The Adelaide Fringe Festival boasts record audiences as the final shows on Sunday wrap up another successful season
THE Fringe Festival has once again boasted a record rise in ticket sales, with 655,541 tickets sold – up 8.5 per cent on last year – worth a total of $16.2 million.
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ADELE may have set the bar with her record 75,000 crowd at Adelaide Oval last week, but it’s safe to say that Mad March firmly belongs to the Adelaide Fringe.
The Fringe once again boasted a record-breaking increase in ticket sales, with 655,541 tickets sold – up 8.5 per cent on last year – worth a total of $16.2 million. That’s enough tickets to fill every seat in Adelaide Oval 13 times over.
Although the big-name comedians attracted most of the media attention, it was a little-known circus troupe that became the top-selling show.
Cirque Africa, which played in a purpose-built tent in Hindmarsh Square, sold the most amount of tickets at this year’s Adelaide Fringe.
The show’s co-director Lindani Berman said it was all down to grassroots marketing and a unique experience for the audience.
“Our first week didn’t actually have great numbers, but we made some of the tickets half-price early on and we filled the show with people, hoping they would talk,” he said.
“Word of mouth was our best friend and by the end of our season we had to add extra shows.”
In the final week of the festival, Cirque Africa played up to three shows a day, all sold out, and increased their venue capacity from 400 to 500.
“We also did lots of performing in Rundle Mall and on the free stage in Gawler Place to spread the word on the show,” Mr Berman said.
“I believe the show’s success is because it showcases something that a lot of people haven’t seen in Australia. The energy behind the show makes it so infectious and ... people came three or four times.”
Venue-wise, audiences also explored new territories, with the Riverbank precinct proving a hit for the newly relocated Royal Croquet Club, which had ticket sales growth of 7.5 per cent.
“We are delighted with how the first year at Pinky Flat has gone,” RCC’s Stuart Duckworth said.
“We are very humbled by the attendance overall and very proud to be able to say we’ve successfully activated yet another under-utilised part of our beautiful city, and looking forward to 2018 and beyond.”
In the East End, Gluttony proved to be a major player, with a whopping 35 per cent rise in ticket sales. Four out of the top 10 best-selling shows were staged there.
“Gluttony’s No.1 focus is shows, artists and the people who see them – everything else is peripheral,” the venue’s Daniel Michael said.
Smaller venues also performed well, accounting for 43 per cent of total ticket sales.
The three major outdoor hubs (the Garden of Unearthly Delights, Gluttony and Royal Croquet Club) accounted for the remaining 57 per cent.
With tickets still selling, more than 350 shows are expected to have sold 70 per cent or more of what they had available, and more than 150 of these were in smaller venues, including Sinclair’s Gully Winery, The Pocket at Stirling Fringe, Live from Tandanya and the Grace Emily Hotel.
Meanwhile, the Adelaide Festival, which will release its final figures on Sunday, reached $3 million in ticket sales a week before opening – the highest preliminary box office for 20 years.
Since then, the number of sell-out shows – including high-profile blockbusters such as Barrie Kosky’s Saul and The Secret River – indicate the Festival is on track for a bumper final sales tally.
The curtain will fall on the 2017 Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival on Sunday night, but shows are running all day and through the evening.
Later on Sunday the best of the Fringe will be honoured at the annual Fringe Awards at the Artists’ Club.
Check out events and buy tickets at adelaidefringe.com.au and adelaidefestival.com.au
TOP 10 BEST-SELLING FRINGE SHOWS (in ticket numbers)
1. Cirque Africa — Hindmarsh Square
2. Blanc de Blanc — Garden Of Unearthly Delights
3. Soap — Gluttony
4. 360 All Stars — Royal Croquet Club
5. Soweto Gospel Choir — Royal Croquet Club
6. Matt Tarrant — Gluttony
7. Isaac Loman — Gluttony
8. Filament — Royal Croquet Club
9. Fuego Carnal — Gluttony
10. Dave Hughes — Garden Of Unearthly Delights
ADELAIDE FESTIVAL FAVOURITES
Top 10 sold-out shows (audience size)
2. Saul
3. Coral: Rekindling Venus
4. Rufus Wainwright
5. Betroffenheit
6. Chamber Landscapes (weekend program)
7. Concerto Italiano
8. La Gaia Scienza
9. Annabel Crabb: The F Word
10. Intimate Space
