Emirates on Friday announced an Australian-themed presence at the 2027 Australian Open, with a coastline-inspired marquee, a menu of local produce, and a new date for Kids Tennis Day, which the airline sponsors.

The airline said the theme marks more than 30 years of Emirates flying to and from Australia. It will be the official airline of the tournament for 2027.

The Emirates Marquee at Melbourne Park will use a “Coastline as a Landscape” design, which the airline said turns sea, sand, and sky into an abstract form through layered horizontal curves and a natural colour palette.

The 2027 menu, called “Adventures Around the Coastline”, includes Mount Martha mussel escabeche, paperbark-smoked salmon, quandong-cured kingfish, seasonal oysters, Indigo Valley lamb with a Vegemite glaze and a pavlova station with Davidson plum meringues. Reimagined classics include “Adult Fairy Bread”, made with petite toasts topped with premium roe, and “Shrimp on the Barbie”, smoked under a cloche. Emirates’ unlimited First Class caviar service will also return at selected events and during the Finals Series.

Emirates said it will host more than 1,350 guests in the marquee during the tournament, including Skywards members, business leaders, celebrities, and sporting figures. It said it has welcomed more than 16,000 guests there since 2015.

Kids Tennis Day Presented by Emirates will move to Sunday, Jan 10, 2027, as the tournament expands, Tennis Australia said, according to the release. The day will have one-day-only activities across the precinct and the return of the Rod Laver Arena Spectacular.

Barry Brown, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President Australasia, said that as the airline returns as Official Airline, “it only felt right to put Australia at the centre of it all”. He said the theme celebrates Australian food, creativity and hospitality, and that Emirates is proud to continue presenting Kids Tennis Day.

Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo said the Australian Open continues to evolve and that the tournament’s expansion marks another milestone. He said the move gives fans an extra day and puts families and young people at the centre of the opening weekend.

Former Australian player Lleyton Hewitt said the day lets children and families get close to the game and see leading players, and could inspire a lifelong interest in the sport. He called its new opening-weekend slot a great outcome for families.

Emirates also said matches will be shown live on its inflight entertainment system, ice, and that flights will carry AO-themed amenities and menus.

Source: PR