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FLIPOUT 2026 Returns to Melbourne This October – Bigger, Better, and All for Charity!

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Melbourne’s biggest charity pinball celebration is back!

FLIPOUT Pinball Show 2026 will take over the Sandown Park Hotel in Noble Park from October 2 – 4, 2026, bringing together pinball enthusiasts, collectors, families, vendors, and gamers for an action-packed weekend of silverball fun – all while raising funds for an incredible cause.

Organised by Mr Pinball Australia, Steel Tiger Pinball, and Reality Games Australia, the annual event will once again donate all profits to Very Special Kids (VSK), helping support children with life-limiting conditions and their families.

A Weekend of Pinball, Community and Fun

Whether you’re chasing high scores on classic machines, discovering the latest pinball releases, meeting fellow enthusiasts, or introducing the family to the hobby, FLIPOUT 2026 promises something for everyone.

This year’s event will feature multiple play sessions spread across three days, including dedicated family sessions and adults-only evening events.

Event Schedule

Friday, October 2
  • 3:00pm – 6:00pm: Media, Vendors & VIP Ticket Holders
  • 7:00pm – 11:00pm: Session 1 (Adults Only)
Saturday, October 3
  • 10:00am – 2:00pm: Session 2
  • 3:00pm – 7:00pm: Session 3
  • 8:00pm – Midnight: Session 4 (Adults Only)
Sunday, October 4 – Family Day
  • 10:00am – 1:00pm: Session 5
  • 2:00pm – 5:00pm: Session 6

Venue

Sandown Park Hotel
Corner Corrigan Road & Princes Highway
Noble Park, Victoria 3174

🎟️ Tickets On Sale in July

Tickets will be available from the first week of July, with session entry prices starting from just $25.

Given the popularity of previous FLIPOUT events, attendees are encouraged to secure their tickets early once sales open.

❤️ Supporting Very Special Kids

More than just a pinball show, FLIPOUT has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most community-focused gaming events.

Every game played, every ticket purchased, and every donation made helps support Very Special Kids, making this a weekend where fun truly makes a difference.

🤝 Want to Get Involved?

The organisers are currently seeking:

  • Pinball machine donations/loans for the event
  • Volunteers to assist throughout the weekend

Owners who donate a machine for the event will receive a free event T-shirt and a weekend pass.

Exclusive Event Artwork

The official FLIPOUT 2026 event T-shirt and poster artwork has been created by the legendary Brian Allen of Flyland Designs, promising another eye-catching collectible for attendees.

Stay Connected

Website: www.flipoutpinball.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flipoutpinball/

Media Partner: @ausretrogamer <- That’s us!

As the official media partner, Ausretrogamer is honoured to be part of FLIPOUT 2026. We’ll be there covering the sights, sounds, silverballs, and inevitable high-score bragging rights throughout the weekend. Most importantly, we’re proud to support an event that combines the joy of pinball with raising funds for the incredible team at Very Special Kids.

Mark your calendars, polish those flipper skills, and prepare for an unforgettable weekend of pinball madness. FLIPOUT 2026 is ready to flip Melbourne upside down for a great cause!

image source: FlipOut Pinball

 

Get the Stern Experience at the Pinball Hall Of Fame

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Vegas Baby! If you ever needed another reason to visit Las Vegas, then Stern Pinball Inc. has you covered!

The new Stern Experience at the famous Pinball Hall Of Fame (we visited the old Pinball Hall Of Fame in 2015) will showcase all the hottest and latest Stern pinball machines featuring the award-winning Insider Connected platform! The Stern Experience will offer players brand new high score leaderboards to compete on, the ability to earn exclusive achievement badges, and participate in exclusive Stern events and tournaments only available in this one-of-a-kind interactive exhibit.

Don’t forget, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!


source: Stern Pinball



History of The Addams Family Pinball Machine

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Ask anyone that played pinball in the early 1990s to name their favourite machine, we reckon The Addams Family will be right at the top of the list.

Without a doubt, The Addams Family pinball machine is one of the greatest machines of all time. Not only was it the best-selling solid state pinball machine of all time (selling over 20,000 units worldwide) TAF, as it is affectionately known, is still beloved by many and enjoyed some 30+ years after its release. This Pat Lawlor and Larry DeMar designed pinball machine is an absolute masterpiece.

Enjoy this cool history about The Addams Family pinball machine!


source: Kevin Carrington



Our Passions In Life, from Retro Gaming to Formula 1 Watches

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We have a lot of passions in life, some come and go with time, while others stick around for the long haul!

It is no secret that we love video games, especially the retro kind, and let’s not forget pinball – that silverball has captivated us for a long long time. How boring would life be if we only had one or two passions (Ed: there is nothing wrong having one or two passions!), so we have other loves which on the surface seem diametrically opposite to video games and pinball, like our love of Formula 1. In reality these passions have a lot in common, especially the emotions they invoke!

So why are we blathering on about our passions and invoking emotions? Well, it is important to share your passions and be proud in what you love and enjoy. We have also been thinking recently how all of these converge and the best way to represent them in one product! It occurred to us that we have always been into wristwatches, ever since we got our first digital watch 40+ years ago. These days we have a modest collection of watches, spanning all eras since the 1970s, but there is one special watch that fuses all of our passions into one, the TW Steel TW1017. This Nigel Mansell F1 inspired watch reflects who we are and what we love – from fast cars to button mashing on our fave games to flipping a steel ball with pinpoint accuracy. The watch is bold, big and loud, just like all the things we love in life.

What are your passions and do you have an item or product that represents them all? Hit us up on Twitter, Mastodon or Facebook to tell us all about it.



Pinball Expo 2020 Goes Virtual – Oct. 14-17

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For those new to pinball, Pinball Expo is an event that is held annually in Chicago. Pinball Expo has been running since the mid 80s and is one of the pinball industry’s most celebrated events. This expo always attracts the major pinball manufacturers, pinball industry professionals, pinball players, collectors and enthusiasts from all around the world.

Since 2020 is no ordinary year, Pinball Expo will be run virtually this time round. The Virtual Pinball Expo kicks off this Wednesday, October 14th, at 7:00pm (Chicago time – GMT-5) for a live broadcast on Twitch, and then continues for three days with heaps of tournaments, guest speakers, seminars, latest news in the world of pinball and all sorts of other pinball fun for lovers of the silverball game.

The best part of this year’s event is that it is totally free to view on Twitch, so make sure you bookmark www.twitch.tv/pinballexpo! Hope to see you all online at Pinball Expo 2020.

image source: Pinball Expo

 

Refashioned Vintage Pinball Machines

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Whoa, hipsters rejoice! Actually, we really really like how these vintage pinball machines have avoided going to the scrapheap and been refashioned as ultra cool furniture and home decor!

Some purists may thinks these old pinball machines should have been restored to their former glory, which we agree with, but if they were beyond repair, then why not give them a new lease of life as cool furniture – we need some of these for our Fun Factory!

Check out Michael Maxwell’s Silverball – Maxwell Furniture Company, the makers behind these darn cool refashioned pinball machine coffee tables, side tables, bars, consoles and wall mirrors – we love’em!

source: If It’s Hip, It’s Here

 

The Last Pinball Medics in NYC

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source: Motherboard

With pinball gaining more and more popularity in the mainstream, Motherboard’s State of Repair sits downs and chats with pinball doctors Mike Hooker of Sayville, Long Island and Jon Ehrlich, owner of Brooklyn pinball bar Jackbar, to chat with them about the popularity of pinball games today and what goes into maintaining and keeping these complex machines running.


source: Motherboard

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Pinball Press
Pinball Press brings you news from the world of pinball – events, product reviews/updates, interviews and the people in pinball!

If you have any pinball news to share, hit Pinball Press on Twitter

 

 

 

Pinball Machines Almost Banned in 1978

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Just like the pinball prohibition era in the US, an Australian council (Heidelberg, Victoria) took it upon themselves to ban pinball machines. This ABC TV report from July 13 1978 shows how close our silverball pastime came to being driven out of milk bars, cafes and fish and chip takeaway shops!

If this ban had gone ahead, we may have required the pinball wizardry of Roger Sharpe to reverse the ban order! Luckily cooler heads prevailed.


source: ABC TV

 

Masters Of The Universe Future Pinball: I Have The Power!

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When our friend Rusty Pinball made us aware of the Masters Of The Universe Future Pinball machine, we were thoroughly impressed and absolutely gobsmacked! Look at it, it’s beautiful to look at, audio is amazing, nostalgia tingling full motion video and a playfield flow that oozes Eternian spirit!

Not taking anything away from TerryRed’s masterful digital version of MOTU pinball, we just can’t help but wish it was a real table that we could bump, slam and tilt on! Oh yeah,we can also imagine the real MOTU table with a Castle Grayskull topper – how cool would that be?!

The thought of a real Masters Of The Universe pinball machine is truly making us weak at the knees. We just hope Jersey Jack Pinball is listening *nudge nudge wink wink*


source: TerryRed