AFL Gather Round 2025 kicked several goals on the tourism front for South Australia, with record-breaking crowds, huge festival attendances, and the greatest ever number of rooms occupied for Adelaide hotels.
Figures compiled by global data service STR show the Thursday to Saturday night of AFL Gather Round recorded an average room occupancy of 93 per cent - up 6 per cent on 2024 - and average revenue of $3.7 million each night.
The Friday night (April 11) was the strongest night ever for hotel bookings, with 10,669 rooms occupied generating revenue of $4.8 million.
During AFL Gather Round, both West Beach Holiday Park and The Retreat reported its sites operated at full capacity, hosting more than 3000 guests, the vast majority of whom were in Adelaide specifically for the event.
Initial data validates forecasts that the AFL Gather Round week was Adelaide Airport's busiest week on record with approximately 200,000 people flying in and out of Adelaide, eclipsing the previous record of 182,000 set during Gather Round 2023.
A total of 269,506 fans attended the nine AFL football matches across the State, cementing AFL Gather Round as one of the nation’s most engaging events.
The Barossa Valley made its Gather Round debut in spectacular fashion, with Barossa Park hosting two AFL matches and thousands of fans.
The newly completed $45.7 million Barossa Park precinct became a hub of sporting and community activity, with the Bounce Around the Barossa hop-on hop-off bus service transporting almost 4000 passengers to more than 45 local businesses, wineries, and townships across the region.
The Norwood Food & Wine Festival attracted more than 90,000 people, transforming The Parade into a vibrant celebration of South Australian food, wine, drink, and live entertainment.
Adelaide chef and food identity Duncan Welgemoed said the festival was "a massive success for traders".
"The energy on The Parade was incredible, with locals and visitors enjoying the renowned South Australian hospitality," Mr Welgemoed said.
"This event truly showcases the creativity and passion of our local producers and chefs, and I’m proud to be part of it."
Barossa Mayor Bim Lange said the inclusion of the Barossa in Gather Round had been a fantastic opportunity.
"The Bounce Around the Barossa service made it easy for thousands of visitors to experience our world-renowned wine, food, and scenery," Mr Lange said.
"We’ve seen a real buzz in our towns and a genuine sense of excitement from both locals and visitors, plus it’s provided a great economic boost for our regional economy."
And Gather Round organisers also celebrated an impressive statistic on the health front, with more than 9000 free heart and diabetes checks conducted during the festival.
The Shane Warne Legacy Health Checks consisted of 7267 self-serve checks on a SiSU Health Station measuring blood pressure, BMI, body composition and heart age, plus 933 average blood sugar tests, and 926 full cholesterol finger-prick blood tests, provided by Flinders University.
This is the second year these free health checks have been provided at Gather Round, and close to 2500 participants this year were advised to follow up their heart health or diabetes risk factors with their GP.
