AFL Gather Round 2025 dates locked in – and flight prices spike

The AFL has only just announced the dates for Gather Round 2025 and airline prices are seemingly soaring.

Dates for the AFL’s 2025 Gather Round have been locked in, and airline prices are seemingly soaring.

The 2025 Gather Round will run from Thursday, April 10 through to Sunday, April 13 in a similar timeslot to last season – but this time before Easter Sunday, set for April 20 next year.

The timing of Gather Round coincides with the middle weekend of school holidays in Victoria and Queensland and the first weekend of school holidays in South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales.

The AFL fixture for the round has not yet been announced. But every AFL team will play in SA.

Virgin Australia has jacked up ticket prices from Wednesday to Saturday of Gather Round week to $495 one-way, if flying from the footy heartland of Melbourne to Adelaide.

The same trip immediately beforehand on Tuesday 8 April and the next Monday is just $79, while prices the following weekend range between $147 and $189.

Comparatively, a fan flying from Perth will pay just $169 on Gather Round dates.

Qantas flights from Melbourne remain unaffected at $90 to $150, while Jetstar is charging between $172 to $268.

Premier Peter Malinauskas & AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon announce dates for 2025 AFL Gather Round. 2 July 2024. Picture: Dean Martin

As announced in April, the Barossa Valley is set to host its first AFL match as part of Gather Round with a $40 million redevelopment of facilities at Lyndoch Recreation Park underway.

The announcement of the 2025 dates comes as figures from an independent analysis undertaken for the AFL by IER revealed the 2024 event attracted 45,847 visitors to South Australia, and supported 655 full-time equivalent jobs.

Figures showed an economic contribution of $91.6 million to the state – a 10 per cent increase on the first Gather Round in 2023.

Total number of visitor nights increased by 40,209.

A total of 265,011 attended the sold out four-day footy festival from April 4 to 7, with 33 per cent being interstate visitors.

The research found that about 93 per cent of visitors spent at least one night in SA, with interstate visitors spending on average 4.5 nights in the state.

Premier Peter Malinauskas, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, and Barossa Mayor Bim Lange (L), having discussions over Gather Round heading to the Barossa in 2025. Picture Dean Martin

Premier Peter Malinauskas said continual change would be key to Gather Round’s success.

“To see that $92m economic contribution to South Australia on top of what we saw with $81m last year speaks to the wisdom of the investment that the state government is making in Gather Round and we want to make sure that number grows,” he said.

“One of the things we’ve got to be committed to between the state government and the AFL is keeping things changed up - we want it to be better again.

“I think we’ve got the opportunity to achieve that with a truly unique experience around the Barossa Valley.

“We are as a government keeping well abreast of what’s occurring at Lyndoch and that build program is very much on track.

“We know other state governments do want Gather Round so we have to earn it and that means we have to be serious about putting effort into it, and make sure we make it as hard as possible for the AFL or Australian footy community to want it to be anywhere else but here.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said this year’s Gather Round was an “incredible success”, eclipsing the inaugural event.

“It was always going to be hard to top the original, but the sequel delivered one of the best footy experiences of all time,” he said.

“The timing of the 2025 event and the April school holidays will give fans and families the best opportunity to be able to visit South Australia.

“It has been a proven strategy over the first two years, especially considering the interstate visitors make up 33 per cent of match attendees.

“Our planning has already begun, and I’m excited to be able to announce more details later in the year, making 2025 Gather Round our best yet.”

Mr Dillon said the league had not made a final call on how many games the Barossa Valley would host or if Mount Barker would stage an AFL match for a third consecutive year.

“If we went to two games in the Barossa, it’d be unlikely to be in Mount Barker,” he said.

The Gather Round fixture will likely be released before the entire schedule comes out in November.

Dillon also ruled out having a Showdown in Gather Round.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said last year’s Gather Round success built on the strong foundations set with the inaugural event in 2023.

“A $91.6 million economic contribution is a significant return, as are the almost 200,000 visitor nights,” he said.

“That represents tens of thousands of interstate visitors filling our hotels, and spending money in our cafes and bars.

“But it’s not just the direct benefit – Gather Round matches and events like the Norwood Food & Wine Festival provide an opportunity for our state to tell its story.”

Originally published as AFL Gather Round 2025 dates locked in – and flight prices spike