MELB NOTE

Australian Open 2027 Dates: When It Starts, When the Finals Are and How to Get to Melbourne Park

Melbourne Notes By MELB_NOTE The short answer The Australian Open 2027 runs from Monday 11 to Sunday 31 January 2027 at Melbourne Park. Opening Week, which includes AO Qualifying, is 11 to 16 January. The main draw starts on Sunday 17 January and the finals weekend is Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January. Early bird…

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The front of Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park, a glass-fronted building with large lettering, with a statue of a tennis player holding a racquet on the lawn in front and a tree to the right.

Melbourne Notes

By MELB_NOTE

The short answer

The Australian Open 2027 runs from Monday 11 to Sunday 31 January 2027 at Melbourne Park. Opening Week, which includes AO Qualifying, is 11 to 16 January. The main draw starts on Sunday 17 January and the finals weekend is Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January. Early bird ticket pricing runs until 12:59pm on 30 November 2026.

This guide sets out what three official pages say: Melbourne Park’s Australian Open 2027: Your Ultimate Guide, the Melbourne Park event page Australian Open 2027, and Tennis Australia’s Australian Open 2027 dates announced on ausopen.com. We read them on 1 November 2026 (Melbourne time) and used no other source. The guide says it was published and last updated on 8 October 2026, and the Tennis Australia article is dated 23 March 2026.

30-second summary

  • Dates: Monday 11 to Sunday 31 January 2027, at Melbourne Park.
  • Opening Week (including AO Qualifying): Monday 11 to Saturday 16 January. Main draw: Sunday 17 to Sunday 31 January.
  • Finals weekend: Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January.
  • Early bird pricing ends 12:59pm on 30 November 2026.
  • The pages give no separate qualifying dates.

The Australian Open 2027 runs from Monday 11 to Sunday 31 January at Melbourne Park

The Melbourne Park guide says: “The Australian Open will take place over 3 weeks from Monday 11 to Sunday 31 January at Melbourne Park.” Counting both days, that is 21 days (our own count). The event page and the Tennis Australia article give the same dates.

The event page describes the Australian Open as the first Grand Slam of the tennis season, held each January at Melbourne Park, and says it was established in 1905. It lists men’s and women’s singles and doubles, mixed doubles, and junior and wheelchair events.

One thing the three pages do not give is separate dates for AO Qualifying. The guide places it inside Opening Week, so we have not stated qualifying dates.

A view down into a large indoor tennis arena with a blue court and net, tiers of green seats with spectators, and a roof with bright lights above.
Rod Laver Arena, photographed 16 January 2017 according to the Commons file page. Photo: Pulv, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Not a photo from the Australian Open 2027.

Opening Week is 11 to 16 January, the main draw starts on Sunday 17 January and the finals are on 30 and 31 January

The guide splits the tournament into two parts. Opening Week runs from Monday 11 to Saturday 16 January and includes AO Qualifying. The Main Draw runs from Sunday 17 to Sunday 31 January. Finals weekend is Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January, when, in the guide’s words, “the champions are crowned.” The Tennis Australia article says the singles finals are on 30 and 31 January 2027.

Tennis Australia also says main-draw play begins on 17 January 2027, “the tournament’s fourth straight Sunday start”. The article calls this a scheduling change that fans received well. That is Tennis Australia’s description, not ours.

A timeline of the Australian Open 2027 from Monday 11 to Sunday 31 January. Opening Week, which includes AO Qualifying, covers 11 to 16 January. The Main Draw covers Sunday 17 to Sunday 31 January. Finals weekend is Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January. A note says qualifying dates are not given on the pages. A box lists AO 2026 figures from Tennis Australia: 217,999 fans in Opening Week, more than 100,000 on Day 1 of the main draw, over 1.3 million in total, and almost 30,000 at Kids Tennis Day.
Illustration by MELB NOTE. Sources: Melbourne Park and Tennis Australia pages, read 1 November 2026.

The box in the diagram gives Tennis Australia’s figures for AO 2026, the most recent edition. The article says Day 1 of the main draw drew more than 100,000 fans, a tournament record.

Ground Passes and arena tickets are the two ticket types the official guide describes, and early bird pricing ends on 30 November

The guide says tickets were on sale to the public through Ticketmaster when it was published on 8 October 2026. It describes arena tickets for Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena, plus Ground Passes. We give no prices here.

According to the guide, a Ground Pass gives access to John Cain Arena (subject to availability), outdoor courts, big screens, practice sessions and festival zones such as Grand Slam Oval. Kia Arena, the outside courts and Grand Slam Oval are accessible with a Ground Pass. The guide also says: “Daily Ground Pass allocations will be capped for the first time.”

Two cards and a notes box. The Arena tickets card lists Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena, and says the three main arenas have retractable roofs. The Ground Pass card lists outside courts, big screens and practice sessions, festival zones such as Grand Slam Oval, access to Kia Arena and Grand Slam Oval, and John Cain Arena subject to availability. The notes say Ground Pass allocations are capped daily for the first time, early bird pricing runs until 12:59pm on 30 November 2026, guests can leave and re-enter by scanning out at the gates, and accessible tickets are sold through Ticketmaster or the Accessibility Line 1300 308 999.
Illustration by MELB NOTE. Sources: Melbourne Park and Tennis Australia pages, read 1 November 2026.

Early bird pricing runs until 12:59pm on 30 November 2026, which is a Monday (checked with a calendar). The guide says guests can leave and re-enter on the same day by scanning out at the gates.

Accessible tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. The guide also lists the Accessibility Line on 1300 308 999, open 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Sunday.

The official guide says public transport is the quickest way, and the CBD is about a 10-minute walk

The guide describes public transport as the quickest and easiest option and asks visitors to check journey planning and disruption information before travelling. For walking, it says Melbourne Park is about 10 minutes from the CBD via Birrarung Marr or Tanderrum Bridge.

Other options in the guide:

  • Taxi: a rank is next to Grand Slam Oval on Olympic Boulevard.
  • Rideshare: drop-off and pick-up is outside John Cain Arena on Olympic Boulevard.
  • Parking: limited paid parking at Yarra Park (MCG), first come first served, with no pre-booking.
  • Accessible access: drop-off is near the Eastern Plaza Car Park (Entrance D, Olympic Boulevard). A limited number of accessible parking spaces there must be bought in advance.
A wide pale walkway with dark railings and tall curved lamp posts, lined with trees, with a city tower visible in the distance under a blue sky.
Birrarung Marr, photographed 23 February 2023 according to the Commons file page. Photo: wuppertaler, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The guide names Birrarung Marr as one of the walking routes from the CBD.

If you are arriving from the airport, see our guide Melbourne Airport to the City: Your Options Now That There Is No Train.

Check the ticketing page before you buy

A banner across the Melbourne Park site says AXS is its new Official Ticketing Partner, and that tickets may come from AXS or Ticketek depending on the event. The Australian Open sections of the guide and the event page direct buyers to Ticketmaster, and the “Buy Tickets” link on the event page goes to ticketmaster.com.au/ausopen.

We cannot tell from the pages which seller applies beyond what they say. Check the official AO ticketing page before you buy.

Tennis Australia’s March 2026 article, as of 23 March 2026, said Travel & Experience packages were on sale. It also said signing up to AO Extras gives early notice of ticket releases and pre-sales. Check the official site for the current position.

Dates in January overlap with other things on our lists. Australia Day is Tuesday 26 January 2027 on our Victorian Public Holidays 2026 and 2027: Dates for Melbourne, Including Cup Day and Christmas list, which falls inside the main draw (our own comparison). Our Victorian School Term Dates 2026 and 2027: When Term 4 Ends and Summer Holidays Start says school summer holidays run to 27 January 2027, so the tournament overlaps them too (also our comparison).

Questions people ask

When is the Australian Open 2027?

Monday 11 to Sunday 31 January 2027 at Melbourne Park, per the Melbourne Park guide.

When are the 2027 finals?

Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 January 2027. Tennis Australia says the singles finals are on those two days.

When does qualifying start?

The pages give no separate qualifying dates. The guide says Opening Week, Monday 11 to Saturday 16 January, includes AO Qualifying.

When do early bird tickets end?

At 12:59pm on 30 November 2026, according to the guide.

How far is Melbourne Park from the CBD?

The guide says it is about a 10-minute walk from the CBD via Birrarung Marr or Tanderrum Bridge.

Sources and scope

We read the text of these three pages on 1 November 2026 (Melbourne time) and used no other source.

Photo credits:

  • Cover: slgckgc, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The outside of Rod Laver Arena, dated 14 November 2014 on the Commons page. Not a photo of the Australian Open 2027.
  • Rod Laver Arena: Pulv, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Dated 16 January 2017 on the Commons page.
  • Birrarung Marr: wuppertaler, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Dated 23 February 2023 on the Commons page.
  • Diagrams: drawn by MELB NOTE from the sources above.

Scope: This is what the three pages state on 1 November 2026. Dates, ticket types and sellers can change, so check the official Australian Open site and Melbourne Park before you buy or travel. None of the photos is from the Australian Open 2027.

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