The upcoming CommBank Matildas match at South Australia’s iconic Adelaide Oval is already shaping up to be one for the history books, with Football Australia announcing the match against China PR on Friday, 31 May 2024, is on track for a sell-out.
This is the first time that the 53,500-capacity stadium will host the CommBank Matildas in an international friendly against China, with kick-off at 7.40pm.
Following a frenzied Adelaide Pre-sale period that saw 30,000 tickets claimed within four hours, the General Public purchase period, which commenced at 12.00pm ACDT yesterday, saw all currently available tickets exhausted.
Following their success at the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup, the team has been selling out stadiums around Australia and now Adelaide Oval is on the brink of making history as it prepares to welcome the one millionth person to see the CommBank Matildas at home since 2017.
The Adelaide match, in a primetime Friday timeslot, will be the penultimate opportunity for fans to see Australia’s women’s national football team play on home soil prior to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The CommBank Matildas last played in South Australia during an international friendly against Chile back in November 2019, attracting a then record attendance of 10,342 at Hindmarsh Stadium.
When China last played in Adelaide, it was a sold-out match against England at Hindmarsh Stadium as part of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. A total of 53.9 million viewers in China watched the China PR v England match – making it the highest reach for a single match anywhere in the world in the tournament.
The match in May is set to be a major boost for the South Australian economy, stimulating visitation to the city in the start of winter, traditionally a quieter period for tourism.
Hosting China’s women’s football team is another win for tourism, helping put the eyes of one of the state’s key markets on South Australia. Latest data shows visitors from China spent $77 million in SA in the year ending September 2023, making it the state’s fourth largest market.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said it is thrilling but not surprising to see tickets for the CommBank Matildas match selling so quickly.
“They really are the hottest ticket in town, and South Australians deserve their chance to see our national team” Premier Malinauskas said.
“This is also a great opportunity to attract more visitors to our state at a time of year when our major event calendar is traditionally quieter.”
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said this is without a doubt another massive win for our state and for women’s sport in Australia.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the unprecedented demand for tickets to the match and we are really excited to see South Australians getting behind and supporting our beloved CommBank Matildas,” Minister Bettison said.
“Witnessing the demand and seeing the tickets selling so quickly is proof of the CommBank Matildas’ growing popularity and shows the level to which this iconic team has captured the hearts of fans nationwide inspiring them with their performance.
“There’s no doubt the CommBank Matildas’ visit to South Australia will not only be good for the fans but also good for the tourism sector, as people will flock to the city booking out accommodation and hospitality venues.”
