NBA All-Star 2026: Date, location, new USA vs. World format, and full weekend schedule
NBA All-Star 2026 is set for Los Angeles and will introduce a new “USA vs. World” competition format featuring three teams and a short, tournament-style game set. With voting now complete, the league is beginning to roll out the official All-Star selections, starting with the starters reveal.
When and where is NBA All-Star 2026?
All-Star Weekend runs Feb. 13–15, 2026, with the 75th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15 in the Los Angeles area at Intuit Dome (the LA Clippers’ new arena in Inglewood). Events across the weekend are also scheduled at other major venues in the region, including Kia Forum, along with large-scale fan programming at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
The new 2026 format: USA vs. World, three teams, four short games
For 2026, the All-Star Game shifts to a three-team, round-robin tournament:
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Teams: Two teams made up of U.S. players and one World team made up of international players
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Game length: Four 12-minute games (a compact format compared with a traditional full-length exhibition)
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How it works:
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Game 1: Team A vs. Team B
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Game 2: Winner of Game 1 vs. Team C
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Game 3: Loser of Game 1 vs. Team C
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Game 4 (Championship): The top two teams by record meet for the title
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Tiebreaker (if all three finish 1–1): Point differential across each team’s two round-robin games
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Roster minimum: Each team must have at least eight players
The league has said details on how players will be assigned to the two U.S. teams will be finalized later.
How All-Stars are selected in 2026
The league is still selecting 24 All-Stars (12 from each conference), but with a notable tweak:
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Starters (5 per conference): Determined by a weighted vote of fans (50%), current players (25%), and media (25%)
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Reserves (7 per conference): Chosen by NBA head coaches
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Positionless selection: All-Stars are selected without regard to position this year
To make the USA vs. World structure work, the league has also outlined a backstop: if voting results do not produce at least 16 U.S. players and eight international players, the commissioner can add players to reach that minimum.
The 2026 All-Star Weekend schedule (times listed in ET and local PT)
Friday, Feb. 13
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Celebrity Game: 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT (Kia Forum)
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Rising Stars: 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT (Intuit Dome)
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HBCU Classic: 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT (Kia Forum)
Saturday, Feb. 14
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Media Day: 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT (Intuit Dome)
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All-Star Saturday Night events: 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT (Intuit Dome)
Sunday, Feb. 15
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NBA All-Star Game (tournament format): 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT (Intuit Dome)
Fan events: NBA Crossover dates
The main fan festival, NBA Crossover, is scheduled for Feb. 12–15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with interactive experiences, merchandise, player-and-legend appearances, and on-site programming expected throughout the weekend.
Tickets: how fans can attend
Most official All-Star access is being sold through multi-day and single-day experience packages, with limited standalone event inventory expected depending on demand and seating configuration.
What’s happening now: starters reveal and roster timeline
With All-Star voting complete, the league is now in the announcement phase, beginning with the starters reveal on Jan. 19. The remaining selections (reserves and any necessary replacements) are expected to follow shortly after in the standard All-Star rollout cadence.
