The Gold Coast SUNS will open its 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership season in style with back-to-back home matches at People First Stadium.
The SUNS will launch into 2026 in Opening Round under Friday night lights against Geelong before also hosting West Coast at People First Stadium in Round 1.
The opening fortnight headlines six home matches at People First Stadium in the first 15 rounds, including several primetime blockbusters.
After hosting a Friday night match for the first time in 2025, the SUNS are locked in to feature on Fridays at least four times in 2026. In addition to the Opening Round match-up, the SUNS will take on Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Friday, June 13 before returning to People First Stadium to host Hawthorn on Friday, June 20.
Darwin’s TIO Stadium will also host the SUNS and Port Adelaide on Friday, May 15 in the second fixture of the club’s annual journey to the Top End.
Gold Coast fans can pencil in further home fixtures in Queensland against Collingwood, Essendon, the Brisbane Lions, Western Bulldogs, Melbourne and GWS with the SUNS also set to take on St Kilda in Darwin.
Damien Hardwick’s side will return to the scene of its historic first AFL finals win in an Elimination Final rematch against Fremantle at Optus Stadium in Round 16, and for the first time since 2016, the SUNS will play two home and away fixtures at the MCG, in Rounds 2 & 4.
With two home games to begin the season and a suite of primetime and blockbuster fixtures, Gold Coast SUNS Chief Executive Mark Evans says there’s plenty to be excited about for SUNS fans across Australia in 2026.
“The release of the AFL fixture is always an eagerly awaited announcement and it’s fantastic for our dedicated members and fans to now be able to pencil in an exciting 2026 AFL fixture for our club,” Evans said.
“We’re thrilled to be hosting consecutive home matches at People First Stadium to begin the year, with several more on the Gold Coast in the first part of the season.
“To feature in a number of blockbuster matches in primetime time slots is great recognition for our progress and the thrilling brand of footy our players put on display each weekend. We are fearless in our pursuit of becoming the best, and the opportunity to play in these blockbuster matches is exciting for our everyone involved with the Gold Coast SUNS.
“With record-breaking membership numbers in 2025 and three sell outs at People First Stadium, we are anticipating plenty of demand for our home matches and are excited to welcome more fans to Gold Coast SUNS matches in 2026.”
Gold Coast has the bye in Rounds 3 and 12. Dates and times for Rounds 16 to 24 will be confirmed at a later date.
Ticketing details and on-sale dates for 2026 Gold Coast SUNS matches will be communicated shortly.
Gold Coast SUNS 2026 membership packages are on sale now. Click here to secure your seats.
