Serving up the best year yet – the Australian Open’s 2024 Grand Slam introduces new facial recognition entry technology while breaking attendance records

The record-breaking tournament marked the introduction of Ticketmaster’s enhanced digital ticket technology with 90% of all tickets scanned using SafeTix. This provided fans with the assurance of ticket authenticity and accelerated the speed of entry with our tap-and-go NFC functionality.

In another exciting addition, Ticketmaster Australia and the Australian Open partnered with Wicket to introduce AO Express Entry - allowing premium experience guests to utilise brand new facial recognition technology for quicker entry.

AO Express Entry gave selected premium experience guests the option to link their existing Ticketmaster account to a selfie which took the place of a digital ticket, enabling them to sail through entry points with a speedy and simple facial scan. This trial heralds the AO as the first event to ever use the technology in the country.

“Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at the Australian Open, and we expect AO Express Entry to be a game changer as we continually look for new ways to provide a seamless experience for our fans,” Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.

“With support from Ticketmaster, the AO is the first event in Australia to trial this cutting-edge technology, which we expect to roll out further at AO 2025,” confirmed Tiley.

“Our partnership with the Australian Open underpins our shared vision to embrace new and innovative ways to deliver an unforgettable experience to all fans”, said Ticketmaster Australia Managing Director, Gavin Taylor.

Ticketmaster is uniquely positioned to help integrate express entry technology into the fan journey. To learn more about it, please reach out to your Client Development Manager.