Adelaide Festival's Record Breaking $78.3 Million For South Australia

The 2016 Adelaide Festival generated an estimated gross expenditure of $78.3 million for the state – an increase of 22 per cent in just two years, the highest result in the festival’s history.

19,800 visitors - almost 30 per cent of total attendees - came from interstate or overseas with visitor bed nights increasing to 133,321. Visitor related expenditure was up 24 per cent to a record $28.2 million – a 94 per cent increase on 2014’s figures.

Adelaide Festival Chair Judy Pottersaid: “Adelaide Festival’s economic impact continues to grow year on year, providing a vital injection to the state’s economy. We are proud of our status as a destination event, and it is encouraging in the current economic climate to see our visitor related expenditure increase at such a significant rate.”

Arts Minister the Hon. Jack Snellingsaid: "Congratulations to the Adelaide Festival on its outstanding success. The festival is such an important part of the cultural fabric of South Australia and today's announcement demonstrates its enormous value in terms of boosting our economy, especially through cultural tourism. I'd like to thank outgoing artistic director David Sefton and former CEO Karen Bryant for helping drive the success of the 2016 festival, and I really look forward to what promises to be a dazzling 2017 festival with Neil Armfield and Rachel Healy at the helm."

Adelaide Festival Chief Executive Sandy Verschoorsaid: “The 2016 festival broke a number of records – largest ever ticketed event (Groupe F, A Fleur de Peau), fastest selling dance show (Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, Nelken [Carnations]), and highest ever book sales at Adelaide Writers’ Week. We are all thrilled at the outcomes of this year’s festival – and are developing partnerships around the globe to grow our cultural tourism numbers even more in 2017 and beyond.”

The independent survey conducted by Harrison Research and The Economic Research Consultants found the importance of the festival resonated with audiences too, with 98 per cent of those surveyed stating they consider events such as Adelaide Festival to be important in profiling the city and state.

Running for 18 days and nights across February and March, this year’s festival included seven world premieres, 20 Australian premieres and 20 events exclusive to Adelaide.

The festival by numbers:

- $78.3 million gross expenditure generated for SA (+5 % on 2015)

- $28.2 million visitor-related expenditure (+24% on 2015)

- 19,800 visitors to the state (+7% on 2015)

- 133,321 visitor bed nights (+9% on 2015)

- 136 performances across 34 events

- 7 World Premieres

- 20 Australian Premieres

- 20 events exclusive to Adelaide

- 95% of visitors said they were very satisfied or satisfied with their visit to the festival

The 2017 Adelaide Festival will run from Friday 3 March to Sunday 19 March.