Gloucestershire to compete as Bristol in T20 Blast from 2027
Gloucestershire will compete in the T20 Blast under the name Bristol from 2027, the club announced at a members’ strategy meeting at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol on Wednesday. The club said the move is designed to "reach a new audience" and was heralded as "an exciting new chapter."
Gloucestershire has played all formats of the county game as Gloucestershire since 1870, the club said, and described the rebrand as a strategic decision to address falling ticket revenue. While overall attendances are increasing, the Blast — which generates 20% of the club's ticketing revenue — is declining, and revenue from the competition was down 21% in 2026 compared with 2025.
Club officials outlined the plans in the Grace Room in the pavilion at the Seat Unique Stadium on Wednesday night; another meeting for members is scheduled for Thursday in Cheltenham to discuss the proposals. Neil Priscott, the club's chief executive officer, and Jenny Hall, head of audience development, informed members of the strategic direction, and members of the club board were also in attendance.
Priscott told members they plan to "invest in Gloucestershire's future – strengthening our club identity as we pursue our top-eight ambition, while creating a distinct Bristol-based T20 team to reach a new audience."
A club statement said players, members, key stakeholders and the ECB had been consulted over several months to "shape an exciting new chapter in our evolution" and added: "Building on more than 150 years of proud heritage, Gloucestershire Cricket will always remain our overarching identity and the foundation of everything we do." It also said: "As part of our wider strategic vision to grow domestic cricket, attract new audiences across the region, and drive commercial reinvestment back into the sport, we will be creating a new dedicated T20 identity for our men's and women's teams."
Fixtures for the 2027 Blast will be released on 24 November, with Gloucestershire's new name, kit and logo expected to be unveiled at the same time. The club won the Blast in 2024, thrashing West Country rivals Somerset at Edgbaston to pick up their first silverware in nine years, and the Seat Unique Stadium, formerly the County Ground, has been home to Gloucestershire since 1889.
The club cited precedent in county cricket for city-based T20 brands: Warwickshire rebranded to the Birmingham Bears in 2014 and saw an increase in commercial income, with then-Warwickshire CEO Colin Povey saying: "We've got to get more people through the gates and attract a new audience." That decision was reversed 12 years later, with the Bears returning under the Warwickshire banner this past season; current CEO Stuart Cain said: "The club decided to be bold with a city-based name for our T20 team, and it saw attendances grow to record levels and attract new fans to the Bears. "But with our long-term future in mind, and following feedback from members, now is the right time for change. "We represent the county, and that's what returning to Warwickshire Bears is about."
A further members' meeting in Cheltenham is set for Thursday to discuss the proposal. Tim Lezzard, a Gloucestershire life member who has watched the club for 40 years and wrote Never Say Die, said: "We have been playing in Gloucestershire for 156 years, we have played across the county - it's hugely important to the club." He added: "I think it will be a interesting meeting [in Cheltenham], maybe quite feisty, I think there will be a lot of opposition to it."
