Below is everything you need to know for your visit to Aviva National Finals at Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa!
Getting to the event
The Aviva National Finals is hosted at the home of Lawn Bowls, Victoria Park, Royal Leamington Spa. The venue is situated in the heart of the town; its central location ensures several convenient major transport links.
Getting here by car
Victoria Park is ideally situated for ease of travel by car, with links to major UK motorway networks. The venue is located approximately 5 miles from junctions 13 and 14 of the M40, 4 miles from the A46 and 11 miles from the M45. Routes via the M6 (J4a) are also accessible from the North, with clear signage for Royal Leamington Spa.
Parking
There is parking available at Victoria Park for the duration of the 18-day event. The car park will open at 7:30am and close an hour after the end of play. The fee for car parking, set by Warwick District Council, is £7 per day or £30 for a book of five tickets. Parking is first come, first serve and no pre-booking is available.
The entrance to the car park is situated off the roundabout under the railway bridge between Princes Drive (CV31 3PH) and Park Drive. Please note there is no access to the car park from Park Drive. Whilst there is a limited amount of designated parking for Blue Badge holders in the event car park, a drop-off facility is offered on Archery Road. Parking for Blue Badge holders in the event car park is free. Parking is first come, first serve and no pre-booking is available.
There is strictly no parking allowed on Archery Road for non-residents and this will be monitored by parking attendants.
The car park is not managed by Bowls England and Bowls England will not be liable for any penalties you may incur from Warwick District Council if you do not remove your car by the closing time.
There are approximately 23 electric car charging points located in and around Royal Leamington Spa area. For their locations, please click here.
Getting here by train
Situated on the Old Warwick Road, the train station is only a 3-minute drive and 10-minute walk from the venue. There are many direct trains to Royal Leamington Spa from many major neighbouring towns and cities such as:
Coventry – 11 minutes
Banbury – 17 minutes
Birmingham International – 21 minutes
Birmingham – 25 minutes
London Marylebone – 1 hour 15 minutes
For the latest timetables and fares please visit West Midlands Railways, Chiltern Railways , The Trainline or National Rail.
Getting here by bus
There are several bus services which run to and from the town centre bus centre, with links to a number of major neighbouring towns and cities. For more details on bus routes and timetables please visit Warwickshire County Council or National Express.
Please note, there are roadworks in both directions on Europa Way (A452), heading onto Princes Drive which may cause slight delays during the event. This will mainly effect those coming from the M40. We would advise to check traffic information on the day you are travelling to Victoria Park. To keep up to date with the latest traffic and travel information please click here.
Tickets
General tickets
Advanced daily tickets start at just £5.50 for adults, and £2 for Under 18s, offering a full day of competitive sporting action, access to grandstand seating and the full event experience. If you’re coming along with family and friends, save money with our group offer – 5 tickets for the price of 4.
There is also the opportunity to buy an event pass which covers all 18 days of action. This is priced at just £85 for adults and £25 Under 18s, enabling you to watch all 18 days of top sporting action at a reduced price.
All prices include booking and transaction fees. Subject to availability, any remaining tickets can be purchased on the gate with prices starting from £8.50 for adults and £3.50 for U18s – so take advantage of fantastic savings and buy in advance online to get the best price.
For ticketing enquires please contact ticketing@bowlsengland.com
See the price breakdown below.
| Standard Days | Premium Days* | Standard On the gate |
Premium
On the gate |
|
| Adults | 5.50 | 6.50 | 8.50 | 9.50 |
| 18 and under | 2 | 2.50 | 3.50 | 4 |
| Club Offer (Buy 5, get 1 free)
|
5.50 | 6.50 | N/A | N/A |
| Event Pass | 85 adult 25 child |
85 adult 25 child |
85 adult 25 child |
85 adult 25 child |
| Hospitality | 78 | 78 | N/A | N/A |
To deliver an exceptional experience at the Aviva National Finals, ticket prices have been adjusted slightly from last year due to increased event costs. We encourage you to book your tickets in advance to benefit from the savings compared to the on-the-day prices.
*A premium day is any day with a Championship or Inter-County Final. Head over to our Ticket FAQs to find out when our premium days are.
Hospitality tickets
After a successful launch in 2023, our hospitality package also returns for 2024, at just £78pp. Elevate your experience at this year’s Aviva National Finals. Sit back and relax in your exclusive hospitality area, whilst you watch the best bowlers in the country going head-to-head at this year’s Finals. Play on the greens of champions and enjoy a game of Bowls Bash on the famous Victoria Park greens and more!
Please note there are a limited number of hospitality tickets available!
Hospitality Tickets What’s Included?
Entry and closing times
Gates to the venue will open at 8am daily and entry will not be permitted before this time due to staff and volunteers preparing the venue. Please have your tickets ready to be scanned before arriving to the entry gate. Digital or printed will be accepted; however digital tickets downloaded to your phone or email is preferred to reduce environmental impact on the event. Please note that each ticket will only scan once.
Ticket holders are welcome to exit and return to the event throughout the day. Once exited, entry will be back around at the main gates of the event.
The gates will close 30 minutes after the close of play. A schedule of timings for each day will be available in due course.
Food & drink
There will be a number of food and drink outlets for spectators within the Fan Zone, with vegetarian and vegan options available. The food and drink outlets will be open from 8am through to early evening. We are delighted to welcome Farmers Fayre back to this year’s event who will be providing locally sourced food and drink produce and alcoholic beverages. We will also see a return of Mister V this year providing you with your breakfast rolls and delicious lunchtime burgers and hotdogs.
The onsite café will also be open serving hot & cold food, soft drinks and a mouth-watering selection of ice creams. The clubhouse will be serving food on a first come first serve basis along with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at the bar.
You can bring your own food and drinks into the venue and there will be water coolers available to use on site.
Merchandise
Visit the retail tent located in the fan zone throughout the 18-day event for all of your Bowls England merchandise courtesy of our official clothing partner, Aceit. We’re excited to announce the launch of a range of new products exclusive to the Aviva National Finals. Head over to see the new and exciting range during your visit at the event.
Event programmes will also be available this year with dedicated stands located as you enter into the venue. Also keep an eye out for our fantastic volunteers who will be walking around the venue throughout the day selling programmes. You can also visit Aceit in the retail tent if you would wish to purchase an event programme. Prices for a programme are £6 and cash or card will be accepted.
Please note the retail tent will open at 8am and close at the end of play.
On the day
Event Map
We have made some changes to the event layout this year so please take a look at the map below and familiarise yourself with the layout ahead of your visit to the event.. We have dedicated smoking/vaping zones around the venue (please see yellow circles on map). The walkway between A and B Green will be closed for spectators due to streaming camera positioning and health and safety, but available for players accessing the greens during play, and spectators with a disability only.
Schedule of events
With 18 days of top-quality action across 5 greens, there’s plenty to watch during your time at the Aviva National Finals. Below is the schedule of all of the competitions across the event. Check out which competitions are playing on the day your attending.
Club Zone
Club Zone is returning to the 2024 Aviva National Finals. We have 15 sessions hosted by expert speakers on topics which include club funding, recruitment, coaching, umpiring, greens maintenance and much more to help provide the best advice to support clubs, their committees and all members.
Spaces are allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis and every booking will receive two free tickets to the day of your Club Zone session, so you can enjoy watching the best bowlers in the country at the Aviva National Finals once your seminar has finished. Click below to view the full Club Zone schedule and to book your slot, but be quick spaces are filling up! Please note, booking must be made 24 hours before the Club Zone session.
Limited spaces are available, so book now to avoid missing!
Activities
Throughout the day we will be hosting a number of activities to get you involved with the event.
Step up on the green and put your bowling skills to the test in the ‘Aviva Halftime Challenge’. Contestants will have three bowls each to bowl towards the target on the green. The aim is to score as many points as possible in your three bowls. Winner takes all (an item of Bowls England merchandise). This will take place throughout the event on selected dats and will be announced by the MC.
Courtesy of Riviera Travel, be in with a chance to feature on the Bowls England social media page. Simply head over to the Riviera Travel tent located in the fanzone, dress up using the holiday props, sit back in the deck chairs and snap some photos of your friends, family, club members or who whoever you attend the event with. Share on social media and remember to tag Bowls England and Riviera Travel in the post.
If you’re a hospitality ticket holder, you’ll have the opportunity to play a fun game of Bowls Bash on the prestigious greens at Victoria Park. You’ll be hosted by your very own Bowls Bash expert who will show you the rules and how to play, how to bowl a bowl but most importantly how to have fun! Please note this is exclusive to hospitality ticket holders only, if you would like to play Bowls Bash and receive many more benefits then click here to purchase your ticket.
What to bring
When attending sports events, it’s always difficult to know what you might need to bring on the day. That’s why we’ve created a list below of the most important things you might need for your visit to Victoria Park.
- Ticket – The most important item to bring on the day! You don’t have to print your ticket(s) off at home, save them on your phone and we can scan on entry. Remember, buying tickets in advance is the cheapest way to watch the best bowlers in the country. Get yours today.
- Money – The Aviva National Finals doors open at 8am and can close on some days at 8pm, so don’t forget your money for refreshments and souvenirs! There’s a variety of food vendors including Farmers Fayre, Mister V and more! We also have our retail tent, selling your bowls essentials, event programme and the launch of brand-new products exclusive to the Aviva National Finals.
- Suncream – Whilst the British summer hasn’t quite been as sunny as we would all love it to be, as we are an outside event it’s important to top up the suncream even if you don’t think you need it. It’s important to stay safe when out in the sun all day so don’t forget your factor 50!
- Water bottle – We have water coolers located throughout the venue for spectators to fill up their water bottles. Please note you can bring your own food and drink.
- Clothing for all weather – Come rain or shine, the action at the Aviva National Finals will continue. So, make sure your pack clothing suitable for the weather. Raincoats, waterproof clothing, umbrellas are essential items we would recommend bringing.
Last but not least, BRING.THE.NOISE. Support your club mates, your country representatives, friends and family. Whether it’s homemade banners or rattles we want to see the support in masses.
Seating and grounds etiquette
Seating is unreserved, unless otherwise marked, or you are welcome to fit in your own chairs at selected spots around the greens. Please remember to keep the pathways clear, and do not place chairs in front of the grandstand.
Smoking and vaping are not prohibited on and around the greens, or bank areas, in the stands or in the covered marquee areas. Please only smoke or vape in designated areas.
Please do not walk on the field of play or put your feet or belonging on any advertising board. We also ask you are respectful when walking in a bowler’s eye line.
Social media
Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn to keep up-to-date on the latest Aviva National Finals news and for exclusive content.
Remember to tag us in any of your photos, @BowlsEngland and spread the word about our fantastic event!
Accessibility
We strive to offer our spectators the highest standard of accessible services and facilities at the event. Below is some information to support your visit to the Aviva National Finals. If you have any questions please email: nationalfinals@bowlsengland.com.
Access to the event
There is one main entrance and exit to the event which all spectators can use to gain entry. Subject to volunteer numbers, we will be looking to enable spectators to enter and exit through the café gate. For disabled access, please head to the gate on Archery Road which a volunteer will allow entry and exit. This gate is to only be used for disabled access only.
Parking
We do offer a drop-off facilities on Archery Road to access the disabled access gate. There are also a limited number of parking spaces in the event car park for Blue Badge holders, which is free of charge. However, there is strictly no parking allowed on Archery Road for non-residents and this will be monitored by parking attendants.
Toilets
There will be accessible toilets at the venue. They will be located in the fanzone and in between C and D green. If you’re unsure where the toilets are located, please ask a volunteer or a Bowls England staff member.
Wheelchairs & mobility scooters
There are plenty of spaces around each green at Victoria Park for wheelchair and mobility scooter access. We will ensure footpaths are kept clear and free of any blockages in order to access all areas of the venue easily. Please note, we have put safety measures in places for wheelchairs and mobility scooters but due to being an outdoor event the ground can be uneven in places, so please take care when getting around the venue.
Assistance dogs
Dogs are allowed at the event. So, if you do require an assistance dog, you are more than welcome to bring them along, they don’t need a ticket to get in!
First aid
We will have a team of first aiders onsite from the start to the end of the day throughout the 18 days. If you require any medical assistance either visit the first aid tent located in between A and B green or speak to a volunteer or Bowls England staff member who will be able to assist you.
Volunteering
Interested in being part of the Aviva National Finals? Why not play your part behind the scenes of our biggest event in the bowls calendar! Volunteering at the Aviva National Finals is a rewarding and enriching experience and without volunteers our events simply could not run. Whether your new to bowls, a spectator or a player, everyone is welcome to join our fantastic group of volunteers!
We have a number of roles available for you to help you drive our sport forward and support enhancing the player and spectator experience. Why not be part of something special…
Streaming
Bowls England is pleased to announce that all 18 days of Aviva National Finals will be streamed online, and available for everyone to view free of charge, for the second year running.
Thanks to principal partner, Aviva, streaming will take place across the entire event, with up to 50 games available for spectators to watch online for free, on our dedicated streaming platform. This has all been made possible due to the unwavering success of last year, which saw 4 million minutes of bowls watched throughout the event, and thousands of new people engaging with our wonderful sport.
If you want to know anymore event information check out our FAQ page.