THE future of Gather Round has been secured in South Australia, with the AFL and South Australian Government earlier this month confirming the Festival of Footy will remain in SA until at least 2029, under a new three-year partnership.<\/p>\n
Following another record-breaking Gather Round in April, which attracted more than 270,000 fans, the AFL and South Australian Government have extended their partnership to deliver one the country\u2019s biggest and best events.<\/p>\n
The 2027 Gather Round will see the introduction of a player parade, featuring players from each club coming together for the new free fan facing event giving fans a chance to see some of their favourite players up close.<\/p>\n
Since its inception in 2023, Gather Round has attracted more than one million attendees to matches across the Adelaide Hills at Mt Barker Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval as well as the development and utilisation of the new Barossa Park infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The 2023, 2024 and 2025 Gather Rounds generated a combined economic impact of more than $285 million and attracted more than 132,000 interstate visitors, reinforcing the event’s status as one of the country’s most successful major sporting events.<\/p>\n
Premier Peter Malinauskas welcomed the contract extension.<\/p>\n
\u201cGather Round is a phenomenal event and is rightly here to stay in South Australia,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have shown that we are the best state to deliver a successful Festival of Footy like no other.<\/p>\n
\u201cGather Round is about much more than football \u2013 it brings people together, showcases our restaurants and wine regions on a national stage and pours tens of millions of dollars into our economy every year.<\/p>\n
\u201cNext year\u2019s Gather Round will be even better with the introduction of a parade featuring players from each club, giving fans the opportunity to get up close with their favourite players.<\/p>\n
\u201cGather Round belongs in South Australia. We thank the AFL for working collaboratively to cement our state as the home of one of the nation\u2019s premier annual sporting events.<\/p>\n
Since Gather Round was introduced in 2023, the South Australian Football Facilities Fund – delivered in partnership with the South Australian Government, the AFL and SANFL – has supported 111 projects across metropolitan and regional South Australia resulting in an estimated $96 million in total project value.<\/p>\n
During that time $8 million in grants have been awarded helping to upgrade and modernise community football infrastructure with benefits felt by more than 40,000 participants across South Australian community clubs and schools.<\/p>\n
AFL Ceo Andrew Dillon said Gather Round had become one of the biggest and best events in the country and we are thrilled to once again partner with South Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom packed- and sold-out stadiums, the Macca\u2019s Footy Festival, the Parade at Norwood, Bounce around the Barossa and everything in between, Gather Round has captured the imagination of footy fans and delivered an event like nothing else in Australian sport,\u201d Dillon said. \u201cWe thank Premier Malinauskas, the South Australia Government and the SA community for embracing Gather Round, we’ve built something truly special that continues to grow each year, and it has become an unmissable few days during the footy season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith more footy, more fans travelling and more communities sharing in the benefits, we’re excited to build on what we have delivered in partnership with the SA Government and SATC.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dates and venues for the 2027 Gather Round in South Australia will be confirmed in the coming months.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE future of Gather Round has been secured in South Australia, with the AFL and South Australian Government earlier this month confirming the Festival of Footy will remain in SA until at least 2029, under a new three-year partnership. Following another record-breaking Gather Round in April, which attracted more than 270,000 fans, the AFL and […]<\/p>\n