Canberra Secures 2027 NBL Ignite Cup Finals and Andrew Gaze MVP Awards in Landmark ACT Partnership

The National Basketball League has announced a major partnership with the ACT Government that will see Canberra host the 2027 Ignite Cup Finals and the prestigious Andrew Gaze MVP Awards in February.

Under the agreement, the new tournament format will conclude with a four-team Ignite Cup Finals Series at the AIS Arena, featuring Semi-Finals on Friday, February 19, and a blockbuster decider on Sunday, February 21.

Meanwhile, the Andrew Gaze MVP Awards will be presented from the Great Hall in Parliament House, marking the first time the national accolades have been hosted outside Melbourne in more than a decade. The weekend features a record-breaking prize pool of $550,000, representing the largest financial incentive in League history as twenty Wednesday night regular-season fixtures culminate in a postseason showdown.

Emphasising the commercial significance of the agreement, NBL Group CEO, David Stevenson, highlighted the rapid evolution of the mid-week tournament.

“The Ignite Cup has quickly become one of the standout innovations in the NBL, bringing knockout intensity into the Hungry Jack’s NBL regular season and creating must-watch basketball every Wednesday night.”

“Introducing a Final Four series and bringing it to Canberra is a fantastic evolution of the competition.

“Fans will experience a festival of basketball, with the best teams battling it out over one incredible weekend for the biggest prize pool in NBL history,” Stevenson said.

Echoing his sentiments, ACT Chief Minister, Hon. Andrew Barr, noted the broader commercial benefits for local hospitality and tourism operators.

“This is a slam dunk for Canberra and a great example of what’s possible when we build strong, genuine partnerships with national sporting codes.”

“Bringing the 2027 Ignite Cup Finals and the Andrew Gaze MVP Awards to our city means the entire NBL family – from players, officials, and fans from every club – will be here for a full weekend.

“The Ignite Cup Finals will fill our hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars, supporting local jobs and giving our accommodation and hospitality sectors a fantastic boost,” Barr stated. 

The high-profile event acquisition is designed to deliver a substantial economic uplift to the Territory’s tourism economy while building strategic momentum toward the potential rebirth of a Canberra-based NBL franchise. The partnership directly aligns with the ACT Government’s T2030 objective to increase visitor spending by $1 billion by 2030, supported by a broader $31.1 million infrastructure commitment to advance planning and design for a new National Convention and Entertainment Centre alongside upgrades to the Belconnen Basketball Stadium.

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