The pilot project to introduce bank card payments for bus ticket purchases was launched at the Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre today, under the aegis of Minister of Transport Bimal Rathnayake. 

The initiative is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Digital Technology and the Ministry of Transport, as part of the government’s measures to modernize the country’s public transport system. 

The new system allows passengers to purchase bus tickets using bank cards, reducing the need for cash transactions. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Railways has launched a mandatory identification verification system for train ticket reservations.

Per the new system, all Sri Lankan passengers must provide their National Identity Card (NIC) number and foreign nationals must provide their passport number when booking train seats online or at counters.

Locals and foreigners are required to provide original documents for verification during boarding and ticket checks.

The policy applies exclusively to reserved seats on intercity, long-distance, and premium train services across all routes, while unreserved ticket purchases remain unaffected by this requirement. 

The new system is designed to eliminate illegal resale activities and stop black market sales that were inflating prices, particularly on popular tourist routes like Kandy-Ella. (Newswire)

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City of Dreams Sri Lanka, the first integrated resort in South Asia, has announced that its official launch on 2nd August 2025 is strictly by invitation only.

Issuing a statement, City of Dreams Sri Lanka said it has been notified of unauthorized tickets being circulated for the grand opening.

“We would like to clarify that this event is strictly by invitation only, and no third parties are authorized to issue, distribute, or sell tickets. We strongly advise everyone to exercise caution and avoid engaging with unofficial sources,” the statement said. 

The highly anticipated resort, previously known as Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort, has been renamed ‘City of Dreams Sri Lanka’ as John Keells Holdings (JKH) entered a partnership with global casino operator Melco Resorts and Entertainment Limited to operate a casino at the billion-dollar integrated resort in Colombo.

King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, is set to visit Sri Lanka to grace the grand opening of City of Dreams Sri Lanka as a special guest.

The launch of City of Dreams Sri Lanka marks the completion of the final components of the project, including a world-class casino, the luxurious Nüwa hotel and a premium shopping mall. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced the dates for the sale of online and physical tickets for the ODI and T20I series of the Bangladesh Tour of Sri Lanka. 

According to the SLC, online match ticket sales for the ODI and T20I series will commence on 24 June, and physical ticket sales will start on 29 June.

The public can visit www.srilankacricket.lk to purchase tickets online. 

Meanwhile, for physical tickets, counters will be opened at the SSC in Colombo, at the Pallekele Grounds in Kandy, and at the Dambulla cricket grounds. 

Details of the ticket sales and prices are as follows; 

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Sri Lanka bowling legend Muttiah Muralitharan has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the costly tickets for the 2023 Asia Cup tournament in Sri Lanka. 

The criticism comes as the Asia Cup fixtures between arch-rivals India and Pakistan were played in front of near-empty stadiums in Sri Lanka. The two teams were met with empty stadiums when they faced off in the Super Four of the 2023 Asia Cup on Sunday, September 10. 

To fill the empty stands, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) shared that the revised ticket prices had been reduced to Rs 500 and Rs 1000 at the last minute, but that too didn’t attract many.

India’s reluctance to travel to Pakistan forced the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to opt for a hybrid model with four games in Pakistan and the remaining to be played in Sri Lanka. India are playing all their fixtures in Sri Lanka. However, the high ticket prices have meant that fans in Sri Lanka have not thronged the stadium.

Former Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan believes PCB is to be blamed for this fiasco due to the high ticket prices set by the board, who is the official host for the continental tournament.

In an exclusive conversation with News18, Muralitharan said, “It is the PCB who has decided the prices for these tickets as they are hosting the Asia Cup this year. Sri Lanka is currently going through a financial crisis. The ticket prices are really expensive and they were reduced at the last moment (just before the India vs. Pakistan match in Colombo) but it doesn’t work that way. The ticket prices start from Sri Lankan Rupees 6000 and upwards. If you want to watch the match from the grandstands it is 40000 to 50000 Sri Lankan Rupees which is equivalent to a person’s monthly salary. I don’t think anyone can afford that much money in Sri Lanka.”

Muralitharan feels that the audience wants to come and watch these matches but can’t afford the ticket price, “In Sri Lanka, whenever there are matches there is always a full house in the stadium. People want to come and watch these matches but they can’t afford such high-priced tickets. Even the Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh game which happened on Saturday didn’t attract many people despite the home team being in action and doing well.”

The Sri Lankan great also points out the unpredictable weather which has been another deterrent for people to buy tickets, “The league match between India and Pakistan ended up in a tie (no result) because of the rains. Perhaps, it was because of the rain prediction that people don’t want to take a chance. Also, there was some confusion regarding the venue (from Colombo to Hambantota) of the Super 4 matches and the final. People will be apprehensive to come forward and buy tickets.” (NewsWire)

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Tickets for the Super 4 round of the 2023 Asia Cup cricket tournament are now available for purchase.

Taking to ‘X’, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced that tickets for the Colombo leg of the cricket tournament can be purchased now.

Tickets could be purchased via http://pcb.bookme.pk (NewsWire)

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