Fans Received Free Seat Upgrades at AEW Grand Slam Australia

AEW Grand Slam Australia is going down today, February 14, 2026, at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney — but the big story before the bell rang isn’t about the card. It’s about seat upgrades.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the show reportedly sold around 7,001 tickets heading into the event. For comparison, Qudos Bank Arena has a full capacity of approximately 21,000. And now, fans inside the building are reporting something interesting: free seat upgrades.

Several attendees took to Twitter to share that they were unexpectedly moved to better sections before the show began. One fan wrote:

“Free upgraded tickets for tonight’s show in Sydney… Unsure if enough tickets were sold for a 20,000 capacity venue or if Tony was just being nice. It’ll be interesting to see if the same thing happens in Brisbane tomorrow night. #AEWGrandSlam #AEWHouseRules”

Another attendee was more direct in their interpretation as they said they got upgraded seats because AEW wasn’t selling enough tickets.

“Upgraded seat cause AEW wasnt selling enough tickets 🤣🤣🤣 #AEWGrandSlam #AEW”

Adding fuel to the conversation, another fan posted a video from inside the arena simply captioned: “Free upgrade” While consolidating crowds into lower sections is common practice across live events to improve atmosphere and camera presentation, the timing of the tweets has put a limelight on ticket sales.

With approximately 7,001 tickets reportedly distributed in a venue built to hold three times that number, AEW appears to be shifting attendees closer to the action. Whether the upgrades were a goodwill gesture or a strategic move to tighten up the building, fans inside Qudos Bank Arena are definitely sitting closer than they expected tonight.

Do you think the free upgrades were simply a fan-friendly move, or a sign that AEW needed to adjust for lower ticket sales? Let us know what you think in the comments below.