PAX Aus 2026 Schedule: The Panels Worth Planning Around

The PAX Aus 2026 schedule is live, and the useful question is no longer whether there is enough to see. It is what to leave room for. Across three days at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 9–11 October, the programme runs from big-name game talks to local fan events, cosplay and a secret-game finale.

We have already covered Saturday’s badge sell-out, the Indie Showcase winners and the Witcher demo. Here are the other sessions we would use as anchors, with enough unscheduled time left to explore. Check the official timetable before travelling: PAX warns that sessions can change.

Friday: start with Storytime, then find Sonic

World of Warcraft executive producer Holly Longdale opens Friday’s programme with Storytime at noon in the Main Theatre. PAX announced her as its 2026 speaker in May, promising a look back at a career spanning EverQuest, Disney and Blizzard. For anyone interested in how an online world survives for decades, it is an unusually good first-day destination.

Later, the smaller, stranger pick is Sonic Showdown & Spotlight in the Fruitbat Theatre. PAX describes it as an Australian fan-made celebration of the blue hedgehog. That makes it a useful reminder that a convention is more than the largest publisher booths. Leave time to discover what the community made for itself.

Saturday: Final Fantasy XIV and Australian fantasy

At 1pm Saturday, localisation veteran Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and community-and-service head Toshio “Foxclon” Murouchi take on a hot-sauce challenge and discussion about the stories behind Final Fantasy XIV. The gimmick is fun; their years of experience with a game rebuilt after a disastrous first version are the real draw.

Also make room for Australian fantasy author Isobelle Carmody. The Obernewtyn Chronicles creator is on PAX’s special-guest roster, with a Saturday fireside chat about storytelling and world-building. It is a welcome change of pace between the expo hall’s screens and game demos.

Sunday: cosplay and a finale nobody can spoil

The Cosplay Central Crown Championship brings the craft side of PAX into the spotlight on Sunday. Australia’s winner will represent the country at the global final at MCM London Comic Con in 2027. The official listing places the competition at 3pm; revisit it nearer the weekend for any changes.

The Omegathon is another reason to stay until the end. PAX whittles 24 contestants through six rounds over the weekend, then reveals the final game on stage. The competitors do not know what it is in advance, which makes it one of the rare convention events that cannot be neatly spoiled by reading ahead.

Plan anchors, not every minute

PAX lists Friday and Saturday show hours through 11:30pm, while Sunday ends at 6pm. Its streaming programme covers four theatres and PAX Arena, although that does not mean every panel will be broadcast. Use the official app and schedule to handle clashes, especially if you are trying to fit a popular theatre session around time on the show floor.

Longdale, Final Fantasy XIV, Carmody, cosplay and the Omegathon would make a strong weekend on their own. The best part of PAX is usually what happens between those plans. Keep some space for it.

Featured image: PAX Australia 2013 audience, Schezar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0; colour and crop edited.

ER

About the author

Evie Rose

Norse-Aussie. I tried my luck in game development but found out I was better at playing and testing them. Did some work as a QA, now I write about games.

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