{"id":12407,"date":"2026-09-03T01:31:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T01:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/expedia-melbourne-gridiron-city-takeover\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T01:31:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T01:31:21","slug":"expedia-melbourne-gridiron-city-takeover","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/expedia-melbourne-gridiron-city-takeover\/","title":{"rendered":"Expedia Reveals Melbourne Is Set For A Gridiron City Takeover As Fans Travel From All Over The World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>Searches surge as fans from Australia, North America and New Zealand come to join the action in Melbourne<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1\u00a0September\u00a02026, SYDNEY \u2013\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/\">Expedia<\/a><sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0today\u00a0revealed that\u00a0Melbourne is gearing up for a city takeover ahead of\u00a0Australia\u2019s first-ever\u00a0American football\u00a0regular season game, with Expedia data showing fans are travelling from across Australia and around the world to\u00a0attend the historic event.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aussies are embracing the rare opportunity to see&nbsp;elite American&nbsp;football&nbsp;stars on&nbsp;Australian&nbsp;soil, with domestic accommodation searches for Melbourne up 90% on Expedia\u00b9. The excitement is also drawing international travellers, with flight searches&nbsp;led by&nbsp;Canada&nbsp;(+85%\u00b2),&nbsp;New Zealand&nbsp;(+55%\u00b3),&nbsp;and the United States&nbsp;(+50%\u2074).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen Melbourne hosts world-class sport,&nbsp;fans&nbsp;pay attention, and Australia&#8217;s first&nbsp;gridiron&nbsp;game is no exception.\u201d said Darren Karshagen, Expedia Senior Director.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMajor sporting events are powerful travel drivers, attracting global fans and delivering benefits far beyond the stadium as Expedia data shows North American travellers&nbsp;are making the most of the journey&nbsp;to&nbsp;continue to&nbsp;explore Melbourne&nbsp;(+70%)&nbsp;after the event and continue their journey across Australia to cities like Sydney (+25%)<sup>&nbsp;5<\/sup>.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Expedia\u2019s&nbsp;Last-minute&nbsp;Travel Tips&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>You can bundle and save\u00a0on packages:\u00a0<\/strong>Flights, hotels, car\u00a0hire\u00a0and activities \u2013 all in one place. Book them together on Expedia\u00a0and you can\u00a0save hundreds on average*. Bonus: your full itinerary is stored in one place.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use Expedia\u2019s filters:<\/strong>\u00a0Quickly\u00a0identify\u00a0accommodation options that align with your travel needs.\u00a0For example, use the \u2018budget, \u2018breakfast included\u2019 or \u2018aparthotel\u2019\u00a0filter\u00a0to find\u00a0accommodation\u00a0that help you cut down on\u00a0costs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Look\u00a0beyond the stadium\u00a0precinct:\u00a0<\/strong>While the MCG will be the heart of the action, consider neighbourhoods such as Southbank, Docklands, Albert Park and Carlton to experience Melbourne like a local, from waterfront dining and rooftop bars to leafy streets, caf\u00e9s and cultural attractions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For those still planning their trip,&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;not too late. Head to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Expedia<\/a>&nbsp;and check out the range of accommodation options and package deals to help make a Melbourne game getaway happen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">###&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Notes to Editor<\/strong><strong>\u202f<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>1<\/sup><em>&nbsp;Based on accommodation searches made on&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/expedia.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Expedia.com.au<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;from 26 March 2026 \u2013 10 August 2026 for travel between 10 September \u2013 12 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>2<\/sup><em>&nbsp;Based on flight searches made on Expedia.com.ca from 26 March 2026 \u2013 10 August 2026 for travel between 9 September \u2013 13 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>3<\/sup><em>&nbsp;Based on flight searches made on Expedia.co.nz from 26 March 2026 \u2013 10 August 2026 for travel between 9 September \u2013 13 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>4<\/sup><em>&nbsp;Based on flight searches made on Expedia.com from 26 March 2026 \u2013 10 August 2026 for travel between 9 September \u2013 13 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>5<\/sup><em>&nbsp;Based on flight searches made on Expedia.com.ca from 26 March 2026 \u2013 10 August 2026 for travel between 13 September \u2013&nbsp;16&nbsp;September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>*Savings based on package bookings as compared to the price on the same components booked separately. Savings vary and are not available on all packages.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FAQ<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How much has interest is there in the game from Aussies?&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Expedia data shows domestic accommodation searches for Melbourne from Aussies increased by 90% compared to the relevant comparison period&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where are international fans travelling from?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Expedia recorded increased flight searches from Canada (+85%), New Zealand (+55%) and the United States (+50%),&nbsp;indicating&nbsp;strong international interest in the&nbsp;event.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where should fans stay in Melbourne?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to areas near the MCG, Expedia recommends considering Southbank, Docklands, Albert&nbsp;Park&nbsp;and Carlton, which offer a range of dining,&nbsp;cultural&nbsp;and local experiences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is the game driving travel beyond Melbourne?<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>Yes. Expedia is seeing interest from travellers extending their trips, with accommodation searches for Sydney up 25% after the match, suggesting many visitors are planning broader Australian holidays.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What are&nbsp;top travel&nbsp;tips&nbsp;for fans booking last-minute&nbsp;to the game?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Expedia recommends booking travel packages, using search filters to find suitable accommodation, considering neighbourhoods beyond the city centre, and exploring holiday homes as an alternative to hotels.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Searches surge as fans from Australia, North America and New Zealand come to join the action in Melbourne\u00a0 1\u00a0September\u00a02026, SYDNEY&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[185],"companies":[73],"locations":[72],"class_list":["post-12407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-expedia","companies-expedia","locations-sydney","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12407\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12407"},{"taxonomy":"companies","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/companies?post=12407"},{"taxonomy":"locations","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/locations?post=12407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}