Westpac Group completes Festival Tower tenancies ahead of official opening

The newest addition to Adelaide’s skyline – Festival Tower – has achieved a major milestone ahead of its official opening.

The newest addition to Adelaide’s skyline is officially open with a full-house ready to do business at the 29-floor Festival Tower.

Premier Peter Malinauskas officially opened the tower on Tuesday alongside Walker managing director David Gallant with a special plaque in honour of Walker Corporation founder Lang Walker.

Mr Gallant said it was an honour to see the tower complete and was “especially pleased” to welcome Westpac, who have signed a tenancy deal across five floors in the tower.

“It’s a great honour to see this building not only finished but full,” he said.

“I think that’s a very big commitment from the Adelaide business community to make Festival Tower their new home.

The 29-storey Festival Tower in Adelaide’s Riverbank precinct. Picture: Walker Corporation

Westpac has signed on as another tenant in the tower. Picture: Walker Corporation

Festival Tower officially opened on Tuesday August 6. Picture: Walker Corporation

“We’ve seen a lot of great tenants come here to Adelaide. I’m especially pleased to welcome Westpac, the largest bank in South Australia.”

Housing Minister Nick Champion confirmed that a code amendment processes for a second 36-storey tower was underway and said the addition would provide “even more civic activation, and even more economic opportunity” for the state.

“We’re going through that process [ …] but in the future, you’ll be able to look through, right through to King William Street and this will be an active, vibrant area which has additional space in the plaza and additional space in the podium area for civic engagement and it will be a plaza that’s full of life,” he said.

Walker managing director David Gallant said Westpac’s signing in Festival Tower was one of the largest leasing deals in Adelaide over the past decade.

“It took something special for Westpac to move from its current office in Adelaide’s CBD which they have occupied since the 1940s and we are thrilled to welcome their team to Adelaide’s premium commercial tower, reinforcing our partnership across two states,” Mr Gallant said.

Westpac joins major Australian businesses including Deloitte, Origin Energy, Allianz, Mott MacDonald and Sparke Helmore Lawyers, as well as the new Flinders University City Campus at the 45,000sq m tower. Westpac will be taking up 9000sq m of office space.

Walker recently announced the team behind the popular East End Cellars, Mother Vine and East End Cellars Norwood will bring a new and exciting food and wine experience to the ground floor of the building, further activating Festival Plaza.