Footy fans can officially start planning their next trip to South Australia, with the dates for Gather Round 2027 now locked in for the April school holidays.
The AFL’s blockbuster South Australian festival will return from Thursday, April 8th to Sunday, April 11th, 2027, giving interstate fans plenty of time to book their trip and get ready for another weekend of footy, food, entertainment and everything Adelaide has to offer.
The dates come as new figures reveal this year’s Gather Round delivered a record $115 million boost to the South Australian economy, taking the event’s total economic contribution to more than $400 million since it launched in 2023.
And there’s even more reason to get excited for next year, with Gather Round set to introduce a brand-new players’ parade in 2027, bringing fans together to celebrate the AFL’s biggest stars.
This year’s event was the biggest Gather Round yet, attracting 270,018 spectators across nine matches at Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval and Barossa Park between April 9th and 12th.
More than a third of those attending a match, 37 per cent, travelled from interstate, with 56,586 visitors heading to SA for the event.
Those visitors generated more than 233,000 visitor nights across South Australian hotels and accommodation, including a record 58,628 nights outside Adelaide.
The average visitor also stayed in the state for 4.6 nights, providing a significant boost to hotels, restaurants, tourism operators and businesses across Adelaide and regional South Australia.
The event also helped deliver a record week for Adelaide Airport, with almost 200,000 passengers travelling through the airport in the week leading up to and including Gather Round.
With the State Government having secured an extension keeping Gather Round in South Australia until at least 2029, the state is set to remain the home of the AFL’s annual footy festival for years to come.
“Gather Round has become the economic juggernaut of major events, delivering tens of thousands of visitors into our state, filling hotel rooms and restaurants, and supporting jobs in Adelaide and our regions,” said Premier Peter Malinauskas.
“That is demonstrated by this astonishing record economic contribution of $115 million, meaning the event has now delivered more than $400 million to our economy in just four years.”
AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon added, “Gather Round has become a marquee event on the AFL calendar and we’re pleased to confirm the dates for 2027, giving fans plenty of time to plan their trip to South Australia.
“The event continues to deliver outstanding results on and off the field, attracting hundreds of thousands of fans and generating record economic benefits for South Australia.”
The 2027 event will again bring footy fans together across the state, with more details about the fixture and Gather Round activities expected to be announced in the coming months.
For Adelaide’s hospitality and tourism industry, the long-term commitment is also providing confidence to invest in new venues, accommodation and jobs.
Little National Hotel Adelaide General Manager Malakai Yeomans said, “Events like Gather Round are a key reason DOMA chose to enter the Adelaide market.
“When DOMA looked at Adelaide, we weren’t just assessing a site on North Terrace; we were assessing a city with a demonstrated ability to attract visitors.”
So, if you’ve been waiting for an excuse to plan a footy-filled Adelaide getaway, April 8th to 11th, 2027 is officially the weekend to circle in your calendar.
