Sydney teams to descend on Perth for second HoopsFest

The Sydney Kings and Flames will return to Western Australia for the ultimate celebration of basketball in January, after HoopsFest was confirmed on Monday in Perth for a second straight year. 

 HoopsFest, the fusion of sport, culture, music and entertainment, will once again take over the state – this time from January 15-18.

Significantly, all the action will take place during the regular season for both the NBL and WNBL competitions, meaning blockbuster matchups across four unforgettable days.

“We are delighted to be heading back to Perth for HoopsFest, after what was an incredible experience last year,” NBL CEO David Stevenson said. 

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“The shift to the January school holiday period is a great result for basketball fans all around the country, and for those wanting to experience the best of basketball and all it has to offer, then HoopsFest is not to be missed. 

“This year, we're particularly excited to host the first-ever joint round of NBL and WNBL regular season matches, making it an even more historic event for our sport. 

“We want to thank the Western Australian Government, Tourism WA and VenuesWest for their continued support and partnership – it’s because of them that we’re able to bring this unique and growing celebration of basketball to life.

"We also want to thank all our clubs for their participation not only through their involvement in the games, but also the community events and fan initiatives.”

Echoing Stevenson’s sentiments is WNBL CEO Jennie Sager.

"HoopsFest is a vibrant celebration of everything we love about basketball — the perfect chance for everyone to experience the game, whether you're a longtime fan or attending for the first time,” Sager said.

“Women's basketball is thriving like never before, both here in Australia and globally, and the WNBL offers a rare opportunity to see Olympians, WNBA champions, and Australia's top talent all on one court."

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Returning after a successful first event, HoopsFest Perth will once again feature fan activities like Sneakerland, along with a huge line-up of food, music, entertainment, and community engagement.

New in 2026, the HoopsFest Cup will bring together open-age men's and women's players from around Australia for a four-day basketball tournament, with each team playing for $25,000 and giving them the unprecedented chance to become part of the HoopsFest action. 

Entry to the tournament will be open to all.

"With the success of last year’s inaugural HoopsFest, it’s great that Perth’s secured Australia’s biggest basketball festival once again to delight fans in venues across the city,” WA Tourism Minister, the Hon. Reece Whitby MLA said.

“Western Australia has a long, proud and successful basketball history with the Perth Wildcats and Perth Lynx, so we're very excited to see this event return. 

“It's yet another opportunity to showcase our world-class sporting facilities and spotlight Western Australia as an incredible tourism destination, and host of major events.”

During the 2025-26 edition of HoopsFest, the Kings will take on Brisbane on Thursday night before the Flames battle Geelong on Friday - both at RAC Arena.

The NBL and WNBL games featuring as part of HoopsFest Perth are:

• Thursday, January 15: Perth Lynx vs Bendigo Spirit (WNBL) and Sydney Kings vs Brisbane Bullets (NBL).
• Friday, January 16: Geelong United vs Sydney Flames (WNBL) and Perth Wildcats vs Illawarra Hawks (NBL).
• Saturday, January 17: Southside Flyers vs Adelaide Lightning (WNBL), Cairns Taipans vs New Zealand Breakers (NBL) and Melbourne United vs Tasmania JackJumpers (NBL)
• Sunday, January 18: Adelaide 36ers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix (NBL) and Townsville Fire vs Canberra Capitals (WNBL).

Fans are encouraged to register their interest now at hoopsfest.com.au and be the first to know all the details and reserve their tickets.