nationals 2026
National Jigsaw Puzzle Championships 2026 event information
The Australian National Jigsaw Puzzle Championships 2026 (aka ‘Nationals’) is coming back to Melbourne!
When: Saturday 28 to Sunday 29 November 2026
Where: State Sport Centre, MSAC Albert Park
Divisions: Solos, pairs and teams
Event sponsor: Ravensburger
Prizes: Yes! 1st place: $1500; 2nd place: $1000; 3rd place: $500 across all divisions (shared between winning participants in pairs and teams).
Buy tickets
Member-only presale: From 10am Friday 19 June to 10am Sunday 21 June
Timetable
Saturday 28 November 2026
- 9am – 10am: Doors open
- 10am – 12pm: Solo Qualifying Round A
- 12.30pm – 2.30pm: Solo Qualifying Round B
- 3.30pm – 5.30pm: Teams event
- 5.30pm – 5.45pm: Teams awards ceremony
Sunday 29 November 2026
- 10am – 11am: Doors open
- 11am – 1.30pm: Pairs event
- 2.30pm – 4.00pm: Solo Final event
- 4.15pm – 4.30pm: Awards ceremony (pairs and solo)
Divisions
Solos:
For solos, we have two qualifying rounds on Saturday and the top 160 finishers from each round will go through to a solo final on Sunday. Results will be updated live, and qualifying details will be released after all results are finalised by 6pm on Saturday.
Puzzlers only need to buy one solo ticket for this event and should plan to be available for either qualifying round.
Saturday 28 November: Puzzlers will be allocated to either Qualifier A or B to complete a 500 piece Ravensburger puzzle. Solo allocations will be released in the week before nationals.
Sunday 29 November: The top 160 puzzlers from each qualifying round will complete a 500 piece Ravensburger puzzle to find the fastest puzzler in Australia!
Pairs:
Pairs is a single event on Sunday 29 November with puzzlers completing two 500-piece Ravensburger puzzles! At the start of the event, puzzlers will open their competition bag and view both puzzles. Puzzlers will be told in which order to complete the puzzles. The first completed puzzle must be packed up into its box and moved off the table before opening the second puzzle. Read more about the rules.
Teams:
Teams is a single event on Saturday 28 November. Each team will complete a 1000 piece Ravensburger puzzle. You need one ticket per team and a team can consist of any number up to four people.
Checking in at the event
When you arrive at the event, head to the welcome desk to pick up a competition card to look up your table number. No need to show your ticket at the door!
Aim to be seated at least 15 minutes before each competition start time. If you can no longer attend, please let us know as soon as possible. If the event is sold out, we may be able to resell your ticket on the waitlist.
Accessibility requests
Accessibility requests must be included with your ticketing info at least one week before the event. Please try to include as much detail as possible to help us meet your request. Find out how to update your ticket.
What’s available on the day
Raffle and merch: There will be a raffle and AJPA merchandise on sale. Bring your AJPA membership card for 20% off merch.
Pop-up shop: TBC
Prizes: As well as cash prizes and puzzles for the top three winners in each category, raffle prizes and spot prizes are also available on the day.
Refreshments: The Sir Albert Cafe will be open at main reception. A second cafe, the Aquatics Reception Cafe may also be open and is located across from the Multi Deck Carpark. It’s a 10-minute walk to Bridport Street where there are various food and drink options. If you’re competing in all three events, you might consider bringing a pre-packed lunch.
What to bring
You’re welcome to bring any gear such as puzzle sorters, cardboard sheets, energy snacks, headphones – just make sure it doesn’t intrude on other puzzlers. Bring your AJPA membership card for a discount on merchandise, money for refreshments and your unwanted puzzles for the puzzle swap.
Noise
There will be noise during the event so consider bringing noise cancelling headphones or listening to music if you are easily distracted or have sensory issues.
Other info
Getting to the venue
MSAC is well served by two tram routes which drop you behind the MSAC Arena. We recommend travelling by public transport due to the large number of competitors coming to this event.
Address
MSAC Arena, 30 Aughtie Drive Albert Park, VIC 3206
*** Please note the venue is MSAC Albert Park, not Parkville***
Nationals is located in the MSAC Arena, which is located to the left of the main entrance on the Aughtie Drive side of the venue (see map below).
Public transport
Two tram routes drop you directly behind MSAC just a minutes walk from the MSAC Arena:
- Route 96 (East Brunswick to St Kilda Beach) – Stop 129
- Route 12 (City to South Melbourne/St Kilda) – Stop 131
Parking
Paid parking for MSAC Stadiums is available all day in the MSAC Stadiums Carpark, at the southern end of MSAC, accessed from Aughtie Drive. Contactless payment upon exit only.
Event FAQ
We need your final registration details at least one week before the event. To update your ticket, find your Humanitix ticket email and click on ‘Manage Order’.
This link explains how to update your ticket: https://australianjigsawpuzzle.org.au/accessibility-requests/
We will not make name changes on the day. Our events are run by volunteers and we do our best to minimise the time they spend making admin changes – please help us by having your ticket info ready ahead of the event.
There will be 320 competitors in the solo final – 160 from each qualifying round.
We pride ourselves on creating an inclusive environment and reducing barriers to access and participate in our competitions. Our social script explains what to expect at an AJPA competition.
Pairs is a single event with two 500 piece puzzles. Each pair will get two puzzle boxes in the same competition bag. At the start of the event, puzzlers will open the competition bag and view both puzzles. Puzzlers will then be told in which order to complete the puzzles.
When the first puzzle is complete, an adjudicator will record your time, then the first completed puzzle will be packed into its box and moved off the table before you open the second puzzle. Read more about the rules.
Don’t worry, just pick up a new one at nationals. We have plenty for all competitors but encourage you to reuse them to reduce waste at our competitions.
Email volunteer@australianjigsawpuzzle.org.au to find out if we have volunteer opportunities available.
Check-in opens one hour before each event. You should be checked in and seated at least 15 minutes before the start of each division.
There will be some background noise during the competitions and some cheering when competitors complete their puzzles. If this is an issue, we recommend bringing noise cancelling headphones.
Yes you can! Spectators are very welcome to come along for free and do not need a ticket.
AJPA will cut the box stickers before the event. Competitors will only need to open the inner bag can be opened without sharp implements.
