The short version. Check the eclipse times for your ground below. Decide early whether to pause, reschedule or play on, and tell players, officials, staff and spectators. Order one certified pair for every person on site plus about 10% spare, and keep the certification pack in your event file. Make two rules clear: nobody plays, umpires, stewards or drives while wearing eclipse glasses, and anyone watching the eclipse keeps their glasses on for the whole eclipse. Order in 2027, and branded runs by the end of 2027.
When is the eclipse at your ground?
Between about 12:30pm and 3:15pm AEST in the eastern states, which is the heart of a Saturday afternoon. Inside the path of totality, from Dubbo and Bathurst through the Blue Mountains to Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast, the sky goes dark for a few minutes just before or after 2pm. Everywhere else in Australia gets a partial eclipse.
| Place | Eclipse (AEST unless shown) | Totality or Sun covered |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney CBD | 12:41pm to 3:15pm | Totality 1:59pm to 2:03pm, 3m 48s |
| Penrith | 12:40pm to 3:14pm | Totality 1:58pm to 2:02pm, 3m 46s |
| Wollongong | 12:40pm to 3:14pm | Totality 1:59pm to 2:02pm, 2m 52s |
| Gosford | 12:41pm to 3:15pm | Totality 1:59pm to 2:03pm, 3m 16s |
| Bathurst | 12:37pm to 3:13pm | Totality 1:57pm to 2:00pm, 3m 02s |
| Orange | 12:36pm to 3:13pm | Totality 1:57pm to 1:59pm, 2m 14s |
| Dubbo | 12:35pm to 3:12pm | Totality 1:55pm to 1:59pm, 3m 50s |
| Newcastle | 12:41pm to 3:15pm | 99.7% covered, maximum 2:02pm |
| Canberra | 12:38pm to 3:13pm | 96.1% covered, maximum 1:58pm |
| Brisbane | 12:41pm to 3:14pm | 81.5% covered, maximum 2:02pm |
| Melbourne | 12:32pm to 3:07pm | 81.3% covered, maximum 1:53pm |
| Adelaide | 11:48am to 2:29pm ACST | 76.2% covered, maximum 1:11pm |
| Hobart | 12:40pm to 3:07pm | 73.3% covered, maximum 1:56pm |
| Perth | 9:31am to 12:09pm AWST | 50.1% covered, maximum 10:47am |
Times from NASA eclipse elements, as on our eclipse map, which has 28 places. Totality and maximum times are rounded down to the minute.
Why does a Saturday afternoon matter?
Because that is when a lot of Australia is at a ground. In July, Saturday afternoons are full of community and junior football of every code, netball, hockey and race meetings. The partial eclipse lasts about two and a half hours, so it overlaps most of a typical match day, and totality in the path falls right in the middle of it.
The chart shows the eclipse for the main sporting centres of NSW, the ACT, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania on one clock.
Should a club or venue pause play for the eclipse?
That is for each organiser, competition and venue to decide. When we checked on 13.11.2026 we found no public statement from an Australian league, club or stadium about fixtures on 22 July 2028, so don't wait for one to be made for you. The common options are:
- Schedule around it. Finish before about 12:30pm or start after about 3:15pm AEST in the eastern states. For the April 2024 eclipse in North America, the Cleveland Guardians played their home opener at 5:10pm ET, and the New York Yankees and Major League Baseball moved a game from 2:05pm to 6:05pm ET, citing the challenges of playing through the eclipse, including possible in-game delays.
- Plan a break. A scheduled stop around totality inside the path, or around the maximum outside it, lets players, officials and the crowd watch the eclipse together, with glasses on.
- Play on. If play continues, assume some spectators and staff will want to watch the eclipse anyway, and plan glasses, announcements and supervision for them.
Things to weigh, whichever way you go: inside the path, daylight drops sharply for a few minutes around totality; players and officials will be distracted; and children at junior sport need an adult right beside them while they watch. Our eclipse viewing event checklist covers the planning in order.
Who at the ground needs eclipse glasses?
Everyone who will watch the eclipse: spectators, players and officials during a break, coaches, volunteers, canteen and bar staff, stewards, security and ground staff. ARPANSA says eclipse light can burn the retina in seconds, and the retina has no pain sensors to warn you. Every person needs their own ISO 12312-2 certified pair, worn for the whole eclipse, totality included.
Two rules matter more at a ground than anywhere else:
- Glasses and play don't mix. Certified eclipse glasses block almost all ordinary light, so you can't see a ball, a player or a step through them. Nobody plays, umpires, stewards, drives or operates machinery while wearing them. Stop first, then put the glasses on.
- Never use them with optics. Cameras, phones on zoom, binoculars and telescopes need their own solar filter on the front. Eclipse glasses behind a lens are not safe.
For anyone without glasses, ARPANSA says indirect viewing, such as a pinhole projector or a livestream, is the safest way to watch an eclipse. A venue with a big screen can show a livestream.
How many eclipse glasses does a club or stadium need?
One pair for every person you expect on site, plus about 10% spare for late arrivals and damaged or lost pairs. For a club day with 600 spectators and 120 players, officials and volunteers, that is 792 pairs. Orders of up to 999 pairs can go through our online shop; larger and branded orders are quoted. Our guide on how many eclipse glasses an event needs works through sizing, including when you don't know your crowd yet. Hand them out at the gate or with the team sheets, not at the last minute.
Junior clubs raising money can also sell glasses through a fundraiser, with the money raised going to the club.
Can sponsors put their brand on the glasses?
Yes. Club, league and venue sponsors can have their logo printed on certified frames, with a digital proof before anything prints. The rear panel can carry a second sponsor, the safety rules or a QR code. Custom-branded eclipse glasses start at 500 units per design, so a run suits a club with a big membership, a venue or a competition. Allow 6 to 8 weeks from proof approval, and brief us early, because the print queue fills as July 2028 gets closer.
What do venues need to cover for staff?
The eclipse is a foreseeable eye hazard for anyone working outdoors that afternoon, so it belongs in your WHS planning. Give staff and volunteers who will be outside certified glasses or a safe indirect way to watch, pause safety-critical tasks for the minutes people want to watch, and brief everyone in the week before. Our guide to eclipse safety at work has the controls and a toolbox talk. Many community grounds are owned by councils, and our guide to eclipse glasses for councils covers how councils plan and buy for the day.
Keep the certification pack in your event file, and ask us for the full ISO 12312-2:2015 test report if you need it. Every pair carries a QR batch certificate.
What should be on a club or venue checklist?
- Your decision on fixtures, published to teams, officials and members well ahead.
- Glasses ordered for everyone on site plus spares, and a plan for handing them out.
- PA announcements before the eclipse begins and before totality, with the safety rules.
- Signs at the gates and in the stands: glasses on for the whole eclipse, never while playing or driving, never with cameras or binoculars.
- First aid staff briefed, and the nearest optometrist's details for anyone worried about their eyes afterwards.
- Car park and gate staff ready for bigger crowds, especially in the path of totality, where visitors will travel to watch the eclipse.
The full event checklist runs from now to the day after.
When should clubs and venues order?
Get quotes now, order in 2027, and have glasses in hand by 31 May 2028. Branded runs should be ordered by the end of 2027. Most people buy their glasses in the last few weeks before an eclipse, and that is when certified stock ran short at recent eclipses overseas. Our guide on when businesses should order eclipse glasses has the order-by windows. Running a public viewing as well? See eclipse glasses for events.
Certified eclipse glasses for your club, stadium or venue: bulk cartons from NSW stock, or frames printed with your sponsors from 500 units per design, with the certification pack for your event file. We reply within one business day.
Get a trade quoteFAQ
What time is the 2028 eclipse on Saturday afternoon?
In the Sydney CBD the eclipse runs from 12:41pm to 3:15pm AEST on Saturday 22 July 2028, with totality from 1:59pm to 2:03pm. Across the eastern states it runs from about 12:30pm to 3:15pm AEST.
Should sport stop for the eclipse?
That is the organiser's decision. Options include playing before or after the eclipse, a planned break around totality, or playing on with glasses for spectators and staff. In 2024 some US baseball games were moved to later start times because of the eclipse.
Can players wear eclipse glasses while they play?
No. Certified eclipse glasses block almost all ordinary light, so nobody should play, umpire, steward or drive in them. Stop first, then put the glasses on to watch the eclipse.
How many eclipse glasses does a sporting club need?
One certified pair for every person expected on site, including players, officials, staff and volunteers, plus about 10% spare.
Can our sponsor's logo go on the glasses?
Yes. Custom-branded eclipse glasses start at 500 units per design, with a digital proof before print and 6 to 8 weeks from proof approval to delivery.
When should a club or venue order eclipse glasses?
Get quotes now and order in 2027. Order branded runs by the end of 2027 and have glasses in hand by 31 May 2028.
Sources
All checked 13.11.2026.
- ARPANSA, Solar eclipse.
- Astronomical Society of Australia, How to view the eclipse safely.
- American Astronomical Society, Solar eclipse eye safety.
- Sports Illustrated (8 Apr 2024), Guardians fans experience epic scenes of solar eclipse ahead of home opener.
- Fox News (5 Apr 2024), Total solar eclipse pushes Yankees-Marlins start time back four hours.
- Eclipse times from NASA eclipse elements, as on our eclipse map.
Stock Aura Sight certified eclipse glasses
Counter displays of 50 pairs, family packs and your own brand, from NSW stock, with a certification pack on every order, full test reports on request and a QR batch certificate on every pair.
