More than a million attendees in Adelaide Festival Centre’s 50th year
The economic impact of the Adelaide Festival Centre’s bumper 50th year program has been revealed, with one musical driving major ticket sales.
The Adelaide Festival Centre recorded attendances of more than one million to mark its half-century, driven by one of the most popular productions in the venue’s history: Mary Poppins.
Data from Barry Burgan’s Economic Research Consultants shows that attendees generated $164 million in economic impact for the state, which was spent on tickets, food, beverage, transport and accommodation.
The Adelaide Festival Centre – operated by the state government body Adelaide Festival Centre Trust – said the spend created 64,572 visitor nights in South Australia and directly supported more than 900 estimated full-time equivalent jobs.
Mary Poppins generated $23.4 million for the South Australian economy, with record-breaking attendances of more than 110,000 people during its almost eight-week run.
Almost 20 per cent of attendees for the show were from the state’s regions, interstate or overseas.
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The eight-week run of Mary Poppins was a boon for Adelaide Festival Centre. Photo: Daniel Boud.
The AFC was the first entertainment precinct of its kind in Australia when it opened on 2 June 1973 by then-Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, then-Premier Don Dunstan and then-Lord Mayor of Adelaide Robert Porter. The riverbank building was designed by John Morphett and took almost three years to construct.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and artistic director Douglas Gautier said the precinct’s relevance remained clear.
“As a leading Asia Pacific cultural centre and South Australia’s principal performing arts venue, we remain as committed as ever to supporting and co-presenting a vast array of events, including year-round festivals and some of the world’s biggest touring musicals,” he said.
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“At Adelaide Festival Centre, we believe in ‘Arts for All’, with the social benefits and economic impact of the arts reaching far and wide.
“The celebrations continue this year with the anniversary of our beloved Drama Centre, including Dunstan Playhouse and Space Theatre.”
The Centre kicked off its 50th birthday with a sold-out Anniversary Celebration Concert and the launch of a podcast featuring conversations with some big names in entertainment who have performed at the venue including William Barton, Kate Cebrano, Eddie Perfect and more.
The anniversary celebrations continued with an exhibition – 1974: Stage Two – showcasing memorabilia, costumes and artwork from across the venue’s history.
Arts Minister Andrea Michaels said the Adelaide Festival Centre was “the heart of South Australia’s revered arts and cultural sector”.
“The Malinauskas Government recognises the significant economic impact that Adelaide Festival Centre provides for our state and the important place it holds for audiences, artists and arts workers alike,” she said.
2024 also marks 50 years since the opening of Dunstan Playhouse and Space Theatre. The launch of those two spaces positioned theatre as a central focus, with the Playhouse renamed after former Premier Don Dunstan in the early 2000s.
The news comes as OzAsia Festival is celebrating record-breaking attendances across its opening events with more than 106,000 people seeing shows already, including 42,000 at the Moon Lantern Trail. The festival will continue until November 10.
