Sydney loses major sporting event due to 'limitations' to fan access

SailGP has announced its 13-event calendar for the 2027 season, but it features a massive absentee: the Sydney Sail Grand Prix has been officially dropped from the schedule.

The sport is shifting its Australian focus entirely to Western Australia, backing the Perth Grand Prix in Fremantle as the nation's new premier event.

According to an official SailGP statement, the decision comes down to the physical limitations of Sydney's race venue. The sport's rapidly growing footprint now demands larger, shore-based ticketed vantage points for fans, which Sydney is unable to provide.

READ MORE: 'Ready to fight': Arrow speaks after devastating diagnosis

READ MORE: 'Leg was still there': Star's fear when he woke from surgery

READ MORE: Celebration that got US teen disqualified in title race

While Sydney Harbour offers one of the most iconic backdrops in the sport, its primary viewing hub at Shark Island simply cannot accommodate the grandstands and large-scale onshore hospitality facilities required.

The island is rocky and unsafe for temporary infrastructure to be built on it and without a substantial onshore grandstand, a significant portion of the fan base is locked out.

With the spectator zone largely accessible only by boat, this was a logistical hurdle the sport was unable to solve ahead of the 2027 calendar launch.

Despite Sydney's omission, SailGP officials left the door open for a future return, noting that the league is actively looking for alternatives.

"Sydney has delivered spectacular racing since it hosted the very first SailGP event back in 2019, in one of the most iconic and beautiful harbour locations in the world," the official statement said.

"Over that time, SailGP has experienced incredible growth, and we're especially grateful to local fans and to our partners for their support - notably the New South Wales Government and Destination NSW.

"While a return to Sydney in 2027 has not been pursued due to the limitations of the current Race Stadium footprint – which to date has only allowed a limited number of fans to have access via Shark Island or spectator boats - we remain positive about a potential return to Sydney in the future.

"We will continue working with local stakeholders to explore alternative locations which can accommodate the grandstands and on-shore hospitality facilities that are now standard at most SailGP events across the globe."

When contacted by Wide World of Sports for a comment, a Destination NSW spokesperson said, "the NSW Government through Destination NSW has proudly supported SailGP in Sydney since 2021, showcasing the Harbour City to a global audience."

"While it is disappointing that SailGP have decided not to include Sydney in their 2027 series calendar, the NSW Government through Destination NSW remains open to discussions with SailGP for the event to return to its most spectacular location on Sydney Harbour in the future.

"Sydney and NSW remain Australia's leading destination for world-class sporting events, with a stellar line up already secured for 2027 including the New Year's Test Match, Rugby World Cup 2027, Netball World Cup 2027 and Newcastle Surfest WSL Challenger Series."

Fan numbers at both events in Australia also give a quick snapshot of how important the grandstands are to get spectators out to events.

Fremantle boasted a sold-out event with more than 15,000 fans across the event, while Sydney trailed massively, only able to accommodate less than 6,000 fans at Shark Island.

Sydney holds a legacy position as the longest-running event on the circuit, having hosted the debut of the new, F50 catamaran event in 2019.

For 2027, a new event in Hong Kong will kick off the season in January before SailGP heads to the new Australia Sail Grand Prix in Perth.