AO 2027 runs from 11 to 31 January 2027 at Melbourne Park, and the Australian Open says it expects week one of the main draw to be its busiest stretch, with daily Ground Pass allocations capped for the first time. So pick the week first, then buy Australian Open tickets and grounds access for those days. Flights come after that.
A long-haul trip booked for the wrong week can miss what you came for. A group that flies in for week one of the main draw and plans to buy grounds access late can run into a capped day. A group that books Opening Week expecting main-draw matches gets practice, qualifying and exhibition play instead. The flight is just as long either way. You don’t get the week back.
What Changed for Australian Open Tickets in 2027
Per the Australian Open’s ticket announcement from July 2026, AO 2027 tickets went on sale earlier than ever, in August 2026. That announcement says the AO expects demand for AO 2027, particularly week one of the main draw, to be stronger than ever. With that in mind, it says daily Ground Pass allocations will be capped for the first time.
The same announcement gives the scale behind that call. AO 2026 drew 1,368,043 fans across the three-week event, including 217,999 during Opening Week. It also says early-bird pricing for the Ground Pass runs until Nov. 30, 2026. As a general rule, an Australian deadline runs on Melbourne’s clock, which sits well ahead of U.S. time zones. So a U.S. buyer shouldn’t leave a Ground Pass decision to the evening of Nov. 30.
Ticket options span Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena, plus Ground Passes that give access to the Australian Open precinct, per the AO. An arena ticket and a Ground Pass aren’t the same purchase. Know which one each day needs.
How the Three Weeks at Melbourne Park Break Down
According to the Australian Open’s AO 2027 program, AO 2027 delivers three weeks of tennis and entertainment from 11 to 31 January, and Opening Week opens the entire precinct from Monday, Jan. 11. The program calls Opening Week the most affordable AO experience.
The listed Opening Week program includes:
- Open practice with top players at Rod Laver Arena.
- AO Qualifying, plus a further two days of qualifying held during Opening Week.
- Charity matches, which the AO tickets separately.
- The AO 1 Point Slam final at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 13, where pros face amateurs and wildcards.
The same program adds a grandstand at Court 6. It also says Ground Pass numbers may be capped on high-demand days, based on anticipated attendance and crowd movement across the precinct.
The main draw fills the two weeks after Opening Week, through Jan. 31. The AO says session times and match scheduling will be announced closer to the tournament. So confirm each day with the AO before you build a trip around it. The schedule you’d like isn’t the schedule until the AO posts it.
Three Ways to Time the Trip, Compared
| Week | Fits | Risk | Confirm first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Week, from Monday, Jan. 11. | First-timers, families and fans who want players up close at open practice and qualifying. | No main-draw matches. The 1 Point Slam and charity matches are ticketed separately. | Check the Opening Week program and session times with the AO. |
| Week one of the main draw. | Fans who want the most courts in play on a Ground Pass day. | The AO expects its strongest demand here and caps daily Ground Pass allocations. A late buyer can find a day capped. | Confirm grounds access for each day before paying for flights. |
| The later main-draw days, through Jan. 31. | Fans who want arena seats for the late rounds. | As a general rule, a knockout draw has fewer matches each round. The arena ticket is the trip. | Check which arena and which session each ticket covers. |
There isn’t a wrong answer among the three. What separates them is how much tennis you can watch once you land, and how late you can afford to decide. Opening Week and the late rounds reward a fan who already knows what they want to see. Week one rewards the fan who locks in the days early.
Buy the Days Before the Flights
Pick the week first. Then secure the arena seats or Ground Passes for each day you’ll spend at Melbourne Park. Flights and a hotel come after that, built around the days you hold. Booking in the other order can land you in Melbourne on a day you can’t get into the precinct.
The flight is long and the time difference is large. As a general rule, an arrival day with no tennis can be worth planning. Rest beats a tennis day you sleep through. And keep Nov. 30, 2026 in mind: the AO’s early-bird Ground Pass pricing ends on that date.
Which Week Fits Your Group
Choose Opening Week if this is a first trip to the Australian Open, or a family trip. Open practice at Rod Laver Arena and AO Qualifying put players close, and the whole precinct is open from Monday, Jan. 11. Main-draw matches aren’t part of it.
Choose week one of the main draw if you want volume, with the most courts in play on a single Ground Pass day. Secure grounds access for each of those days early. The AO says daily allocations will be capped for the first time, so a late decision can leave you short a day.
Choose the later main-draw days if you’re chasing the late rounds in an arena. Work out which arena and which session each ticket covers, then confirm that with the AO.
Each choice gives something up. Opening Week trades main-draw matches for access and value. Week one trades flexibility for volume, under a cap that hasn’t been used before. The later days trade volume for the late rounds, because a knockout draw thins out as it goes. Pick the tradeoff you can live with, then buy for those days.
What a Package Can Handle
Major League Vacations’ Australian Open travel packages page lists custom packages with tickets, hotels, airfare, transfers, groups and planning support for the Grand Slam at Melbourne Park. The same page says Australian Open trips are easier when the tickets, hotel zone, arrival timing and event-day movement are planned together.
That page also says Australian Open demand can change quickly once schedules, brackets, fields, venues or matchup details are confirmed. Planning early gives your MLV specialist more ticket, hotel and transportation options to compare, per the same page. It’s also the argument for settling the week before the schedule firms up. A trip can stay streamlined, or it can build in premium upgrades, extra nights, transfers and destination experiences.
Fans weighing other Grand Slams can compare the wider slate of tennis travel packages.
If you’d like the trip to carry more of Australia’s January calendar, start with planning a January sports trip to Australia.
The same week-versus-week call comes up at a U.S. tournament, which is the subject of choosing a week at Indian Wells.
Frequently Asked Questions About AO 2027 at Melbourne Park
When is the Australian Open in 2027?
The Australian Open lists AO 2027 as three weeks of tennis and entertainment from 11 to 31 January 2027 at Melbourne Park. Opening Week opens the entire precinct from Monday, Jan. 11. The main draw fills the weeks after that, through Jan. 31. The AO says session times and match scheduling will be announced closer to the tournament, so confirm your dates with the AO.
When do Australian Open tickets go on sale?
Tickets for AO 2027 went on sale in August 2026, which the Australian Open describes as earlier than ever. The AO also lists early-bird pricing for the Ground Pass running until Nov. 30, 2026. As a general rule, an Australian deadline runs on Melbourne’s clock, well ahead of U.S. time zones, so don’t wait for the last evening. On-sale details can change, so confirm them with the AO.
Is the Ground Pass capped at AO 2027?
The Australian Open says daily Ground Pass allocations will be capped for the first time at AO 2027. Its program adds that Ground Pass numbers may be capped on high-demand days, based on anticipated attendance and crowd movement across the precinct. The AO expects week one of the main draw to be its busiest stretch, so a late buyer can find a day capped.
Is Opening Week worth the trip?
That depends on what you came to watch. Opening Week includes open practice with top players at Rod Laver Arena, AO Qualifying and the AO 1 Point Slam final on Wednesday, Jan. 13, per the Australian Open. Charity matches are ticketed separately. There are no main-draw matches during Opening Week, so it suits some fans well and leaves others wanting the draw itself.
Plan the Week Before You Buy Australian Open Tickets
Major League Vacations builds custom sports travel packages for fans, families, groups and companies, with ticket, hotel, flight and transfer options.
The order matters more than the speed. Pick the week that fits your group, secure the arena seats or Ground Passes for each day you’ll be at Melbourne Park, and keep the Nov. 30, 2026 early-bird date in mind for Ground Passes. Then book the flights and the hotel around those days. Confirm every date and session with the Australian Open.
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Request a travel quote, and an MLV specialist can compare ticket, hotel and transportation options around the week you pick for your Australian Open tickets.
