Valve has announced ticket sale details for the playoff stage of The International 2026. The event will take place from August 20 to 23 in Shanghai at the SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center.
Official ticket sales will begin on June 10 at 9:00 AM Kyiv time. This year, the organizers have completely removed general admission seating. Every seat in the arena will be individually assigned and reserved during the purchase process. Fans will be able to choose between single-day tickets or two-day packages covering either Thursday–Friday or Saturday–Sunday.
Ticket prices vary depending on the matchday and proximity to the stage. Seating is divided into four categories: Tier A, Tier B, Tier C, and Tier D.
Single-day weekday tickets will cost between $60 and $165. Saturday tickets range from $75 to $205, while tickets for the grand final Sunday will cost between $105 and $265. Two-day passes for Thursday and Friday are priced from $110 to $320, while weekend packages range from $170 to $460 depending on the selected section.
The purchasing process has been split into domestic and international sales channels.
For fans in China, tickets will be sold through the platforms Damai and Perfect World using a valid Chinese ID. During the first 20 minutes, there will be a priority access period exclusively for active Chinese players who have played at least 10 matches over the last six months and verified their account status before June 3, 2026. General sales for the Chinese market will open at 2:30 PM local Kyiv time equivalent.
International fans will be able to purchase tickets starting at 9:30 AM Kyiv time through Trip.com. Foreign attendees will need a valid passport and are encouraged to create an account on the platform in advance in order to upload the required participant documents ahead of time.
To combat ticket scalping, strict purchase limitations have been introduced. Each account may buy no more than two tickets per event day. All tickets will be fully personalized and cannot be transferred, gifted, or resold. Entry to the arena will only be permitted with an official photo ID or passport matching the name specified on the ticket.
Refund policies will follow the terms and conditions of either Damai or Trip.com depending on the chosen purchasing platform.
As previously reported, Valve also announced the invited teams and regional qualifier schedule for The International 2026.
