SA hotels gear up for a record-breaking weekend as footy fans flock to the AFL’s inaugural Gather Round

SA’s AFL Gather Round has broken a state hotel occupancy record set only last month during WOMADelaide.

SA’s AFL Gather Round has broken a state hotel occupancy record set only last month during WOMADelaide.

Premier Peter Malinauskas revealed the new citywide record of 91 per cent and 92 per cent hotel occupancy for Friday and Saturday nights.

He revealed the record at Norwood Oval on Thursday, where plans are well advanced to host one game on Friday and one on Sunday.

WOMADelaide in March this year topped out at 90 per cent and 93 per cent occupancy, the same as the Gather Round, but the AFL weekend has higher bed night figures at 9588 on Friday and 9693 on Saturday.

“This has paid off already for SA and the first ball has not even bounced,’’ he said.

Mr Malinauskas paid tribute to the work of Norwood Payneham and St Peters council which has upgraded Norwood Oval and organised street activities on The Parade.

“There is a buzz in this city that we have not seen since the Grand Prix days in Adelaide,’’ he said.

More than 180,000 footy fans are expected to attend the AFL’s inaugural Gather Round.

About 50,000 interstate ticket holders will be among those joining the spectacle – and that’s not including up to 650 players and officials from the 16 visiting clubs – which is expected to pump “tens of millions of dollars” into the local economy.

It includes nine games over four days across Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval and Mt Barker’s Summit Sport and Recreation Park.

Holly Payne (Richmond), Kym Bond, (Sydney), Lauren Bond,(Freemantle), Georgie Orchard, (Port Adelaide) and Jack Trim, (Crows). Picture: Dean Martin

Those numbers have surged since April 4 where data showed hotel occupancy for Saturday, April 15 was sitting at 89 per cent.

“We are seeing occupancies at record breaking highs,” said Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne.

“Special events such as these are a real shot in the arm for the hotel industry,’’ he said.

“We are expecting our hotels, bars and cafes to do a roaring trade over this period.

“When you take that, combined with things like retail spending, it would have to be tens of millions pumped into the economy.”

Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said it would be a “potentially record-breaking weekend … with a milestone 10,000 rooms likely to be booked across Adelaide for the first time”.

“So far, more than 180,000 tickets have been sold, including more than 50,000 from out of state,” Ms Bettison said.

The figures don’t include caravan parks and holiday rentals across SA.

In addition to the 180,000 ticket holders, revellers are also expected to join festivities over the four days including the Pepsi Max Footy Festival at Elder Park. It comes on the back of a 21 per cent surge in visitor spend to $313.8m in Adelaide for February, compared to the same time last year.

Holly Payne (Richmond), Kym Bond, (Sydney) and Jack Trim, (Crows) looking forward to providing some of the hospitality to interstate visitors for the AFL Gather Round. Picture: Dean Martin

Adelaide Economic Development Agency acting managing director Greg Ratsch said pubs and restaurants were also “gearing up for several big weeks”.

“April is a bumper month for sport, with Showdown, Gather Round and LIV Golf over consecutive weeks,” he said.

“The eyes of Australia are on Adelaide for Gather Round and this is reflected in the large number of interstate visitors we understand are coming into the city.”

Restaurant and Catering Australia chief executive Suresh Manickam said “restaurants and cafes are eager to welcome the thousands of AFL fans and travelling visitors to demonstrate the finest South Australian hospitality”.

Kym Bond, manager of popular footy hotel, The Cathedral, said Gather Round had encouraged people to make advanced bookings.

“Usually we start getting bookings the week of the game, but in this case we started getting bookings four weeks out,” he said. “It’s also interstate people wanting to make sure they can grab a spot.

“I think we’ll start looking to be booked out, but we always hold tables for walk-ins as well. We’re expecting it to be huge.”

ASO musicians Associate Concertmaster Cameron Hill, Principal Contra Bassoon Jackie Newcomb and Principal Trombone Amanda Tillet. Picture: Claudio Raschella, M&CO Style Bar/ Styled by Lexi Clothing

Meanwhile, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s new Sacred & Profane concerts at St Peter’s Cathedral will now coincide with the AFL’s Gather Round matches at adjacent Adelaide Oval.

Associate concertmaster Cameron Hill, contrabassoon player Jackie Newcomb and trombonist Amanda Tillet hope the Magnificence program of inspirational music, on Thursday at 7pm and Friday at 7.30pm, will score some goals of its own with audiences.

“I absolutely love playing in cathedrals,” Hill said.

“The high vaulted ceilings create a feeling of grandeur and spaciousness, whilst their reverberant acoustics can really enhance the wonderfully rich harmonies and emotional depth.”

Details at aso.com.au