The Great Santa Hunt Australia is an interactive Christmas adventure that turns the city into a giant festive game as participants follow clues to find the missing Santa.
Hype Haus
Lets Find Santa
Key Facts:
Campaign/Event: The Great Santa Hunt Australia
Concept: Santa is missing, and participants will follow clues to find him.
Format: Interactive Christmas hunt / city-wide festive game
Core message:“Santa is missing. The clues are coming. This Christmas, your city is the game.”
Theme: Christmas, mystery, clues, community participation and adventure
Organiser: AMA Connect Pty Ltd / The Great Santa Hunt Australia
Audience: Families, Christmas lovers and people looking for an interactive festive experience
Point of difference: Turns the city itself into part of the Christmas experience rather than operating as a traditional single-location event
Participants are encouraged to follow clues and become part of the hunt for Santa
The mystery of Santa’s disappearance creates anticipation ahead of the release of clues
MEDIA RELEASE
SANTA IS MISSING: THE GREAT SANTA HUNT LAUNCHES ACROSS SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE THIS CHRISTMAS
A new city-wide Christmas adventure will turn Sydney and Melbourne into one giant game from 28 November to 24 December 2026.
5 October 2026
Santa is missing — and this Christmas, Sydney and Melbourne are being recruited to help find him.
Tickets are now on sale for The Great Santa Hunt Australia 2026, a new interactive Christmas experience launching simultaneously across Sydney and Melbourne from 28 November to 24 December 2026.
Unlike a traditional Christmas event held at one venue, The Great Santa Hunt will turn each city into the experience itself.
Using their phones and real-world locations throughout Sydney and Melbourne, participants will become official North Pole Agents, solving digital missions, tracking down clues, visiting Evidence Sites, unlocking rewards and collecting achievements as they attempt to discover what has happened to Santa.
To complete the main Hunt, participants will need to successfully visit any three North Pole Evidence Sites, with locations spread throughout participating areas of each city.
However, three is only the beginning.
Additional Evidence Sites will give participants the opportunity to unlock extra digital collectibles, rewards, Santa Stashes, achievements and other surprises throughout December.
MORE THAN A TREASURE HUNT
The Great Santa Hunt has been designed as an experience that can be enjoyed by families, couples, friends, workmates, visitors and solo adventurers.
Participants can choose from three ticket options:
Solo Agent — Early Bird $14.95
Duo Pass — Early Bird $19.95
Team Pass for up to six people — Early Bird $24.95
Early Bird pricing is available until 11:59pm Thursday 15 October 2026, after which ticket prices will increase.
Anyone who joins during the Early Bird release will also receive Founding Agent — Class of 2026 status, recognising them as part of the very first year of The Great Santa Hunt.
LIVE GREAT SANTA DROPS AND MAJOR PRIZES
Throughout December, registered participants will also gain access to optional Great Santa Drop missions.
These live missions will see clues released leading participants toward secret locations, Christmas characters, surprises and major prize opportunities across different regions of Sydney and Melbourne.
Some Drops may operate simultaneously across multiple areas, giving participants the chance to choose which region they want to hunt.
Individual Great Santa Drop locations, prizes and competition details will be progressively announced in the lead-up to December.
COLLECTIBLES THAT HAVE TO BE EARNED
Participants will also receive their own digital North Pole Passport, allowing them to track the Evidence Sites and achievements they complete.
Selected achievements will unlock digital collectibles and the opportunity to purchase limited-edition physical Great Santa Hunt collectibles.
These items will not simply be available for general sale.
Participants will have to complete the relevant Hunt achievements before they can unlock them.
A CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE WITHOUT ONE CENTRAL VENUE
AMA Connect Director Monique Annetts said the idea was designed to remove one of the biggest limitations of traditional large-scale Christmas events.
“We wanted to create something that could feel huge without requiring tens of thousands of people to arrive at the same venue at the same time,” Annetts said.
“The Great Santa Hunt turns the whole city into the experience. Families might complete three Evidence Sites close to home, while other participants might decide they want to keep exploring, collecting rewards and chasing every clue they can find.”
“People can complete the Hunt in one big Christmas adventure or spread it across December. There is no one arrival time, no central venue and no pressure to finish everything in a single day.”
Annetts said the concept was deliberately designed to appeal beyond families with young children.
“We want couples doing this as a Christmas date, groups of friends competing together, families making a day of it, workmates forming teams and visitors using the Hunt as a different way to explore the city.”
“For less than $25 during Early Bird, a team of up to six people can take part for the whole Hunt period. We wanted it to be accessible, fun and something people could genuinely get caught up in.”
THE BEGINNING OF A MUCH BIGGER IDEA
The Sydney and Melbourne launch will mark the first year of The Great Santa Hunt Australia, with the concept designed to expand into additional cities and future seasonal adventures.
The 2026 Hunt will also introduce the first generation of Great Santa Hunt characters, achievements and collectibles, with further announcements expected throughout October and November.
