Gather Round 2026

[The_Wookie]

12.11.2025

Gather Round…A Festival of Footy fixture released

The AFL, in partnership with the South Australian Government, is pleased to confirm the fixture for Gather Round…A Festival of Footy, which returns in Round 5 of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

The Round will feature matches across Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval and a return to Barossa Park – again giving interstate visitors an opportunity to experience the best of Barossa Valley food and wine.

Running from 9-12 April, during the school holidays, the Adelaide Crows will open the round on Thursday night playing Carlton at the Adelaide Oval, followed by Collingwood taking on Fremantle on Friday night.

The Adelaide Oval will host two matches on Saturday, with Essendon playing Melbourne in the early afternoon before the stadium resets for the evening, where Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs will match up, with both games to be ticketed separately.

The action returns to the picturesque Barossa Park on Saturday afternoon where North Melbourne will line up against the Brisbane Lions before a twilight fixture at Norwood Oval between the Sydney Swans and the Gold Coast SUNS.

On Sunday, Norwood Oval will host the Geelong Cats and West Coast Eagles, ahead of the GWS GIANTS and Richmond playing at Barossa Park before the final Gather Round fixture is played at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday evening between Port Adelaide and St Kilda.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said Gather Round and its festivities around the state delivers like no other.

“We are thrilled to be returning to South Australia for our third Gather Round, it truly is the best of our game and it gets bigger and better each year,” said Mr Dillon.

“Gather Round has become more than a weekend of footy, it’s a celebration of community, connection, and everything we love about the game. Fans don’t want to miss a moment of it.

“Barossa Park delivered a magnificent experience last year, showcasing the best of what the region has to offer and this time around it is set to deliver another two big games.

“We know visitors travel from all over Australia to experience the buzz of Gather Round with fans not wanting to miss out and everyone wanting to be a part of it.”

Quotes attributable to South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas:

“The Gather Round phenomenon continues to grow and deliver for our State.

“This fixture, the start of school holidays in South Australia and NSW, and middle of school holidays in other states, presents the perfect platform for visitors and locals alike to experience the best SA has to offer.

“We encourage everyone to come, and experience Gather Round, be it in the city, or the stunning Barossa Valley.

“Gather Round this year delivered almost $114m in economic benefits, but the event is also driving new investment in our state, including at major hotels like the Mayfair.”

The Women’s and Children's Hospital Foundation is confirmed as the Official Charity Partner of Gather Round again in 2026.

Tickets go on sale for members on Wednesday, 3 December with general public on sale on Thursday, 4 December.

As the Official Airline Partner of the AFL and Gather Round, Virgin Australia is focused on offering value and choice for footy fans travelling to the event. 
 
To book your flight to 2026 Gather Round, visit www.virginaustralia.com 

Official Accommodation Partner ALL Accor offers fans access to a variety of options to suit all tastes and budgets with more than 10 hotels and apartments across Adelaide. Travelling fans can choose from brands like Sofitel, Pullman, Peppers, Ibis and more. Visit ALL.com to book, plus unlock a special member rate by joining Accor’s loyalty program, ALL, for free.

 

[NetworkNerd]

TBH I expected a few more blockbuster type matches... I would have thought they would have Adelaide to play one of Collingwood/Hawthorn to get them back for the finals

 

[The Terrible Thinker]

Love GR but not happy with the repeated team match ups. Also, why does the Crows start the round off again?

 

[Seattle Mariners]

The Sunday menu is atrocious aside from Port V St Kilda.

How Essendon and Melbourne scored AO once again is baffling for 2 chronically under performing teams.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

One of Hawthorn or Dogs will be 0-4 from 4 Gather Rounds given they play each other, in what is probably the game of the round on paper.

 

[Duckimus Prime]

The Sunday menu is atrocious aside from Port V St Kilda.

How Essendon and Melbourne scored AO once again is baffling for 2 chronically under performing teams.

Port vs St Kilda is a shitty nothing game for a Sunday night.

It might've had something if Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had actually decided to head home to SA and play with his best mates at Port. But that didn't happen.

That Sunday line up is just asking for people to head home a day early during Gather Round.

Port should've been opening Gather Round, and closing it out with a Crows game against Collingwood, since Hawthorn played the Sunday night this year. But Collingwood would hate that, and the AFL are probably concerned that the Crows fans would embarass them on the national broadcast again.

 

[ibd77]

Final year before contract renewal negotiations. Is the AFL deliberately setting up a weak fixture so less fans travel interstate? Would this put SA Gov in a weaker spot in negotiations if attendances drop?

These rematch games seems like it.

 

[le dominateur]

Adelaide v Carlton to kick off Gather round is not a blockbuster. I doubt Carlton will get within 10 goals.

 

[Chism]

2nd time in 3 years the AFL have given us the home state team and not a neutral.

Gather round is just crap except if you follow the Crows or Power which is just essentially another home game for them and it should be a SA derby to remove all conjecture of the botched AFL schedule.

Every year gather round will see 2 unlucky teams have to play the home teams on their own turf. Carlton are now 2/3 with these draws. Fair draw my arse and it is just a round to give the SA teams a free 4pts.

But Vic bias………

 

[Chism]

Port vs St Kilda is a shitty nothing game for a Sunday night.

It might've had something if Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had actually decided to head home to SA and play with his best mates at Port. But that didn't happen.

That Sunday line up is just asking for people to head home a day early during Gather Round.

Port should've been opening Gather Round, and closing it out with a Crows game against Collingwood, since Hawthorn played the Sunday night this year. But Collingwood would hate that, and the AFL are probably concerned that the Crows fans would embarass them on the national broadcast again.

Have the Pies even played a SA true home team in gather round yet??

 

[Clark G]

It is surprising that Brisbane did not score a game at Adelaide Oval.

 

[tiger_tough]

3rd year in a row we've played Gather round at a stadium with 15k crowd capacity or less.

****ing joke.

 

[Clark G]

3rd year in a row we've played Gather round at a stadium with 15k crowd capacity or less.

****ing joke.

Maybe if Richmond break out of the bottom two they’ll get an Adelaide Oval game.

 

[tiger_tough]

Maybe if Richmond break out of the bottom two they’ll get an Adelaide Oval game.

We'll probably be top 4, 5th at worst, in the comp for average attendance over that period. Why punish the fans?

 

[FreoRicci]

Back to back premiers still can’t get Adelaide Oval? Haha. AFL continues to be non neutrality league.

 

[LeBronco]

2nd time in 3 years the AFL have given us the home state team and not a neutral.

Gather round is just crap except if you follow the Crows or Power which is just essentially another home game for them and it should be a SA derby to remove all conjecture of the botched AFL schedule.

Every year gather round will see 2 unlucky teams have to play the home teams on their own turf. Carlton are now 2/3 with these draws. Fair draw my arse and it is just a round to give the SA teams a free 4pts.

But Vic bias………

Wouldn't surprise me if 2026 is the last year of Gather Round in SA as these fixtures are mediocre at best and are likely to lead to the SA Government making a lowball offer to renew the Gather Round contract. I expect Gather Round to move to Queensland in 2027 in order to cash in on growing the game.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Love GR but not happy with the repeated team match ups. Also, why does the Crows start the round off again?

Because Port complained to get our marquee game taken away.
So we asked for a new one.

 

[Tackle Bag]

Remains a ridiculous idea, taking afl games to sub standard venues and heavily reducing the attendance compared to a normal round.

 

[The Terrible Thinker]

Wouldn't surprise me if 2026 is the last year of Gather Round in SA as these fixtures are mediocre at best and are likely to lead to the SA Government making a lowball offer to renew the Gather Round contract. I expect Gather Round to move to Queensland in 2027 in order to cash in on growing the game.

It won't be the SA Gov fault if the AFL pulls the pin on this. The AFL have deliberately fixtured games so it doesn't appeal to travelling fans. I would be a bit peeved if I was Malinauskas with this slated draw. Why would interstate fans come across to watch the same matches at the same venues again.

Even as a local, I would like to see different matchups and also have the best sides play at AO. All top 8 teams from last year should feature at the AO.

 

[Drakescoffeecake]

2nd time in 3 years the AFL have given us the home state team and not a neutral.

Gather round is just crap except if you follow the Crows or Power

You've been proven wrong here time and time again. But keep regurgitating the same stuff, maybe it'll come true one day

 

[The_Wookie]

Wouldn't surprise me if 2026 is the last year of Gather Round in SA as these fixtures are mediocre at best and are likely to lead to the SA Government making a lowball offer to renew the Gather Round contract. I expect Gather Round to move to Queensland in 2027 in order to cash in on growing the game.

It would surprise me, given the government is less interested in fixtures than it is total interstate visitors, and i bet you a million dollars that they are coming.

I dont ever expect Gather Round in QLD/NSW - it would be a disaster.

 

[ABSOLUTE MADMAN]

It is surprising that Brisbane did not score a game at Adelaide Oval.

Comment is not just relevant to a gather round thread but also an entire home and away season thread.

2026 AFL Fixture at Adelaide Oval | Adelaide Oval

Adelaide Oval is ready for another action-packed footy season in 2026.

www.adelaideoval.com.au

Unless I am missing something there.

 

[troybe]

Essendon playing Melbourne for the 3rd time in 4 years. Is this an anomaly or are other clubs playing the same opponents as previous years?

 

[Corn Cobbers]

The Sunday menu is atrocious aside from Port V St Kilda.

How Essendon and Melbourne scored AO once again is baffling for 2 chronically under performing teams.

Feels like the entire 24 round draw was drawn up in one afternoon, in a pub on napkins

 

[Clark G]

Essendon playing Melbourne for the 3rd time in 4 years. Is this an anomaly or are other clubs playing the same opponents as previous years?

Given that Essendon are 2-0 against Melbourne in gather rounds so far, I don’t mind it. Geelong and West Coast played each other in 2023 and will do so again in 2026.