The second AFL Gather Round contributed more than $91 million to South Australia’s economy and delivered more than 190,000 visitor nights in the state.
The economic contribution of $91.6 million is a 10 per cent increase on the inaugural Gather Round in 2023, while the total number of visitor nights increased by 40,209.
A total of 265,011 attended the sold out four-day footy festival from April 4 to 7.
According to independent analysis undertaken for the AFL by IER, the event attracted 45,847 visitors to South Australia, and supported 655 full-time equivalent jobs.
The research found that around 93 per cent of these visitors spent at least one night in South Australia, with interstate visitors spending on average 4.5 nights in South Australia.
The benefit was not just for Adelaide. IER’s analysis shows that of the 191,669 visitor nights created, 52,026 were outside of the city.
| 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Economic contribution | $91.6 million | $83.5 million |
| Visitors to SA | 45,847 | 41,262 |
| % from interstate | 33% | 32% |
| Visitor nights | 191,696 | 151,487 |
| In Adelaide | 139,669 | 126,330 |
| Elsewhere in SA | 52,026 | 25,157 |
Source: IER
As put by Peter Malinauskas
We know that Gather Round was an extraordinary success in 2024, and built on the strong foundations we set with the inaugural event in 2023.
A $91.6 million economic contribution is a significant return, as are the almost 200,000 visitor nights.
That represents tens of thousands of interstate visitors filling our hotels, and spending money in our cafes and bars.
But it’s not just the direct benefit. Gather Round matches and events like the Norwood Food & Wine Festival provide an opportunity for our state to tell its story.
We look forward to making the 2025 event bigger and better again – with the Barossa Valley set to feature for the first time.
