Australian sporting calendar 2026—All the major events, key dates to mark in your diary
2026 is another massive year for sport—with Australian teams and athletes well represented as always. Here are all the key dates you need to know.
The 2026 sporting calendar in Australia is packed with major events, with Australian teams and athletes representing in various tournaments. To help you mark these important dates, here's a comprehensive list of key matches and tournaments.
Cricket kicks off with the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG on 4-8 January. The Australian team will also take on Bangladesh in a home series of 2 Tests from October. New Zealand features in a 4-Test away series from November to January.
Tennis lovers can look forward to the Australian Open starting on Sunday, 8 January, with the Women's Singles Final on Saturday, 31 January and the Men's Singles Final on Sunday, 1 February. The French Open takes place from Sunday, 24 May to Sunday, 7 June, followed by Wimbledon from Monday, 29 June to Sunday, 12 July and the US Open from Sunday, 30 August to Sunday, 13 September.
In the winter months, the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, will see the opening ceremony on Friday, 6 February and the closing ceremony on Sunday, 22 February. The AFC Women’s Asian Cup features the Matildas in three group games from March to March, with the final on Saturday, 21 March. The AFL State of Origin sees Western Australia face Victoria on Saturday, 14 February at Optus Stadium. The AFL season culminates in the Grand Final on Saturday, 26 September at the MCG.
The NRL World Club Challenge features Hull KR against Brisbane Broncos on 19 February at MKM Stadium. The NRL season opens on Sunday, 1 March with the Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium. The State of Origin series continues from Wednesday, 27 May to Sunday, 4 October.
Golf enthusiasts have the US Masters from Thursday, 9 April to Sunday, 12 April, the US PGA from Thursday, 14 May to Sunday, 17 May, the US Open from Thursday, 18 June to Sunday, 21 May, and the British Open from Thursday, 16 July to Sunday, 19 July.
Other major events include the Golf US Masters, the WS Cox Plate, Melbourne Cup, and various Formula 1 races, including the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, 8 March, Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, 7 June and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, 6 December.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
