Where to Watch the AFL Finals 2026 in Ubud, Bali

The Biggest Finals Shake-Up in 25 Years Is Coming to Ubud

September footy is about to look completely different. For the first time since the year 2000, the AFL is expanding its finals series — and it’s the most significant change to the competition’s finals structure in a quarter of a century. Instead of the usual top eight, ten teams will be in the mix for the 2026 premiership, with an entirely new Wildcard Round added to the calendar.

If you’re searching for where to watch the AFL finals in Ubud, the answer is The Melting Pot Saloon. We’re staying on top of every twist of this new format — sudden-death wildcard games, qualifying finals, prelims, and the Grand Final itself — all shown live, loud, and on the big screen, with seating for 200+ people so you’re never fighting for a spot when the footy’s on.

The New Wildcard Format Explained

Here’s exactly how the 2026 AFL Finals Series works, because it’s genuinely different from anything the competition has done before.

The top six teams on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season go straight through to the first full week of finals, earning a week off to rest up while everyone else fights it out. That’s where the real innovation kicks in: teams finishing 7th through 10th now play off in a brand- new standalone Wildcard Round, held across what used to be the traditional pre-finals bye weekend. It’s sudden death — lose, and your season’s over on the spot.

The matchups are set: 7th plays 10th, and 8th plays 9th. Whichever of those two winners finishes higher on the ladder takes the 7th seed into the main finals series, and the other winner takes 8th. It’s a format borrowed directly from the NBA and NBL’s play-in tournaments, designed to keep more clubs alive deeper into the season and manufacture exactly the kind of high-stakes, must-watch football that gets a bar packed on a weeknight.

The Wildcard Round is locked in for September 11–12, 2026. From there, the finals series runs across five weeks instead of the usual four, building all the way to the AFL Grand Final on Saturday, September 26.

For clubs and fans alike, the incentive structure is clear: finish in the top six and you get rest, a bye, and a more forgiving finals path. Finish 7th to 10th, and you’ve got one shot to fight your way in before the real finals series even begins. It’s a genuinely fresh way to watch September football unfold, and it means there’s a new tier of tension right in the middle of the ladder that didn’t exist in any previous AFL season.

Where the Race Currently Stands

With the home-and-away season heading into its final stretch, the top of the ladder is starting to take real shape — though plenty is still up for grabs, especially the scrap for those crucial wildcard spots.

Fremantle have been the story of the season, sitting well clear on top of the table and looking like genuine premiership favourites heading into September. The Sydney Swans have held a comfortable second spot for much of the year, while Hawthorn have quietly built themselves into a serious contender in third. Brisbane Lions have been one of the competition’s biggest movers, surging up the ladder in recent rounds and shortening in the premiership markets as a result — a genuine finals threat if their current form holds.

Below the top four, things get considerably tighter. Adelaide and Melbourne are locked in a genuine battle to cement a top-six spot and avoid the uncertainty of the new Wildcard Round altogether, while Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, Geelong, and St Kilda are all fighting it out in that critical 7th-to-10th bracket — exactly the teams who’ll be playing sudden-death football in the Wildcard Round if the ladder holds anything like its current shape. With Collingwood carrying arguably the biggest fanbase in the competition and Geelong bringing one of the most successful modern-era programs, either side sneaking into a home wildcard game would make for an enormous night in front of the TV.

Nothing is locked in yet, and there’s still a real chance for movement before the home-and-away season wraps up — which is exactly what makes the run into September worth watching closely.

Key Dates for the 2026 AFL Ubud Finals Series

Wildcard Round: September 11–12, 2026 — 7th vs 10th, 8th vs 9th, sudden death

Finals Week 1: the following weekend, featuring the top six plus the two Wildcard Round winners

AFL Grand Final: Saturday, September 26, 2026

We’ll have the full fixture and kickoff times (converted to WITA) confirmed and posted as soon as the ladder locks in after the final home-and-away rounds.

Why Watch the AFL Finals at The Melting Pot Saloon

Ubud’s largest venue for live sport.

With seating for over 250 people, there’s more room here than anywhere else in Ubud to watch a final with a proper crowd instead of squeezed into a corner.

Full sound throughout the entire venue.

Plenty of venues in town can put the game on screen, but they can’t give you commentary and crowd noise the way we can — every match, every final, no exceptions.

Big screens built for finals football.

Between our 80”+ TVs, additional large screens, and full projector setup, there isn’t a bad seat in the house for a sudden-death final.

19 craft beers on tap, ice cold.

Whichever team you’re following into September, we’ve got something to celebrate — or commiserate — with.

Texas-style food to fuel a finals marathon.

Burgers, ribs, quesadillas, and Texas chili, because five weeks of finals football deserves more than servo snacks at home.

Whether you’re locked in for Fremantle’s premiership charge, hoping Collingwood or Geelong sneak through the Wildcard Round, or just here for the finals atmosphere, The Melting Pot Saloon is where Ubud watches AFL finals football.

Stay Updated

Finals fixtures and kickoff times will be confirmed progressively as the ladder locks in over the final rounds. Follow our socials or message us on WhatsApp for the latest confirmed schedule, converted to Bali time.

Location: The Melting Pot Saloon, Jl. Raya Pengosekan (Hanoman) No. 22X, Ubud WhatsApp: +62 812-4641-0890

The Melting Pot Saloon is Ubud’s largest venue for live sport — 19 craft beers on tap, Texas-style food, 11 games, and live sport every day with the sound always on.