Where To Watch The AFL Grand Final In Melbourne
It’s a universal fact that Melburnians love their sport. And when it comes to footy, the passion is dialled up to the max. So, we're sure you're all across the fact that the 2026 AFL Grand Final will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, 26 September.
Now if you don't have tickets to the game, the pressing question is where to watch the big dance this Saturday. In keeping with tradition, plenty of places are ordering extra booze, running game day specials and streaming the game live and loud, so whether you're looking for a classic day at the pub, a little time in the sun on a rooftop, or something different entirely—Melbourne venues are delivering.
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- Melbourne Pubs To Watch The 2026 AFL Grand Final
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Somewhere A Little Different To Watch The 2026 AFL Grand Final
Melbourne Pubs To Watch The 2026 AFL Grand Final
Builders Arms Hotel
211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Known for high-end meat raffles and brilliant quiz nights, Builders Arms Hotel is raring to go with footy-themed fun from Thursday night to Sunday.
Doors open at 11am on Saturday, with $3 pots until the first goal. Walk ins are welcome all day in the public bar while there’s a delish $110pp grand final menu featuring all the classics.
Recovery day features a Sunday Roast of slow-roasted lamb shoulder, lemon &thyme potatoes, salsa verde with wine, bloody marys and Guinness pints.
The Grandview Hotel–The Front Bar
429 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield
Think giant platters piled high with chicken wings, sliced steak, chorizo and more, with The Front Bar crew teasing that a pie special for Grand Final day is still in the works. Grandview co-owner Norah El-Fahkri says, “We want every goal to get a roar and every platter to get demolished.”
The Duke of Wellington
146 Flinders Street, Melbourne
With more than 20 beers on tap, The Duke hits the spot for footy buzz, with heaps of screens, pre-game hype and post-game celebrations. The multi-level venue—Melbourne’s oldest continuously licensed pub—opens at 10am on Grand Final day.
Riverland Bar
Federation Wharf Vaults 1–9, Melbourne
For 20 years, Riverland Bar has been a staple of Melbourne’s hospo scene. It's just the right level of relaxed, with a massive beer garden and hearty plates. It’s a 9am start on Grand Final day, with bacon and egg rolls and hot dogs on the go early, and a DJ on the decks from 6pm. Bookings are advised but walk ins are welcome.
Royal Saxon
545 Church St, Richmond
Also in the heart of Richmond, Royal Saxon is the place to be for a full day of Grand Final action. There’s a $35 pp brekkie, including a beer, to set you up for the big day ahead.
From midday ($100pp) you get a guaranteed seat, with the ticket price redeemed on food and bevvies through the day. The venue boasts a massive three metre screen, so heaps of vantage points for game watching.
Flying Duck Hotel
67 Bendigo St, Prahran
Doors open at 12pm at The Duck, where the team are throwing snags, beef rissoles and lamb skewers on the BBQ ($30 pp with potato salad and onion gravy on the side) for Grand Final Day. Of course, the footy will be on the screen live and loud, with $15 margaritas and spritzes all day.
Angel of Malvern
641 Dandenong Road, Malvern
The Public Bar at the newly opened Angel of Malvern is here to make sure you don't miss a minute of the action with its four metre screen in the beer garden. There'll be plenty of snacks, share plates and salads to keep you fed, plus the newly created Angel Lager on the taps.
The Kingston
55 Highett Street, Richmond
You’ll spot footy players Dion Prestia and Darcy Wilson at The Kingston on the Thursday, 24 September, where two lucky punters will win Grand Final tickets.
For those who aren't lucky enough to go, the public bar, deck and beer garden at The Kingston are so close to the MCG, you’ll almost hear the crowd roar on game day. Seven screens will show all the action at the recently spruced-up pub.
Terminus Hotel
492 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North
It's face painting and a half-time handball competition at The Terminus. The party starts early too, with a beer garden package of $75pp offering VIP seating, bottomless drinks from siren to siren and snacks to stay fuelled for every tackle, mark and goal.
The Waterside Hotel
508 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Every game-changing moment will be screened at The Balter Lounge on level one at The Waterside, with five hours of free-flowing food and drinks from 12pm for $148 pp. Bookings are also open for a more casual footy-watching vibe on the ground floor.
Melbourne Rooftops To Watch The 2026 AFL Grand Final
Image: The Osborne | Website
The Osborne Rooftop
119 Commercial Road, South Yarra
Get primed with pre-game live music and a bottomless BBQ buffet chaser at the Osborne Rooftop. There are seven big screens, with DJs taking over after the final siren. Entry is from 12pm with tickets from $35.
Morris House
120 Exhibition St, Melbourne
Morris House is turning up the game day energy with two offerings from 2pm to 6pm.
The $109pp option brings bottomless beer, wine and roaming canapes—but limited seating. Then there’s the VIP rooftop $210pp treatment with a guaranteed seat, bottomless beer, wine and spirits, roaming canapes and fancy food stations. DJs will also follow the final siren.
Quarterhouse
693 Collins Street, Docklands
A massive 3.5 metre rooftop screen will welcome you when doors open at 11:30am at Quarterhouse.
From siren to siren, there’ll be rooftop fun, roving canapes, and bottomless wine and beers for $110pp. For an extra $20pp bottomless spirits can be added. The public bar on the ground floor will also screen the game. Bookings are essential.
Somewhere A Little Different To Watch The 2026 AFL Grand Final
Image: The Fifth Province | Supplied
The Fifth Province
3/60 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
The outdoor BBQ will be firing and the Guinness flowing at this character-filled Irish pub, known for live music, sport and hearty pub grub. It’s set within the historic St Kilda Railway Station and has just opened a snazzy Beer Garden. Celebrations are set to continue well into the night with live music.
Hopscotch
Ground Floor, 4 Riverside Quar, Southbank
It’s a five-day affair at Hopscotch, starting with AFL trivia on Wednesday, 23 September and live music on Thursday and Friday.
Door will open at 9am for brekkie on Saturday, with more live music at 11am.
A $179 siren to siren package on the front terrace includes bottomless selected drinks, a game-day main, unlimited wings and froyo. There’s also a $65 food-only deal.
Sunday recovery will start with live acoustic music from 11am.
Molly Rose
279-285 Wellington Street, Collingwood
Every beer and pizza purchase earns a token to enter Molly Rose's Tank of Glory competition, drawn after the final siren. The prize? Designing and naming your very own Molly Rose beer. The winner can even join the team for brew day.
The best part is the winner returns for round one of the 2027 AFL season, bringing ten mates to sample the beer, fresh from the tank.
Freddie Wimpoles
125 Fitzroy St, St Kilda
The American-style dive bar tucked in the historic George Hotel is a fave late-night boozer for many, with craft beer and cocktails. The menu is inspired by Deep South classics like fried chicken served by the bucket. For Grand Final day, there'll be a big screen and CBCo Draught beers served cold and fast for ten bucks.
Jamsheed Wines
4 Albert Street, Preston
Jamsheed Wines is transforming its Preston warehouse into a dream headquarters for footy fans wanting a solid feed. Cocktails and wine flow as the game streams live across the industrial tasting room.
The kitchen is serving varied plates to the tune of woodfired flatbread with cashew butter, pork jowl with pickled pineapple, steak and chicken parma.
Crane Bar & Lounge
9 Maritime Place, Docklands
Settle in for something a little more luxe at 1Hotel's Crane Bar, as it screens the match live while serving some of the city’s finest cocktails. The terrace is open for the watch-party overflow, while the Grand Final event runs from 2:30pm to 6:30pm. All are welcome to kick on into the night.
Daphne
52–54 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
A full a-la-carte menu is available at Daphne—the warm and unpretentious venue created by Hannah Green, owner of nearby Etta. The much-loved neighbourhood diner is setting up a screen at the back for footy lovers, while the bistro is serving pints of Daphne Draught and tap wines for $10.
Image credit: AFL | Supplied