The World Poker Tour will return to Australia later this year, with The Star Sydney confirmed as the host venue for the 2026 WPT Australia festival running from September 10 to September 30.

The upcoming series will feature two headline championship tournaments and a full schedule of supporting events, with organizers expecting players from Australia and overseas to travel to Sydney for one of the region’s largest live poker festivals.

The AUD $1,500 WPT Prime Australia Championship will take place from September 17 to September 22, followed by the AUD $5,000 WPT Australia Championship from September 24 to September 30.

Tournament organizers confirmed that the final tables of both championship events will be livestreamed, giving poker fans worldwide the chance to follow the action from Sydney.

This year’s festival also marks the first occasion that both the WPT Prime Australia Championship and the WPT Australia Championship will be held as part of the same festival schedule.

Championship Events Lead Expanded Festival Schedule

Alongside the two marquee tournaments, the festival will include satellite events designed to help players secure seats into the championship tournaments at reduced entry costs.

The schedule will also feature an AUD $500 Ladies Australian Championship on September 15 and 16, together with Pot Limit Omaha tournaments, bounty events, and additional poker formats.

Organizers stated that the festival aims to cater to a wide range of poker players by offering multiple buy-in levels and tournament styles throughout the three-week schedule.

“We are thrilled to return to The Star Sydney for another WPT Australia festival,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska in WPT’s press release. “Australia continues to be one of the world’s most passionate poker regions, and we look forward to welcoming players from around the globe as we crown the next WPT Champion.”

The festival is expected to attract players from across Australia as well as international visitors. The Star Sydney will again provide accommodation, entertainment, dining, nightlife and spa facilities during the series.

Sydney Stop Forms Part of WPT Season 24

The Australian festival forms part of the second half of the World Poker Tour’s Season 24 calendar, which continues across several international destinations during the remainder of 2026.

Additional stops already announced for the tour include WPT Cyprus at Chamada Prestige Hotel & Spa in August, WPT bestbet Scramble at bestbet Jacksonville in September, WPT Prime Lodge at The Lodge Club in Austin, Texas, WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star in October at Bay 101 Casino in San Jose, California, WPT Venetian at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas during October and November, and the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December.

The tour stated that further Season 24 events and festival details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The return of WPT Australia continues the tour’s ongoing presence in the Australian poker market, which remains one of the strongest live tournament regions outside North America and Europe.

Organizers indicated that the Sydney festival will once again combine high-profile championship poker with broader entertainment offerings at the host venue, which has become a recurring destination for major international poker events.

The inclusion of both WPT Prime Australia and the WPT Australia Championship within the same festival is expected to increase participation across different player levels, while livestreamed final tables are set to expand global visibility for the series.

Poker players attending the event will also have access to multiple qualification routes through the scheduled satellite tournaments, allowing entrants to compete in the featured events without paying full buy-ins directly.