Forty years of Australian music in one room
This one is a milestone. The 2026 ARIA Music Awards is the 40th annual ceremony run by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The first ARIAs were held in 1987, and since then the trophies have become the country’s main measure of a year in recorded music.
The night takes place on 18 November 2026 at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. The format is familiar to anyone who has watched before. Award categories are presented between live performances, inductees join the ARIA Hall of Fame, and the red carpet outside gets nearly as much coverage as the stage.
Inside the Hordern Pavilion
The building is older than the awards by decades. The Hordern Pavilion opened in 1924 as an exhibition hall for the Royal Easter Show. It is a heritage-listed hall with a high, arched roof, and it has since become one of Sydney’s best-known mid-sized concert venues.
For the ARIAs, the floor holds the industry crowd: artists, labels and managers at tables in front of the stage. That layout explains why the room looks so close on television. The ceremony has come back to the Hordern in recent years, and the scale suits a show built on performances.
Getting to Moore Park
The Hordern sits in Moore Park, south-east of the city centre, near the Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium. Public transport is easier than driving here. Big events in the precinct fill the surrounding roads.
- Light rail: the L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford lines stop at Moore Park, a short walk from the pavilion.
- On foot: Central Station is roughly a 25-minute walk away through Surry Hills.
- Buses: routes along Anzac Parade from Central pass the precinct.
- Paying: Sydney’s trains, light rail and buses take an Opal card or a contactless bank card or phone, tapped on and off.
Tickets, broadcast and watching from elsewhere
The ARIA ceremony is first and foremost an industry night. The official ARIA website is where ticket information lives, along with category and nominee details. No prices are given here because none were supplied to us. The ARIA site and its ticketing partner list the current figures.
Most people watch on screen. Network 10 broadcasts the 40th ARIAs in Australia, and Paramount+ streams it. Visitors from overseas should know that Paramount+ content varies by country, so access from a foreign account is not guaranteed. In Sydney, plenty of pubs and bars put big music nights on their screens, so the show is easy to catch with a crowd.
Red-carpet night: how the evening usually works
The red carpet comes first. Artists usually arrive in waves before the ceremony starts, and fans often gather near the arrivals area for a glimpse of them. The evening’s fashion is a big part of the coverage, so the carpet tends to run long.
Inside, the mood is part awards show, part industry reunion. Guests mix between tables during breaks, and the loudest cheers usually go to the performance slots. A few habits help international visitors fit in:
- Tipping is not expected at Sydney bars; rounding up is a small courtesy, not a rule.
- Cards and phones are the normal way to pay at venue bars and nearby.
- Getting home: after the show, most of the crowd heads for the Moore Park light rail stop or walks towards Oxford Street. Rideshare pickups bunch up around the precinct exits.
Mid-November is late spring in Sydney. Evenings are usually mild, which makes the walk to Paddington or Surry Hills a common way to end the night.
Around Moore Park before and after
The Hordern sits inside a small entertainment district. The Entertainment Quarter next door has cinemas, bars and restaurants, so it is the obvious place for a drink before the ceremony. Centennial Park starts just to the east, with wide lawns and paths for a daytime visit.
For a longer night, Oxford Street in Paddington and Darlinghurst runs north of the precinct, lined with pubs and late venues. Surry Hills, to the west, has some of Sydney’s densest restaurant streets around Crown Street. Visitors who come mainly for the ARIAs usually stay in the city centre or Surry Hills, close to both the light rail and Central Station.
Frequently asked questions
When and where are the ARIA Music Awards 2026?
The 40th ARIA Music Awards takes place on 18 November 2026 at the Hordern Pavilion in Moore Park, Sydney.
How do I get to the Hordern Pavilion?
Take the L2 Randwick or L3 Kingsford light rail to the Moore Park stop, which is a short walk from the venue. Central Station is roughly 25 minutes away on foot, and buses on Anzac Parade serve the precinct. Opal cards and contactless cards work on all of them.
Where is ticket information for the 2026 ARIAs?
Ticket information lives on the official ARIA website. The ceremony is mainly an industry event, and current prices are listed by ARIA and its ticketing partner.
Can I watch the ARIAs on TV or streaming?
Yes. Network 10 broadcasts the ceremony in Australia and Paramount+ streams it. Paramount+ content varies by country, so viewers abroad may not get access.
What is there to do near the venue?
The Entertainment Quarter next door has bars, cinemas and restaurants. Centennial Park is just east, and the pubs of Oxford Street in Paddington and the restaurants of Surry Hills are within walking distance.
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