Adelaide’s small businesses are reaping the rewards of a successful festival season with more than four million visits to the city over the past three weekends.

Small business owners in Adelaide’s East End say it has been an incredibly busy time for them with foot traffic data from the Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) revealing a huge boost in visitation right across the city – increasing by up to 30 per cent compared to this time last year.

Last weekend (the third weekend of Fringe and the first weekend of Adelaide Festival) saw 1.4 million people visit the CBD and a 31 per cent increase in visitation to Adelaide’s East End compared to the same weekend in 2023.

The second weekend of the Fringe - with SidebySide taking place in Helen Mayo Park - saw a 47 per cent increase in foot traffic to Adelaide’s West End and the Hindley Street precinct compared to the same weekend in 2023.

The festival season is attracting tens of thousands of people to South Australia from interstate.

Adelaide Fringe figures show that 55,000 visitors have attended the festival from interstate with 800,000 tickets sold in total so far.

At the same time, 38 per cent of Adelaide Festival’s tickets have been sold to visitors from interstate including 52 per cent of tickets for the Australian premiere of Robert Lepage’s The Nightingale and Other Fables – a 7 per cent rise on last year.

This is proving to be a significant boost for local restaurants, cafes, hotels and retailers in the city who say it has been a massive festival season for them.

The Malinauskas Labor Government has invested significantly in South Australia’s festivals – providing more than $8 million in additional funding to Adelaide Fringe and $2.3 million to Adelaide Festival – and we are seeing the economic and cultural benefits of that investment as people flock to South Australia for the festival season.

Quotes

Attributable to Andrea Michaels

It has been an incredible festival season with tens of thousands of people coming to South Australia so far to enjoy the fantastic shows and performances.

Not only does this cement South Australia’s reputation as the festival state, it also injects millions of dollars into our state’s economy and boosts small businesses.

Cafes, restaurants, small bars, hotels and retailers are benefiting significantly from the influx of people the festival season is bringing to Adelaide with foot traffic increasing by up to 30 per cent in the city compared to this time last year.

That is huge for small businesses particularly given the challenges that many continue to face with cost of living pressures and I encourage everyone to support small businesses as much as they can while out enjoying the festivals.

Attributable to Theo Maras, Maras Group Chairman

It has been a massive festival season with businesses in the East End front and centre.

We’ve had thousands of people here experiencing the magic of the festival period including enjoying on-street dining, night markets and local cafes and shops.

Adelaide is well and truly alive and it is wonderful to see.

Attributable to Heather Croall AM, Adelaide Fringe CEO and Director

As we move past the halfway point of Fringe 2024, it’s overwhelming to see the incredible support and enthusiasm the event is receiving from both locals and visitors alike.

With over 800,000 tickets already sold and record-breaking attendance from across Australia and beyond, it's clear that the Adelaide Fringe continues to be a destination for culture seekers from across the world.

This year, Fringe has surpassed previous attendance records the result of which has been a vibrant impact on the cultural landscape of Adelaide and South Australia as well as a significant economic impact to South Australian businesses.

Attributable to Ruth Mackenzie, Adelaide Festival Artistic Director

Adelaide Festival depends upon South Australia’s small businesses to assist us in various ways – from building sets and making costumes to feeding our artists, printing our posters, lighting the shows, and helping us tell the story of the Festival.

Our audiences rely on the brilliant support that these small businesses offer.

Adelaide in March becomes the festival destination, and what unfolds here is nothing short of extraordinary. It simply would not be possible without the collective support of everyone who lives and works here. Our success hinges on the quality of our small businesses.