Perth’s Optus Stadium has been selected by the AFL to host the State of Origin match between Western Australia and Victoria on February 14, 2026 with the world-class venue set to be in the spotlight once again.

The AFL confirmed on September 15 that the iconic state-based rivalry matches will return to the elite level for the first time since 1999 when Victoria played South Australia at the MCG. It will be the first time the Victorians have played Western Australia since 1992 with Perth first hosting a match in 1977.

The stadium’s grounds crew will have their hands full in preparation for the match amidst what is going to be at the tail-end of an action-packed summer of cricket in the middle of it. 

Alongside the State of Origin match, Optus Stadium will host the first Ashes Test match clash between Australia and England from November 21-25 and an ODI between Australia and India on October 19.

The stadium, which officially opened in early 2018 and has a capacity of nearly 65,000 making it the third largest sporting venue in Australia, will also be hosting the Perth Scorchers BBL home games this summer.

The 2026 AFL Origin game will be broadcast on Channel 7 and Fox, as well as 7Plus and Kayo streaming platforms, spotlighting Perth and its world-class sporting facilities to the rest of the nation.

Further match details including tickets, match time, squads and more will be announced in the coming months. All event information will be available at Origin.AFL.

Story by Nick Creely