Perth to welcome 2026 Nationals across three host venues
Bowls Australia has confirmed that the City of Stirling in Perth will take centre stage on the national calendar, with three standout clubs set to host the 2026 Nationals.
Osborne Park Bowling Club, North Beach Bowling Club and Mount Lawley Bowling Club will share hosting duties throughout the 21-day festival, from October 2 to 22, bringing together the six of the sport’s most revered competitions and 31 national titles.
The announcement continues Western Australia’s strong tradition of staging major national tournaments and follows Perth’s successful hosting of the Nationals in 2023.
Bowls Australia Chief Executive Officer Matthew Kennedy said the bowls community was looking forward to returning to Perth.
“Western Australia delivered an exceptional Nationals in 2023 and there has been real appetite to return,” Kennedy said.
“These three clubs have outstanding greens, strong volunteer bases and a deep commitment to presenting world class events, and we are confident they will ensure another memorable Nationals experience for athletes, officials and spectators.
“We acknowledge the significant support of the Western Australian Government, through Tourism WA, as well as the City of Stirling, whose backing has helped secure the event’s return to Perth.”
Western Australia Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Reece Whitby MLA welcomed the return of the Nationals to Western Australia.
“Hosting the 2026 Nationals is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Western Australia to out-of-state visitors,” Minister Whitby said.
“Mass participation events like this play a significant role in the Cook Government’s events strategy to diversify the economy and support local businesses and local jobs, giving visitors a time sensitive reason to travel to WA and stay on after the event to explore further afield.
“Events like this also create excitement across the city, with visitors filling our restaurants, bars and shopping precincts. I look forward to welcoming the nation’s top lawn bowlers to WA next October.”
City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin said hosting the 21-day Nationals in the region would deliver strong community benefits.
“Bowls is part of the social fabric of the City of Stirling, with 10 bowls clubs, 37 active greens and almost 6,000 social and bowling members across the City,” Mayor Irwin said.
“Bringing Bowls Australia’s The Nationals 2026 to the City is the perfect way to celebrate the contribution bowls makes to our community and help introduce the sport to new players.
“I look forward to seeing some of Australia’s best bowls players in action at Osborne Park, Mount Lawley and North Beach Bowling Clubs next year.”
Bowls WA Chief Executive Officer Ken Pride said the state’s clubs were eager to again welcome the nation’s best.
“Perth is proud to host another Nationals, and we know that Osborne Park, North Beach and Mount Lawley will each bring something unique and the local bowls community will turn out in force to support its delivery,” Pride said.
“WA remains a passionate bowls state and we look forward to showcasing that again in 2026.”
2026 Nationals: Friday 2 October to Thursday 22 October
Host venues and events:
- Osborne Park Bowling Club: Australian Senior Sides Championships and Australian Sides Championships
- North Beach Bowling Club: Australian Champion of Champion and Australian Para Nationals
- Mount Lawley Bowling Club: Australian Under-18 Championships and Australian Championships
Event schedule:
Australian Champion of Champions
Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October
North Beach Bowling Club
Australian Under-18 Championships
Monday 5 October to Thursday 8 October
Mount Lawley Bowling Club
Australian Para Nationals
Tuesday 6 October to Saturday 10 October
North Beach Bowling Club
Australian Senior Sides Championships
Saturday 10 October to Tuesday 13 October
Osborne Park Bowling Club
Australian Sides Championships
Thursday 15 October to Sunday 18 October
Osborne Park Bowling Club
Australian Championships
Monday 19 October to Thursday 22 October
Mount Lawley Bowling Club
- Triples on Monday 19 October
- Pairs and Mixed Pairs on Tuesday 20 October
- Fours on Wednesday 21 October
- Singles on Thursday 22 October
Spectators will again enjoy free entry at all venues, with daily live-streaming details to be confirmed closer to the event for those following from afar.
Bowls Australia looks forward to working closely with Bowls WA, the Western Australian Government, the City of Stirling and all three host clubs to deliver another strong and memorable edition of the Nationals.
