As the build commences this week for the festivities at Elder Park as part of this year’s AFL Gather Round, the AFL has confirmed its longstanding partner McDonalds will come on board as the official naming rights partner.
The Maccas Footy Festival will run from Thursday April 4 until Sunday April 7 as part of the league’s Gather Round activities.
The four-day festival will be full of free activities and entertainment for all ages, including some of South Australia’s best local vendors, food trucks and licensed bars, while the popular 150m long zip line over The River Torrens will return for another year.
First partnering with the AFL in 2014, McDonalds will remain as the naming rights partner of the Maccas Footy Festival until the end of 2026.
The partnership will see Maccas deliver several fan activations across the festival including the world’s first Maccas Fry Thru offering Maccas fries and chicken McNuggets, enjoy a barista-made hot or iced coffee from the McCafe Cart or get your free personalized AFL Captain Card at the Maccas Captain Card photobooth. There will also be giant golden arches swings, and a limited number of free mini Maccas Sherrins given out each day.
South Australian music acts Motez and George Alice will headline a host of live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights respectively that will perform at the Maccas Footy Festival live stage, while a Battle of the Bands competition will see local music acts perform for a chance to play alongside Jet and Baker Boy at the inaugural Gather Live concert on Sunday April 7.
Footy families and budding superstars can enjoy the NAB AFL Auskick Fun Zone which will have free skills stations, photo moments, and giveaways available, plus fans of all ages can participate in a Footy Festival Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win a host of prizes.
Other free activities include the Telstra Footy Country Print Press – bring your footy guernsey down to get it personalised for free, The Chemist Warehouse fan zone which includes a virtual kick activity, photo moment and massage therapists running with set hours throughout the four days,
Fan favourite activations will also be in attendance including Coles Healthy Kicks, Toyota Big Feeling letters, NAB AFL Auskick and AFL Play activations along with a giant custom-built SOLO bottle offering a chance to win a double pass to the 2024 Toyota AFL Grand Final, plus fans can win a prize at the rebel goal square activation or bring a furry friend to life at the Build a Bear site.
In addition, all nine matches of Gather Round… A Festival of Footy will be shown live on the big screens, and AFL and AFLW players will be appearing throughout the festival to meet and greet fans.
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said not only is the excitement building for the return of the AFL Gather Round, but so is the family-friendly activation in Elder Park.
“In the heart of our city, footy fans and festivalgoers can once again gather to enjoy some of South Australia’s best local vendors, food trucks and licensed bars at the Maccas Footy Festival,” Minister Bettison said.
“The Maccas Footy Festival is another way the four-day event is helping entice visitors to stay and play in SA, after the inaugural AFL Gather Round last year injected $83 million into our visitor economy.”
AFL Executive General Manager Customer and Commercial, Kylie Rogers said this year’s Maccas Footy Festival is shaping up to be bigger than ever before, with more free activities and entertainment available for eventgoers of all ages to enjoy.
“More than 80,000 people attended the Footy Festival last year and we are looking forward to welcoming more fans in 2024 to soak up the electric atmosphere of Gather Round which has experienced unprecedented demand this year,” Ms Rogers said.
“I’d like to thank our longstanding partner McDonald’s for its support of the 2024 Maccas Footy Festival as well as our many valued partners for their role in bringing this festival to life.”
