Adelaide Showground at Wayville to undergo $7 million upgrade, including space for a caravan park
Plans have been revealed for a $7 million upgrade of Wayville showgrounds to transform it into a multipurpose space.
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A multimillion-dollar upgrade of the Adelaide Showground will include space for a caravan park and capacity for 16,000 people at music festivals.
The Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA has revealed plans to revamp the southeast corner of Wayville showground into a multipurpose space.
Construction has started and is expected to be finished by mid-April next year, in time for the opening night of Cirque du Soleil.
The society’s chief executive John Rothwell told The Advertiser the site would become a true tourism hub with an 80-site motorhome park.
“It’s all about creating a flexible event site, being innovative and catering to the needs of Adelaide,” Mr Rothwell said.
“You could have AFL fans staying here, or those visiting their relatives in hospital. It’s a very desirable site. It will support tourism in Adelaide.”
It will also be designed to host horses during the Royal Adelaide Show.
Mr Rothwell said the society would keep the site clear of caravans for up to two months for Cirque du Soleil, three weeks for the show and a week for music festivals.
“If the weather is bad we can hold music events away from the main arena under a big top,” he said.
He said the society would also plant 1000 trees and plants.
“It helps reduce temperatures in urban areas,” Mr Rothwell said yesterday.
He said the development would maximise flexibility at the showgrounds outside of the Royal Adelaide Show.
“While the $7 million investment for the society is significant, it is expected the development will fully pay for itself within a 10-year period,” he said.
“A lot of thought has gone into the planning and development for this space and its uses, but also important is the horticultural element supporting a key strategy to continue greening the showground.”
The upgrade of the southeast corner of the precinct follows an $8 million revamp of the northwest corner, which was completed in 2017.
He said a recent Ernst and Young report found the showgrounds injected approximately $317 million into the local economy each year.
In 2011, the showground was rezoned to accommodate other business ventures.
