Mark your calendars, folks, the Black Friday sales in Australia are now just one month away, officially landing on Friday, November 27 and running through to Cyber Monday on November 30.
However, many years of covering Black Friday in Australia tells me you can expect to see discounts appearing any day now. In fact, I'd wager than come November 1, many of Australia's biggest retailers will begin dropping their Black Friday deals in the hope of clearing out stock to make way for all the new goodies in 2027.
It's great news if you're looking to upgrade your home hi-fi system, or perhaps invest in a new pair of headphones, as Black Friday weekend is so often the time we see the lowest prices of the year. What's more, virtually all retailers get involved with the action, so you're practically guaranteed a great deal.
As ever, when Black Friday deals do begin showing up, I'll be making it my mission to seek out the ones most worth your money. Naturally, I'll start hunting down the 2026 What Hi-Fi? Award winners, because any discounts on our top picks of the year will be worth shouting about.
So make sure to bookmark this page, as I'll be keeping it regularly updated all the way through to Cyber Weekend.
Black Friday FAQ
When is Black Friday 2026?
Black Friday always takes place on the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, which means in 2026 it fell on Friday November 27. The sales period concluded with Cyber Monday on Monday November 30.
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday sales started life in the US, but has since become a global shopping phenomenon and has proven to be particularly popular here in Australia. It's regarded (and backed up by stats) as the busiest shopping day of the year – both online and in-store – having overtaken Boxing Day several years ago.
Why is it called Black Friday? The date was traditionally the start of the Christmas shopping season when retailers hoped to move out of the "red" (loss) and into the "black" (profit), hence Black Friday.
What is Cyber Monday?
The term 'Cyber Monday', meanwhile, was coined by the US National Retail Federation in a bid to encourage people to take their shopping online during the Black Friday event. That was back in 2005, when people needed such encouragement! It's always the Monday after Black Friday.
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday always falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend in the US. This year, it's Monday November 30.
How long will Black Friday last?
Technically, Black Friday itself is just 24 hours long and it's the same for Cyber Monday. But, as with other major sales event, there is always a deluge of deals during the entire shopping weekend, and usually at least a week or two prior.
Are Black Friday deals any good?
Usually, yes. However, we have found in our experience of covering more Black Friday shopping weekends that we care to admit that some retailers may end previous discounts so that it looks as though you're getting a good deal come the end of November. In reality, you're sometimes just getting the same discounted price that had been available throughout other sales periods during the year.
There are no doubt exceptions to this rule, and Black Friday can certainly be the shopping event that delivers the biggest and best discounts. And that's where we come in, as we have the experience to know if the prices being offered throughout the weekend are actually any good.
If there are any products you're going to be paying particularly close attention to, whether it be a shiny new TV or a pair of headphones, you may already have a good idea of the maximum price you'd be willing to pay.
Where do you get the best Black Friday deals?
A good number of 4K TVs, smart and Bluetooth speakers and wireless headphones will almost certainly be on offer at pretty much every electronics retailer, while soundbars and hi-fi components are also likely to make an appearance in sales across the board (albeit perhaps in lesser quantities).
The likes of JB Hi-Fi and eBay often go big on games console bundles ahead of the holiday season, and as OLED continues its dominance in the premium TV market, some cheaper OLED TV deals are likely on the cards too.
Even though Amazon Australia has its fun with Prime Day and various other sale events throughout the year, the online retail giant always participates in Black Friday sales. In fact, to compete with all the other Australian retailers, it is often a go-to destination for choice deals and lowest prices during Black Friday. Those looking to buy into or build upon an Amazon Alexa ecosystem will be able to save money on the Echo speaker range, as pretty much every Echo and Fire TV device gets generously discounted that weekend.
Big AV brands such as Sony and LG will also likely host Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts on their own official stores, too, so they could undercut third-party retailers prices for OLED TVs and soundbars.
