Dublin and Malahide.
• Comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes that can handle wet pavement.
• A small day bag that zips properly.
• One smarter casual outfit for a good dinner, pub or match-day hospitality.
• Sunscreen and sunglasses as well — northern European weather can turn on a dime.
• A compact reusable water bottle and a portable phone battery for long sightseeing-and-cricket days.

Avoid relying on a flimsy umbrella: wind and rain together can make it more trouble than it is worth.

Things to be aware of

The Netherlands and Ireland are both assessed by Smartraveller as destinations where Australians should exercise normal safety precautions. Check Smartraveller’s country-specific advice again just before departure, as conditions, entry rules and transport disruptions can change — the Netherlands and Ireland.

In Amsterdam

• Treat red-marked cycle lanes as roads. Do not stroll, stop for photos or check Google Maps in them; cyclists are fast and expect a clear lane.
• Pickpocketing and bag snatching occur in tourist areas and on public transport. Keep your phone, passport and wallet secure, especially around major stations, markets and crowded nightlife areas.
• A Dutch coffee shop is not necessarily a café. Understand local rules, avoid street drugs completely, and do not assume Amsterdam’s tolerant reputation means anything goes.
• If you visit the Red Light District, be respectful. Never photograph workers in windows, do not treat the area like a spectacle, and keep your valuables close.

In Dublin

• Book accommodation early. The city can be pricey, particularly around weekends, major events and warmer months.
• Temple Bar is fun for one drink and live music, but it is tourist-heavy and can become noisy later in the evening. Explore beyond it for a more relaxed night.
• Use normal city awareness after dark, keep an eye on your bag in busy places and know your route home after a match.
• If you are driving outside the cities, remember Ireland drives on the left — thankfully familiar territory for Australians, but rural roads can still be narrow and weather can change quickly.

The ideal ETPL trip is not about racing from one landmark to the next. It is a late-night Flames match, a canal walk before breakfast, a rain-jacket detour into a Dublin pub, and a few days of cricket in places you might not have otherwise put together. That is the fun of it: two great cities, one new competition and plenty of stories to bring home.

Pauls Travel is the Official Travel Services Partner of the Amsterdam Flames. Call Pauls Travel on 03 9070 7461 today to book your Amsterdam and Dublin trip to watch the Flames live.