Special Event Aviation Transport - AFL Grand Final

[Aussie_flyer]

NRL & NRLW Grand Final 2026

With around 80,000 footy fans expected to attend the NRL & NRLW Grand Final, ticketholders are urged to leave the car at home and catch public transport to avoid getting caught in traffic delays. Travel on transport is included in event tickets.

transportnsw.info

Extra trains between Newcastle and Sydney before and after the game. (Actual number not disclosed.)

Hopefully no freight trains breaking down on the day

 

[LionKing]

You clearly have not paid attention to how sports and large crowds and events work in Sydney. Olympic Park and tfNSW is more than used to dealing with 100k+ fans (more than NRL grand final) pouring into and out of Olympic Park precinct.

It was also designed to do this and for the heavy rail to handle it. Special service will be added that aren't the Lidcombe to Olympic Park shuttle (so Olympic Park - Central as well Olympic Park to Parramatta).

As for Newcastle, you are aware you can drive and be there in 3-4hours right? Or take a train and be in Sydney in 3 hours. Both options would be significantly better than flying by a long stretch.

Not to mention Knights fans would be very used to travelling to Sydney as there would be many games a season in Sydney. Plus theres a bunch of Knights fans based IN Sydney.

Yes you can drive from Newcastle but there's no parking at SOP. Uber will be extremely expensive..
Trains are high risk to delays and incidents.
Maybe planes are overkill but I hope there will be plenty of buses coming to SOP as I am sure it is safer and can drink in the venue.

 

[SydneySwan]

Yes you can drive from Newcastle but there's no parking at SOP.

Have you ever been there? There are at least 5 car parks at SOP and P3, P4, P5 and P6 still have availability for this Sunday!

 

[LionKing]

Have you ever been there? There are at least 5 car parks at SOP and P3, P4, P5 and P6 still have availability for this Sunday!

Yes I have. I am sure it will fill up fast.

 

[elanshin]

Yes you can drive from Newcastle but there's no parking at SOP. Uber will be extremely expensive..
Trains are high risk to delays and incidents.
Maybe planes are overkill but I hope there will be plenty of buses coming to SOP as I am sure it is safer and can drink in the venue.

You drive to "Sydney" and then take the train. Take your pick of the stations.

Get an Airbnb or something that's not in Sydney CBD or SOP and prices are a bit more reasonable or stay with friends/family. There are extra buses to SOP as well from areas which trains are awkward like in the south west corridor up king George's.

Again this is hardly a new thing for Sydney nor Newcastle people. Very different to Perth going to Melbourne where you have little choice but to fly.

 

[Quickstatus]

there's no teams in Western Sydney competing!

Geographically Homebush and Sydney Olympic Park is not "Western Sydney"

Sydney Olympic park is made for massive crowds - it was designed that way with public transport the major crowd mover.

Qantas and Virgin Australia should introduce some new NTL - SYD service

What?. Should they put on an A380 or two?
Surface transport better- cheaper and faster
A Sydney 8 seater double decker can transport 1000-2000 people at a time.

And no price gouging on Sydney public transport network.
.Rideshares may surge but I refer you to the last sentence at the bottom.

Trains are high risk to delays and incidents.

All modes of transport have delays and cancellations.

What about the airport chaos getting fans home to PER from the 2026 AFL grand final.

it is a lot easier chartering buses than aircraft
Forget driving though there are a lot of car parks there

Between buses and trains, it will be an easy logistic exercise - it's been done for the last 26 years

Yes I have. I am sure it will fill up fast.

Why?.
NRL GF tickets at Sydney Olympic Park INCLUDE public transport fares on eligible trains/buses for the day to and from Sydney Olympic Park

 

[drron]

I think the authorities felt it was going to be The Panthers in the GF not the Knights. How they won after being a man down for all of the second half was beyond comprehension.

 

[PERLHR]

From what I can gather Virgin continues to cancel flights via app to pax trying to get home from Melbourne. I suspect that management has a lot to answer for this shambles for airfares that were through the roof and no delivery. Once again accountability in Australia sadly lacking and it's quite obvious.

 

[markis10]

Yes I have. I am sure it will fill up fast.

Not when there are Syd Fogg busses coming down the m1 as they tend to do

 

[jase05]

Yes I have. I am sure it will fill up fast.

This will be NRL GF number 8 for me and I’ve driven out to 5 of them previously and never had an issue with parking. It’s built for getting people in and out

 

[AuSammy]

Jeez must give pause for thought for the codes when VA are a sponsor of the event and they put on 4,000 seats and then cancel heaps willy nilly and QF put on 10,000 extra seats and haven’t seen any evidence of a lot of cancellations.

 

[PERLHR]

Jeez must give pause for thought for the codes when VA are a sponsor of the event and they put on 4,000 seats and then cancel heaps willy nilly and QF put on 10,000 extra seats and haven’t seen any evidence of a lot of cancellations.

Yeah a lot of unhappy people ....still not heard anything from VA HQ. ..

 

[kerfuffle]

NRL & NRLW Grand Final 2026

With around 80,000 footy fans expected to attend the NRL & NRLW Grand Final, ticketholders are urged to leave the car at home and catch public transport to avoid getting caught in traffic delays. Travel on transport is included in event tickets.

transportnsw.info

Extra trains between Newcastle and Sydney before and after the game. (Actual number not disclosed.)

They cancelled the trackwork lol Alert details | transportnsw.info

 

[serfty]

.... How they won after being a man down for all of the second half was beyond comprehension.

Not really, the person was sent off in response to an action that put the best NRL player so far this decade out of the game.

It was not an even swap ...

 

[LionKing]

Not when there are Syd Fogg busses coming down the m1 as they tend to do

What about if M1 is closed due to accident?

 

[jase05]

What about if M1 is closed due to accident?

They had 60k at the game yesterday and no issue with people getting down from Newcastle. There will be 80k for the GF and will be handled with ease

 

[Quickstatus]

What about if M1 is closed due to accident?

What if the sky falls down.
While travellers should plan for contingencies, there comes a point where it becomes an overreaction to an imagined crisis.

Traffic from Newcastle on the M1 on Sunday will not even be close to the normal weekday morning peak traffic.

But if the M1 closes, there is always the Old Pacific Highway or use the Wiseman's Ferry.
Heck you could even go via Singketon and use the Putty Road.

But why would you? The GF tickets includes public transport - yes from Newcastle....

This will be a nothing burger - barring the sky falling down - but check with the dinosaurs.

you have little choice but to fly.

The adventurous could drive their electric car (not cheating with a hybrid) across the Nullabor
The slightly less adventurous could take the Indian Pacific and then the Overland

They cancelled the trackwork lol

Good idea!