AEW Forbidden Door 2026 preview: Everything you need to know

The annual Forbidden Door pay-per-view has quickly become one of the most anticipated weekends on the professional wrestling calendar, where dream matches become reality and stars from the world's biggest promotions collide on the same stage.

This year's edition promises to be no different.

Championship gold, the conclusion of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and a blockbuster 12-Man Steel Cage Match headline a stacked card that also features Kenny Omega, Will Ospreay, Mercedes Moné, Swerve Strickland, Adam Copeland, Christian Cage and Zack Sabre Jr. among a host of wrestling's biggest names.

With AEW, NJPW, CMLL and STARDOM once again joining forces, Forbidden Door 2026 promises another night of unforgettable crossover wrestling.

Before the action gets underway at San Jose's SAP Center, here's everything you need to know.

When is AEW Forbidden Door 2026?

AEW Forbidden Door 2026 takes place on Sunday, June 28, at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The main card begins at 12:00am BST in the UK in the early hours of Monday, June 29, following a Zero Hour pre-show from 11:00pm BST on Sunday evening.

Now in its fifth edition, Forbidden Door has established itself as one of AEW's marquee annual events, bringing together talent from AEW, NJPW, CMLL and STARDOM for a night of dream matches, championship bouts and crossover competition.

What are the key storylines heading into AEW Forbidden Door 2026?

Every match at Forbidden Door has a story behind it, and several of this year's biggest bouts have been weeks, and in some cases months, in the making.

The night's headline attraction centres on MJF and Mark Briscoe. Briscoe has spent weeks pursuing an AEW World Championship opportunity, only for MJF to repeatedly dismiss his credentials as a legitimate challenger. AEW President Tony Khan ultimately intervened by creating a 12-Man Steel Cage Match with enormous stakes: if Team Briscoe wins, Briscoe earns his long-awaited shot at MJF's AEW World Championship. The rivalry has intensified in recent weeks, culminating in a chaotic brawl on Dynamite just days before Forbidden Door.

The Men's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Final carries equally significant implications. Will Ospreay has made no secret of his ambition to headline All In and become AEW World Champion, while Swerve Strickland has repeatedly stated his desire to reclaim the position at the top of the company. After progressing through opposite sides of the bracket, the two now meet with the Owen Cup on the line and valuable momentum heading into the biggest events of AEW's calendar.

On the women's side, Mercedes Moné continues her pursuit of back-to-back Owen Hart Foundation Tournament victories. After defeating HAZUKI in the semi-finals, she now faces surprise finalist Maya World, who shocked ROH Women's World Champion Athena to book her place in the championship match.

Elsewhere, Kenny Omega vs Zack Sabre Jr. delivers the kind of inter-promotional dream match Forbidden Door was created to showcase, while championship bouts involving Shota Umino, PAC, Adam Copeland and Christian Cage ensure title implications are spread throughout the card.

AEW Forbidden Door full match card

• Team MJF vs. Team Mark Briscoe (12-Man Steel Cage Match)
• Will Ospreay vs. Swerve Strickland (Men's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Final)
• Mercedes Moné vs. Maya World (Women's Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Final)
• Kenny Omega vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (Singles Match)
• Thekla (c) vs. Starlight Kid (AEW Women's World Championship)
• Shota Umino (c) vs. PAC (IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship)
• Adam Copeland & Christian Cage (c) vs. The Dogs (David Finlay & Clark Connors) (AEW World Tag Team Championship)
• Divine Dominion (c) vs. Thunder Rosa & Olympia (AEW Women's World Tag Team Championship – Zero Hour Pre-Show)
• The Young Bucks vs. Sky Team vs. Unbound Co. (Trios Match)

Where can you watch AEW Forbidden Door 2026?

AEW Forbidden Door is available to buy and watch as a PPV event.

The one-off cost for this PPV is £19.99 in the UK, $49.99 US, $39.99 Canada, and €19.99 in Europe. Or watch as part of DAZN's Ultimate Tier subscription to avoid these one-off extra costs.

You can watch via the DAZN App, available on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles, and web browsers.

If you do not have the app already, follow these instructions:

Download the free DAZN App from your normal App store on your TV, phone, tablet, or streaming device
On a laptop or PC,  visit www.DAZN.com/home
Select 'Get started' or 'log in'
Enter your email address, or sign up via the Apple, Google, or Facebook account options
You then have access to all of DAZN's free content, including NCAA games, the Matchroom boxing channel, and FIFA+
Then find the AEW page and select 'buy now'

Follow this link to buy now.