Yonex All England faces major format overhaul for 2027

The Birmingham tournament will run from March 4-14 at the Utilita Arena. It will feature 48 players in both the men's and women's singles, with players initially divided into groups before the knockout stages. The doubles events will retain a conventional 32-pair knockout draw.

The changes mean a tournament which traditionally runs from Tuesday to Sunday will instead see HSBC BWF Super 1000 events run for 11 days.

The 2026 edition used four courts during the opening three days, before reducing to two show courts for the quarter-finals and one for the semi-finals and finals.

In 2027, the All England will use two courts for the early part of the tournament, before attention switches to the Minoru Yoneyama show court for the final five days.

The extended schedule is part of a BWF-wide change affecting all five Super 1000 tournaments from the start of the 2027-2030 World Tour cycle.

The format also coincides with badminton's switch to the 3x15 scoring system, meaning matches are expected to be shorter than under the current format.

The All England will be the first major European event next year to use the revamped system.

The longer schedule will give organisers more sessions to sell, including weekday sessions during the first week. That will require attendance to be spread more evenly across the tournament than under the previous six-day format.

The two-weekend format could be a signficant source of extra income for organisers as fans get used to the new format. If anything it brings the event alongside its billing as the 'Wimbledon of badminton'.