Organisers defend admission fee to The Garden of Unearthly Delights

Garden of Unearthly Delights organisers have defended long lines and a $4 admission fee as being necessary to maintain crowd capacity limits.

Garden of Unearthly Delights organisers have defended a $4 admission fee and long lines during peak periods as being necessary to maintain crowd capacity limits.

The Garden’s co-director Michelle Buxton said the fee was introduced in 2021 and only applied for people aged 12 and over on Fridays from 6-10.30pm, Saturdays from 5-10.30pm and on the Sunday of the long weekend, March 12, from 5-10.30pm.

“It’s just at those peak times because I don’t have the licence capacity to fit more than two full houses in each venue at one time,” Ms Buxton said.

That included one audience inside each performance venue while another waited outside for the next show.

“All the shows are selling so well that I don’t have much more space for other people to come in and just hang out,” Ms Buxton said.

“I really need the licence capacity for the ticketed shows … on Friday nights and Saturday nights they all sell out.”

“Really not happy”: Rosalyn Daniels and Nada Gobin Picture: Keryn Stevens

Nada Gobin, who is attending the Fringe for four days with fellow Port Lincoln resident Rosalyn Daniels, said she was “really not happy” with the Garden’s admission fee, which added to mounting costs.

“Because we’re from the country, flights have gone up … there’s accommodation, taxis,” Ms Gobin said.

“You might simply want to have a walk around, just to embrace the atmosphere. I think it’s going to really discourage people.”

Meanwhile, Adelaide Fringe organisers said an estimated 330,000 people attended events and festivities throughout the city and suburbs on its opening weekend. More than 221,204 tickets had been sold in advance for this year’s Fringe, up 12.1 per cent on the same time in 2020, which went on to set a pre-pandemic record.

A $4 admission fee to The Garden of Unearthly Delights will be charged to people aged 12 and over on Fridays from 6-10.30pm, Saturdays from 5-10.30pm and on the Sunday of the long weekend, March 12, from 5-10.30pm. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Artists from the Garden including Tom Gleeson, Harley Breen, Ivan Aristeguieta, Markus Birdman, Dave Thornton and Laser Kiwi will join SAFM’s Mark Soderstrom and Rebecca Morse at free concert for Riverland communities affected by the recent floods at the Renmark Rovers Football Club on Monday night.