The top 12 best pubs and bars in Adelaide for AFL Gather Round 2024
Watching all that AFL action makes you work up a thirst! Here are the best spots to enjoy a beverage during SA’s four-day footy festival.
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Ready to say cheers to four days of AFL footy action? Gather Round is here and we’ll drink to that.
Here are the best bars near Adelaide Oval, Norwood and Mount Barker, where the matches are taking place, should you feel like a pre-game drink, a beverage while you watch the action live on a big screen or want to kick on after the final siren sounds.
Looking for a bite to eat? We have you covered with a Gather Round food guide for those visiting South Australia for the first time or those making the most of their time near all three grounds.
ADELAIDE OVAL
2KW
2 King William St, Adelaide
Soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the views at this beloved city rooftop, which is just a short stroll from all the action.
Down a couple of pre-game drinks, along with a snack or two from their tasty bar menu, then return for the post-match celebrations, with DJs spinning tunes from 6pm daily.
Among their drink specials designed for footy fans will be a new whiskey sour cocktail named Kick and Catch.
For a more substantial meal, there will be additional sittings available at the adjoining restaurant.
Marty Palmer, the man behind 2KW, said the team can’t wait for SA’s Festival of Football.
“We’re super excited about the return of Gather Round, 2KW is always great for pre-game drinks and snacks and post game celebrations,” he said.
2kwbar.com.au
SKYCITY ADELAIDE’S STATION LANE BAR PLUS THE DISTRICT
North Terrace
There’s a new pop-up bar by the casino and it’s perfectly located down Station Lane on the way to Adelaide Oval.
Every Friday, Saturday and AFL match day, including Gather Round, you’ll find high tables and stools, lane view seats, and cabana-style booths in the new watering hole alongside SkyCity’s Heritage Entrance in the Festival Plaza.
Complete with electric heaters if it’s a bit cooler, the new bar is a collaboration with Pirate Life and will serve up a wide range of drink options plus a menu full of finger-food favourites like pita and dips, porchetta arancini, burgers.
Most importantly, if you don’t have a ticket, there’s plenty of large screen TVs so you won’t miss a minute of the action.
Other Gather Round events at SkyCity Adelaide include:
– Wednesday, April 3: Q&A featuring Port Adelaide stars Connor Rozee and Zak Butters. Doors open 7pm, photos 7.30pm, show starts at 8pm, tickets start from $49, $99 including photo. Tickets available at eventbrite.com.au.
– Thursday, April 4: Triple M’s Rush Hour drivetime teams, including Billy Brownless, James Brayshaw, Bernie Vince, Greg Blewett and Andrew Jarman, will come together to broadcast ‘Gather Round It’ at The District from 3.30pm.
– Friday, April 5: Q&A event at The District, hosted by Georgie Parker and featuring Luke Hodge and Hamish Hartlett.
skycityadelaide.com.au
MALT SHOVEL TAPHOUSE
Festival Centre, Adelaide
A short stroll across the bridge from Adelaide Oval, the Malt Shovel Taphouse will be Live & Live during Gather Round.
The popular watering hole overlooking the Torrens is a great place to eat and drink before or after the matches, or – if you missed out on tickets – watch all the action.
You can catch every game streamed live on big screens while you tuck into small eats or feast platters. Plus there will be beer paddles, sampling a range of craft beers, available for $15 all weekend.
maltshoveltaphouse.com.au
ADELAIDE GIN BAR
Adelaide Riverbank
Get into the footy spirit with a tasty gin or two at this pop-up bar by the Riverbank pedestrian bridge.
Located at the train station entrance to Dunstan Playhouse, the bar will serve up gin varieties that “capture the spirit” of Australian cities and regions including Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Fremantle and the Gold Coast, among others.
Presented by Australian Distilling Co. and Adelaide Festival Centre, there will be post-game guest appearances by SA footy legends and a competition to win a case of gin.
Australian Distilling Co. founder and managing director Michael Hickinbotham said locals and interstate visitors will love the pop-up venue.
“We’re inviting football fans to show their allegiance, sip their city and support their team,” he said.
The gin bar will be open from 5pm on Thursday and Friday, from 2pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday of Gather Round.
CALEDONIAN HOTEL
215 O’Connell St, North Adelaide
Cheers to The Cali which is staying open all Easter long weekend and keen to cater to the Gather Round crowd.
And in another sign as to just how serious this North Adelaide pub is about Gather Round, it is hosting a long lunch on the Friday. Gather with The Freak at The Caledonian will be an afternoon talking footy over five courses of posh pub grub – each matched with Rieslingfreak wines. Book your seat at the table for $145 at rieslingfreak.com/events
caledonianhotel.com.au
HOME BASE: FOOTY AT GILBERT PLACE
Gilbert Place (via King William St), Adelaide
Want to get your kicks with a pub crawl – with responsible drinking, of course – this Gather Round? Then get along to Home Base, with its laneway bars Hains & Co, Shotgun Willie’s, Memphis Slims and High Spirits.
It’s going to be a footy fans mecca before, after or during the games – thanks to a jumbo outdoor screen. Plus there will be Pirate Life and Jim Beam cans for sale and food vendors in the laneway.
And when you’re not watching the action, you can chill out or get down to live music from local acts on Saturday and Sunday.
experienceadelaide.com.au/whats-on/home-base-footy-at-gilbert-place
THE LION HOTEL
161 Melbourne St, North Adelaide
There’s a cavalcade of footy stars appearing at this iconic North Adelaide pub across Gather Round.
Leading the charge will be Leigh Matthews on Thursday before the Crows clash, followed by a long lunch featuring Tony Shaw on Friday. Anthony Koutoufides (Saturday) and Crows champ Mark Ricciuto (Sunday) will meet and greet fans at the Lion’s Block Party over the weekend, with all games on their big screens, plus plenty of competitions, food and drink specials, and live music after the footy.
lionhotel.com.au
NORWOOD OVAL
REPUBLIC NORWOOD
120 Magill Road, Norwood
Sunday’s the big day at Republic, with a huge party in their car park with O’Leary Walker Wines, Big Shed Brewery beers, and Coffin Bay Spirits for punters to enjoy.
There’s also a massive outdoor screen with the Richmond vs St Kilda and Hawthorn vs Collingwood games shown live, so it’s the perfect spot if you can’t make it to the Norwood Food and Wine festival just around the corner.
The venue’s worth checking out all Gather Round with plenty of huge TV screens and $20 jugs of all products on tap from siren to siren. Make sure you get in early.
republicnorwood.com.au
THE COLONIST
44 The Parade, Norwood
This Parade favourite is hosting the ultimate Gather Round celebration in their beer garden, focusing on good food, a massive range of drinks including a large selection of local gin, plus live entertainment and all the footy action live and loud on their big screens.
Drink specials include Happy Hour prices from 4pm every day of the Festival of Footy and free oyster Fridays, also from 4pm.
colonist.com.au
NORWOOD HOTEL
97 The Parade, Norwood
This heritage-listed hotel, on the corner of The Parade and Osmond Terrace, is practically right next door to Norwood Oval. It’s also home to Finn McCool’s Irish pub where you can pick and choose from local and imported drinks – think Irish lagers, naturally, and wines from the Barossa Valley. And as you’d expect there’s also plenty of pub grub on offer, including Irish Toast complete with more-ish mushy peas.
thenorwood.com.au
MT BARKER
THE BARKER HOTEL
32 Gawler St, Mount Barker
Head down to this Hills footy hub over the weekend pre or post game, for good food and drink specials.
Media legends, KG Cunningham and Graham Cornes will also broadcast their Saturday morning FIVEaa radio show from the venue, so come in and watch all the action unfold live. After the footy, there will live music to entertain the crowds.
thebarkerhotel.com.au
GRAY’S INN
63 Gawler St, Mount Barker
There’s plenty of options here for the diehard footy fan, with three separate bar and dining areas available.
Enjoy TAB facilities and a game of pool in the Sports Bar, tuck into a counter meal and take advantage of the food and drink specials in the Keg Bar or just relax in front of the fireplace with a glass of wine or cocktail in the Lounge Bar.
And Gather Round matches will be on live in all areas of the venue.
graysinn.com.au
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