From Pitch to Pub – City Spending Hits the Mark During Gather Round
This year, 1.6 million footy fanatics made their way into the CBD to experience their favourite teams battle it out at Adelaide Oval.
According to recent in-house data from the Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA), fans were eager to spend time in the city on and off the pitch.
Footy fans flocked to Hindley Street over the weekend, welcoming 385,782 visitors, a 22 per cent uptick from last year’s Gather Round weekend numbers. Throughout the weekend, visitors enjoyed the bustling nightlife, post‑game entertainment and hospitality offerings available in the West End.
West End hospitality venue Bank Street Social, capitalised on post‑Gather Round festivities, recording a significant increase in visitation over the busy weekend.
"Bank Street Social and Bank Street Burger definitely saw a significant increase in trade, particularly through the opportunity to activate the street corner of Bank Street and Hindley Street across those dates," Venue Manager of Bank Street Social, Jason Ryan says.
"Both venues recorded some of the biggest trading weeks in their history during the activation period."
Foot traffic reached 38,645 in O’Connell Street, with people enjoying the plentiful pub and grub options. Similarly, Melbourne Street saw a substantial increase in foot traffic, attracting 20,984 visitors seeking a more relaxed environment between games.
The East End saw 200,232 visitors venturing into the precinct to enjoy late-night dining, bars and entertainment, with plenty of spectators heading straight from pitch to pub to escape the rain.
Gather Round’s strong CBD foot traffic reflects a broader trend seen across Adelaide’s major sporting events, with recent data from AEDA showing that sports fans represent a significant and valuable component of city spending.
From first bounce to final siren, activity across city precincts highlights the festival’s ability to drive economic activity well beyond Adelaide Oval - benefiting hospitality, entertainment and accommodation venues alike.
Source: Kepler Analytics
Disclaimer: Device counts are measured through tools that do not explain complete visitation. The pedestrian count figures represent a sample of people and should be viewed as a best estimate. More people may have visited the area that were not counted by the limitations of the footfall tools and therefore the data is best used for trend analysis. Data is sourced from Kepler Analytics who use mobile phone Wi-Fi sensor technology.