Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open.. (Photo by Peter Davis/Getty Images)
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In some ways the 2027 iteration of the Australian Open has expansion built all around it. In other ways, it will constrict, but both serve the focus of creating more fan comfort. New Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo says that not only will the first tennis major of the year create more grandstand seating opportunities and expand shade across the grounds, but it will also cap daily grounds passes to ease overcrowding.
Tennis Australia announced plans for the largest temporary grandstand ever built at Melbourne Park. Called the “mega grandstand,” the build at Court 6 will feature the growth with a 17% increase in seating with its roughly 700 additional seats. AO also returns The Highline, an elevated fan viewing area with extra shade and a connection to the popular courtside bar at Court 6.
As fans have additional places to sit, they also get triple the shade and 45% more space at the redesigned Grand Slam Oval space within the tournament footprint. AO says the two-story build at the Grand Slam Oval increases the footprint and allows the tournament to triple the size of the shade structure.
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In 2026, AO welcomed more than 1.3 million fans across the opening week and two weeks of tournament play. The tournament hopes to increase viewing capacity with the new seating and events—including the AO 1 Point Slam—running from Jan. 11-31 in Melbourne.
“The tennis will always be at the heart of the Australian Open, and we’re creating more opportunities for fans to see the world’s best players, whether that’s from the front row of Rod Laver Arena during open practice, a seat in the new grandstand at Court 6 or cheering for your favorite player during qualifying,” Abdo says.
The opening week includes free and reduced-price tickets for fans to watch AO qualifying, open practices, visit live entertainment and player appearances in the Grand Slam Oval and the opening of fan zones such as AO Ballpark and Topcourt, a daily gaming and entertainment space.
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“Opening week continues to grow, with unrivaled access to the players and some of the best-value tennis anywhere in the world,” Abdo says. “By putting thousands and thousands of rackets into the hands of kids, we’re trying to enable a lasting connection to the game and helping inspire future generations of tennis players across Australia.”
Even with such a focus on access, the AO has responded to complaints of overcrowding on the site. AO says the ground pass numbers “may be capped on high-demand days based on anticipated attendance and crowd movement across the precinct.”
Throughout the site, AO plans new food and beverage offerings while bringing back some of the fan favorites, whether the Peach Melbourne soft serve ice cream or the only Shake Shack in all of Australia when it pops up during the tournament.
The Australian Open, which features the largest grounds of the sport’s four major tournaments, was the first to introduce a retractable roof stadium. It now has three, with the major courts including Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. Other key stadium courts include Kia Arena and 1573 Arena while Court 6 quickly becomes a popular attraction with growing amenities.
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