2026 Australia F1 Travel Guide

Your guide to attending the 2026 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park on March 5-8. Advice for F1 fans on buying race tickets, where to stay and what to do in Melbourne.

Metropolitan Melbourne has been the host of the Australian Grand Prix since taking over from Adelaide in 1996. The Albert Park race is one of the best-attended races of the season – and for good reason. The Melbourne race is relatively inexpensive to attend, with four action-packed days of racing. Home star Oscar Piastri has given the Australian crowd more to cheer about in recent seasons!

Click the links below to read the different sections of our guide and scroll down to start planning your trip!

2026 Australian Grand Prix Tickets

Tickets sell out fast for the Australian Grand Prix. How and where to buy F1 tickets for the 2026 race and advice on general admission, grandstand & hospitality tickets at Albert Park.

Where To Stay in Melbourne

Albert Park is strategically located between the CBD and St Kilda beach, easily accessible via free trams on race weekend. Recommended places to stay include the CBD, St Kilda, South Yarra, Southbank and Docklands.

How to Get Around

Make the most of public transport during your visit to Melbourne. Advice for F1 fans on getting around the city for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix and the best ways to get to Albert Park Circuit.

TRAVEL ADVICE

Trackside at Albert Park

Find information about entering the circuit, the F1 schedule, support categories and trackside activities in our complete trackside guide for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

TRACKSIDE GUIDE

Australian Grand Prix Facebook Group

Join our Facebook group for fans attending the 2026 Australian Grand Prix. Have your questions answered by our friendly community of race-going F1 fans.

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP

Budget Planner

How much does it cost to attend the 2026 Australian Grand Prix? Learn more about the the price of F1 tickets, accommodation & spending money with our budget planner.

PLAN YOUR BUDGET

Race Facts and History

A record-breaking crowd of 465,000 fans attended the 2025 Australian Grand Prix across four days, which was won by Lando Norris and McLaren. Learn more about the history of the race, which has been held in Melbourne since 1996.

What to See & Do in Melbourne

From sports museums and cricket grounds, to road trips and markets, there’s something for everyone in Melbourne. What to see and do, where to eat, nightlife & the best shopping in the city for F1 fans attending the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.

MELBOURNE’S TOP ATTRACTIONS

Race Week Events

Melbourne is a vibrant city of sports, entertainment & festivals. Updated annually, here’s some ideas to keep you busy away from the track, with the top events happening during race week at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix.

EVENTS GUIDE

Start Planning Your Trip to Australia

Timezone: GMT + 11 hours
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD). Tipping is not necessary in Australia, though you may reward good service. Electronic payments are widely accepted.
Language: English
Power Sockets: Type I. Bring a universal power adaptor to ensure your devices will fit into Australian sockets
Driving: Australians drive on the left side of the road. The blood alcohol limit for driving in Victoria is 0.05
Tap Water: Safe to drink.
More Info: Australia Travel Official Website

Tourist Visa

With the exception of New Zealanders, all foreign visitors to Australia need to obtain a visa in advance of their trip. Most visas can be obtained electronically without payment and are issued swiftly and painlessly. For more information, click here. For specific advice on obtaining a visa for Australia, we advise visiting the website of the Australian Embassy located in your own country.

Weather

The Grand Prix is held in March during the first month of the Australian autumn (fall). Average daily temperatures in Melbourne in March are around 24°C (75°F), with minimum temperatures at night around 13°C (55°F). You can reasonably expect good sunshine and temperatures as high as 30°C (86°F), but a cool change is never too far away and rain is not uncommon. Melbourne’s weather can be a bit of a lottery at the best of times so be prepared!

Health

Australia is a first world country and you shouldn’t be concerned about getting any particular inoculations before arrival. Medical facilities are world class. Ensure you have adequate travel insurance in place before traveling to Australia as medical treatment in Australia is expensive.

Safety

Melbourne is generally a very safe city, but you should still take normal precautions such as leaving valuables in your hotel safe and not carrying too much cash, particularly when out late at night. There is a strong police presence in Melbourne which also helps to improve the safety of the city.

Australian Grand Prix FAQ

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix will be the first race of the new season on March 5-8.

On-sale dates for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix have not yet been announced. Last year, tickets went on sale on October 9. Due to an earlier race date in 2026, we expect tickets to go on sale a little earlier. Learn more in our Ticket Buying Guide.

For the best views of the pits and starting grid, Fangio is recommended. For on-track action, Brabham and Jones on the inside and outside of the opening corners are recommended. More affordable grandstands we recommend include the Prost and Schumacher grandstands overlooking the final corners. More information can be found in our Ticket Buying Guide.

Albert Park is strategically located close to both Melbourne downtown (CBD) and the seaside suburb of St Kilda. Free trams are available on race weekend, meaning that most central areas of Melbourne are good places to stay for race weekend. Recommended areas include the CBD, Southbank, South Yarra and St Kilda. Learn more in our Accommodation Guide.

The best way to get to Albert Park circuit is to take a free tram. Organization is excellent, though there can be delays during peak times. Learn more in our Getting Around Guide for the Australian Grand Prix.

Ticket prices have been rising in recent years, though the Australian Grand Prix remains one of the more affordable races to attend on the current F1 calendar. Taking into account the cost of race tickets, accommodation and spending money, the average cost for a weekend at the Australian Grand Prix is estimated to be approximately $1,200 USD. Learn more in our Budget Planner.

Not yet confirmed, though pit lane walks in recent years have been reserved for select groups of guests.

Not yet confirmed, though it is unlikely. The sprint format has never been used at the Australian Grand Prix.

Confirmed support categories at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix include Formula 2 and Formula 3. Also expected to be in action are Supercars Australia & Porsche Carrera Cup Australia. Learn more in our Trackside Guide.

Trackside concerts take place at the Australian Grand Prix as part of the Crown Lakeside Festival, normally from around 17:00-21:00 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Headline performers have not yet been announced for 2026. Learn more in our Trackside Guide.

Australian Grand Prix News

RANKED: The Highest Attended F1 Races of All Time

As F1 attendance figures continue to rise across the globe, we take a look at which Grand Prix weekends were the best-attended in the sport’s history.

2025 Australian Grand Prix Attendance Breaks Albert Park Record

Albert Park broke its attendance record at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix, with a total of 465,498 spectators attending over the four-day weekend.

The Best Race Week Events at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix

Melbourne is a vibrant city of sports, entertainment and festivals. Here’s some ideas to keep you busy away from the track at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix.

Could Australia Break Its Own F1 Attendance Record?

Australia holds the record for the best-attended F1 weekend in history. Now, with numbers growing at Albert Park, could the country raise the bar higher?

IN PICTURES: 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival

Formula 1 cars returned to the streets of Adelaide last month for the seventh edition of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, an event that’s growing in both popularity and stature.

RANKED: The Top 10 Australian F1 Drivers

Australia has produced two World Champions and four race-winning drivers. From Jack Brabham to Daniel Ricciardo, here are the top ten Australian F1 drivers!

Remembering the Inaugural Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide

Noel Macwhirter tells us about his trip to the inaugural Australian Grand Prix on the streets of Adelaide in 1985.

2015 Adelaide Motorsport Festival Review

Last weekend, the second edition of the Adelaide Motorsport festival was held in the city’s parklands, drawing a crowd of 20,000 fans.

Michael’s Travel Report – 2015 Australian Grand Prix

Michael Terminello went to the 2015 Australian F1 Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne last weekend. Here’s his trip report!

About Australia

Australia, the world’s sixth largest country by total area, is a stable and well-developed democratic nation with a multicultural population of 25 million and the thirteenth largest economy in the world as measured by GDP. Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of close to 5 million. The city is often voted among the ‘most liveable’ cities in the world.

Australians are renowned for their friendliness and will have no issue in passing the time of day or discussing the weather with a complete stranger. Australia is one of the world’s most multicultural nations and Melbourne, being the second largest city, has a large diaspora from all corners of the globe. Prominent migrant populations in Melbourne are from Italy, Greece and the Balkans. More recently, Melbourne is also home to immigrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Melbourne is widely regarded as the cultural and big event capital of Australia. Other major sporting events in the city throughout the year include the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam and the MotoGP race on nearby Philip Island. Melbourne is also the home of Australian Rules football (AFL) and boasts Australia’s most iconic sporting ground, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

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