Longley: HoopsFest "lifts the whole game up"

Boomers champion Luc Longley says HoopsFest is becoming a highlight on the sporting calendar, saying the festival of basketball is a huge win for Perth and Western Australia.

HoopsFest will return to Perth in January, 2026, hosting a huge round of regular season games for both the Hungry Jack’s NBL and the WNBL.

Longley has fond memories of the first edition of the event, which was held in September, 2024.

“I loved the energy around the game,” Longley told The West Australian.

“It lifted the whole game up. We were hearing lots of basketball stories. We were watching lots of games. You could mainline as much basketball as you want to get. Often I just get into a game and want more but have to wait a week. It’s nice to have it condensed and on our home turf.

“It’s fantastic for WA basketball. I love that it’s in the school holidays so kids can get along. Watching elite basketball gets kids involved. They get excited.”

The ultimate fusion of sport, culture, music and entertainment, HoopsFest will once again take over WA – from January 15-18, 2026.

"January is always the highest month for us from an attendance point of view, and this will be a great opportunity for the whole sporting world to be focused on Perth and the epicentre of basketball at the moment,” NBL CEO David Stevenson said.

"We’ve kept prices for tickets at a very, very affordable rate. And if you remember last year, we had over 30,000 people attend various games, and we expect to exceed that number this year.

"We’ll certainly eclipse [last year’s] mark both in total attendees, but as well as people coming from interstate too. We know that’s an important part of the economic impact for this state.

"It’ll be a great way for basketball to take over the city of Perth and Western Australia and really be a high point of the season."

HoopsFest Perth is back and bigger than ever, set to deliver an exciting mix of fan experiences including the return of Sneakerland, plus food, live music, entertainment and community activations across the city.

Making its debut in 2026, the HoopsFest Cup will welcome open-age men's and women's players from all over Australia for a four-day basketball tournament, featuring prize money and the chance to join the energy of HoopsFest on court. The competition will be open to everyone.

>> REGISTER INTEREST FOR TICKETS

The NBL & WNBL games featuring as part of HoopsFest Perth are:

Thursday 15th Jan: Perth Lynx vs Bendigo Spirit (WNBL)
Sydney Kings vs Brisbane Bullets (NBL)

Friday 16th Jan: Geelong United vs Sydney Flames (WNBL)
Perth Wildcats vs Illawarra Hawks (NBL)

Saturday 17th Jan: Southside Flyers vs Adelaide Lightning (WNBL)
Cairns Taipans vs New Zealand Breakers (NBL)
Melbourne United vs Tasmania JackJumpers (NBL)

Sunday 18th Jan: Adelaide 36ers vs South East Melbourne Phoenix (NBL)
Townsville Fire vs Canberra Capitals (WNBL)

Fans are encouraged to register their interest now at hoopsfest.com.au and be the first to know all the details and reserve their tickets.

Read the full story here >> Aussie ball legend Luc Longley praises Perth for passion around HoopsFest as it returns West in January

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