In a world-first, the Australian Open will offer an Accessible Pre-sale this month, giving fans with accessibility needs the opportunity to purchase tickets for the 2026 tournament before they go on-sale to the general public.
Arena tickets available in the Accessible Pre-sale will be for accessible seating bays, ease of access seating, enhanced vision seating, and seats for fans who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“The idea for the Accessible Pre-sale came from feedback we received from fans with accessibility needs,” Craig Tiley, Australian Open Tournament Director, said.
“Some fans found they needed more time to locate specific seats or to receive customer support for their questions, and this could be difficult given the volume of people purchasing AO tickets when they go on-sale.
“The Accessible Pre-sale will fix this by giving fans with unique access requirements a clear runway to buy tickets that meet their needs for Australian Open 2026.
“It’s another important step in making the Australian Open as accessible and inclusive as possible.”
The AO’s Accessible Pre-sale will be live online from Monday 15 to Friday 19 September 2025. Fans can register interest in the pre-sale online from 8 to 12 September.
The pre-sale will apply to all ticketed arenas including Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena during main draw.
“The Australian Open launching a pre-sale exclusively for fans with accessibility needs is huge,” Dylan Alcott, Australian wheelchair tennis legend, said.
“The AO is already one of the world’s most accessible events and this initiative will only increase access for the disability community. I hope we see this world-first become common practice for sport and entertainment events everywhere.”
Australian Open 2026 will feature a broad range of accessibility initiatives including Travellers Aid, Action Audio, hearing loops, sensory rooms and bags, live captions, accessible digital wayfinding, and in-seat food and beverage ordering for accessible seating bay areas in RLA, MCA and JCA. The AO is also a proud supporter of the Sunflower Initiative.
The Australian Open will celebrate All Abilities Day on Tuesday 27 January 2026.
Register for the AO Accessible Pre-sale from 8-12 September.
