Inclusivity continues to grow at the world-famous event.
Written by Rosie Allison, Senior Access Consultant
Staff from the Architecture & Access event team had a busy start to the 2026 year with delivery of Australian Open 2026.
The Australian Open is one of the world’s major tennis tournaments and ran from 12th January 2026 through to 1 February 2026. A record number of fans – 1,368, 043 of them – resulted in a new attendance record for the Australian Open event.
Inclusivity at the event also continues to grow with Australian Open 2026 being the first Grand Slam to integrate a Blind and Low Vision invitational event as part of the official tournament. This tournament is in addition to the AO Wheelchair Championships, the AO Deaf Tennis Slam and the AO Intellectual Disability Tennis Slam which are already part of the Australian Open tournament offerings.
The Australian Open event occurs across two sites in central Melbourne. Melbourne Park hosts opening week and the main draw tennis tournament. The Melbourne Park site makes use of permanent infrastructure, with extensive temporary overlay additions provided during the event for hospitality, retail, merchandising and entertainment purposes. Birrarung Marr is the venue for the immersive, entertainment, family friendly kid’s play zone (the AO Ballpark on Lower terrace); the immersive, entertainment and hospitality precinct (AO Topcourt on Middle terrace) and hospitality and entertainment offerings that are open to the public on the Upper terrace (the AO Hilltop).
For the first time both precincts (Melbourne Park and Birrarung Marr) were activated for the full 21 days of the event.
The Australian Open event is delivered by Tennis Australia and a large cohort of partners. In 2026 Architecture & Access commenced a three-year contract with Tennis Australia to provide access consultancy services to Tennis Australia for the event. This contract builds on our existing strong relationships with multiple event partners and Tennis Australia Infrastructure teams. To meet the increasing workload Architecture & Access had a cohort of 6 staff who assisted with event delivery.
Our Access consultancy service supports the delivery of a wide range of temporary activations and structures. This scope includes:
- Temporary grandstands
- Viewing platforms
- Food & beverage bars/outlets
- Interactive & immersive experiences
- Retail outlets
- Merchandising stalls
- Entertainment stages
- Hospitality suites
- Sponsor display areas
- Event amenities – all of which are constructed specifically for the event.
Image 1. Mecca lift access
Recognised as one of Australia’s most accessible and inclusive events, it’s a privilege to continue our involvement as the event grows and strengthens its commitment to inclusivity year after year.
Feature Image – Example of designated wheelchair seating spaces and companion seating within Temporary Grandstand Structures.
Image 1. – Lift access provided to all levels of Mecca temporary structure. Entry to the lift is within the structure.
