Australian firsts smash a record April for Adelaide

April in Adelaide is shaping up to be one for the record books as tickets to major events sell out and hotel bookings hit new highs.

The AFL confirmed this week the opening match of the inaugural AFL Gather Round is now at capacity, bringing the total number of sold-out matches to four of the nine.

New tourism data shows an all-time high in hotel forward bookings for the festival of footy, with the Saturday of the AFL Gather Round hitting the best 53-day outlook for any event on record – at 80 per cent of hotel rooms already snapped up.

It comes as LIV Golf has today released the next ticket allocation for the nation’s first LIV Golf tournament, with hospitality experiences to LIV Golf Adelaide now on sale to deposit holders.

The announcement of LIV Golf Adelaide’s arrival on Australian shores has seen more than double the number of hotel rooms now sold for the Saturday of the tournament compared to the same time last year.

Data from hotel analytics firm STR shows:

• At 53 days out, 80 per cent of Adelaide’s 10,255 hotel rooms available are already booked out for the Saturday of the inaugural AFL Gather Round. This is the best 53-day outlook for any event on record, toppling the previous 53-day outlook record of 71 per cent for the Saturday of the 2023 March long weekend.
• At 61 days out from LIV Golf Adelaide, 55 per cent of Adelaide hotel rooms are already booked out for the Saturday of the tournament. This is more than double the number of hotel rooms sold compared to the same time last year (at 27 per cent in 2022).

AFL Gather Round matches ticket update:

Adelaide Crows v Carlton, Thursday 13 April at Adelaide Oval – SOLD OUT
Fremantle v Gold Coast SUNS, Friday 14 April at Norwood Oval – limited tickets still available
Richmond v Sydney Swans, Friday 14 April at Adelaide Oval – limited tickets still available
Brisbane v North Melbourne, Saturday 15 April at Adelaide Hills – SOLD OUT
Essendon v Melbourne and Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs (doubleheader), Saturday 15 April at Adelaide Oval – SOLD OUT
GWS GIANTS v Hawthorn, Sunday 16 April at Norwood Oval – limited tickets still available
Geelong Cats v West Coast Eagles and Collingwood v St Kilda (doubleheader), Sunday 16 April at Adelaide Oval – limited tickets still available.

Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said there has been an incredible response to the state’s two new major events, with tickets selling out almost as quickly as they’re released.

"Hosting two Australian firsts – the first AFL Gather Round to ever be held and the first LIV Golf tournament to our nation’s shores – it is no wonder Adelaide hotel rooms are fast booking up," Minister Bettison said.

"This is exactly why we invest in new and exciting major events, which bring tens of thousands of visitors from interstate and overseas and help drive the recovery of our state’s economy."

Crowne Plaza Adelaide General Manager, Shaun Parsons said April 2023 as a whole is pacing significantly ahead of April 2022. Current bookings for this April have experienced growth of almost 100% on 2022 bookings.

"In mid-November last year, the announcement of LIV Golf Adelaide prompted unforeseen demand for late April, which translated into bookings by early December," Mr Parsons said.

"By the second week of December, the publication of the round five AFL Gather Round fixture saw an immediate impact on demand from both interstate and local markets.

"In terms of occupancy, we are at complete tenancy for portions of the month of the April, with overall figures expected in the mid-to-high 90’s. Undoubtedly, this is largely contributed to LIV Golf and AFL Gather Round."