The State Government will invest an additional $2.3 million in the Adelaide Festival over the next three years to further invest in the nation’s premier arts festival’s ability to attract national and international audiences.
The extra funding from the state’s Major Events Fund will be used to secure major international events to bolster the Adelaide Festival’s program in 2024 through to 2026.
The State Government recognises the tremendous power of the arts in our state — both culturally and economically – with South Australia renowned globally for its extraordinary festivals.
Festivals capture imagination, expose people to new ideas and bring people together to share new experiences. But they also have a significant economic impact and draw people from around the world to our state.
New figures show this year’s Adelaide Festival contributed an incredible estimated gross expenditure of $57.6 million to the state’s economy (up from $51.8 million in 2022).
Visitor bed nights increased to 105,943 (up from 103,335 in 2022), with an average spend per visitor in South Australia of $4,676 (up 47% from $3,168 in 2022) and created the equivalent of 324 full-time jobs (up from 250 in 2022).
The success of the 2023 Adelaide Festival follows a record-breaking season for both WOMADelaide and the Adelaide Fringe, which became the first event in Australia to sell one million tickets.
The State Government cites a number of investments in arts and culture:
- Investing an additional $8 million in grants to support both artists and smaller arts collectives to develop new work.
- Providing the Adelaide Film Festival with an additional $2.5 million to become an annual event.
- Issuing more than 2760 vouchers to support clubs, pubs and small bars around the state to host more live music.
- Providing 330 grants for venue improvements and events to support live music performances.
- Investing $250,000 for mental health support for musicians and performers.
- Returning live music to the Royal Show for the first time in 20 years last year,
which provided a performance platform for 496 individual SA artists. - Establishing the Premier’s Live Music Council.
- Bringing back a dedicated Arts Minister.
Premier Peter Malinauskas says that Adelaide Festival has a stunning international reputation, and for decades, has been bringing visitors to SA from interstate and overseas.
“This year alone the Festival contributed an estimated $57.6 million to our state’s economy.
We’re serious about helping the Festival continue to grow, find new audiences, and keep its edge over competing events elsewhere.”
“Whether it is the Festival, the Fringe, major sporting events or conferences, my government is committed to investing in events which bring new visitors to our state, and helping those parts of our economy that suffered the most during COVID restrictions.”
“We have a strong faith in the arts, and their ability to unite, inspire and entertain us.”
Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels says that “Not only do our festivals capture our imagination, expose us to new ideas and bring people together to share new experiences but they have an incredible economic impact and draw people from around the world to our state.”
“The additional funding for the Adelaide Festival will play a key role in bringing new international acts to South Australia, on the back of a record-breaking festival season, and cement our state’s reputation as the Festival State.”
Adelaide Festival Artistic Director Ruth Mackenzie CBE extended her thanks to the Government for their support.
“Every March the Festival unites our communities with interstate and international visitors and artists from around the world, including for 2024, a special year-long opportunity for young people, Create4Adelaide, whose digital Open Call is now live.”
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