Major events and festivals in 2023 to deliver $400m payday

Major events and festivals this year will deliver a lucrative $400m tourism pay-off and showcase SA on international TV. See what’s coming up.

2023 is shaping as the Year of the Party for South Australia with a $400m pay-off instead of a hangover.

A cavalcade of major events will draw visitors and act as the backdrop to a national and global de facto advertising campaign for the state as viewers tune in to events such as the Tour Down Under featuring enticing scenes of vineyards and beaches.

Events are expected to directly inject around $400m into the state’s economy, as the latest data showing tourism making a strong comeback from the Covid hit reaching $7.3bn in the year ending September 2022.

Tourism is now back to 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic value with the visitor economy just short of its pre-Covid record high of $8.1bn.

The Garden of Unearthly Delights at the 2021 Adelaide Fringe. Picture: Meaghan Coles

The year of major events and festivals kicks off with the summer of sport including the Adelaide International at The Drive until January 14 and Santos Tour Down Under over January 13-22.

The fun continues with major events including:

MAD March events Adelaide Fringe (February 17-March 19) and Adelaide

Festival (March 3-19);

WOMADELAIDE featuring Florence and the Machine (March 10-13);

ADELAIDE Motorsport Festival (March 25-26);

INAUGURALAFL Gather Round (April 13-16);

AUSTRALIAN premier of global sensation LIV Golf (April 21-23);

TASTINGAustralia (April 28-May 7);

AMPOL State of Origin 2023 (May 31);

AUSTRALIAN-exclusive exhibition of Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution at the Art Gallery of South Australia. (June 24 – September 17);

FIVE games of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 at the redeveloped Hindmarsh Stadium (July 24 – August 8);

ILLUMINATE Adelaide;

VALO Adelaide 500 featuring Robbie Williams (November 23-26).

The Garden of Unearthly Delights at the 2021 Adelaide Fringe. Picture: Meaghan Coles

The calendar of events comes amid strong interstate spending, which is down just 2 per cent on pre-pandemic levels, and intrastate expenditure hitting a record-high $2.7bn.

Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the tourism benefits would spread across Adelaide and regional South Australia.

“Major events are vital for the state, attracting visitors who will fill hotel rooms, restaurants, pubs and clubs and create and sustain jobs in our tourism, arts and events industries post-Covid,” she said.

“Beyond this, major events do a fantastic job of telling South Australia’s story through media and broadcast coverage, bringing communities together creating a wonderful sense of pride and contributing strongly to brand South Australia.”

Executive director of SATC’s Events SA Hitaf Rasheed said “events are back and bigger than ever in 2023”.

“Securing major international events to our state is a coup and one to be celebrated,” she said.

“With events like Santos Tour Down Under, LIV Golf Adelaide and AFL Gather Round broadcast around the nation and the world, not only are we enticing more visitors to our state when the events are on, but we are also showcasing South Australia to a global audience.”