World leaders in sport will again descend on Victoria this year as the nation's pre-eminent sport business gathering SportNXT Melbourne returns.
The 2026 SportNXT Summit was launched today with more than 300 of Victoria's leaders in sport and business gathering to share ideas and discuss opportunities to capitalise on Victoria's jam-packed major events calendar.
The three-day summit will be held 7-9 September in the build up to a blockbuster Australian first, the NFL regular season match at the MCG between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Franciso 49ers.
The 2026 Summit will feature globally renowned speakers discussing innovations and issues impacting the future of sport, while promoting Victoria's array of sport businesses and industries.
Today's launch featured a series of panel discussions with senior global leaders in sport including LA Rams' Head of International and Special Projects Stephanie Cheng.
SportNXT made its debut in Melbourne in 2022 thanks to Victorian Government support and has helped secure Victoria's place as a global leader in sport and major events.
It's quickly become one of the most prestigious sports business conferences in the southern hemisphere and an annual major event in Melbourne, positioning Victoria as a global centre of excellence and innovation in sport and major events.
The state's packed calendar of events generates around $3.3 billion a year for the state's economy thanks to events like the Australian Open, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, and AFL Grand Final.
Victoria's major event calendar will keep rolling following a record breaking 2026 Australian Open with more blockbuster events in Australia's sporting capital, including the 2026 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and Melbourne's historic first ever National Football League regular season match.
More details on SportNXT 2026, including key speakers, will be released soon. For more information, visit https://sportnxt.org/
As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
"SportNXT has quickly become an important event for sporting heavyweights from around the world. SportNXT 2026 will again promote the very best of Victoria's sport sector to an engaged and passionate global audience."
"This one-day networking event will be the ideal way to kick start the build up to the SportNXT Summit this September. As the sporting capital of Australia, there's no better place to hold such an influential sports business gathering."
As stated by SportNXT Co-Founder Eddie McGuire AM
"SportNXT has become a vital part of Victoria's sporting story; a forum where the brightest minds in global sport come together to share ideas and shape the future of the industry. No city is better placed to lead that conversation than Melbourne."
"With a record‑breaking Australian Open behind us and the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, AFL Grand Final, Melbourne Cup, Boxing Day Test and our first-ever NFL regular season game still ahead, 2026 is shaping up as another powerhouse year for sport in this city. SportNXT 2026 will again prove that Victoria doesn't just host major events; we help set the agenda for world sport."
