Visitor Economy Thrives as Illuminate Adelaide Lights up Adelaide

City visitation numbers and demand for hotel rooms during Illuminate Adelaide this year outshone 2024 numbers, new Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) data shows.

New figures revealed night-time visits to the city during the event, which ran between 2 and 20 July 2025, rose 6.3 per cent from 1.58 million in 2024 to 1.68 million this year.

Night-time visits to the city on weekends were up 10 per cent, up from 998,416 in 2024 to 1.1 million in 2025.

It comes as hotel occupancy during Illuminate Adelaide in the city jumped from 67.7 per cent in 2024 to 75.4 per cent in 2025.

In Short...

• Night-time city visitation during Illuminate Adelaide (Friday to Sunday, between 6:00 pm and midnight)  was up from 1,586,435 in 2024 to 1,680,370 in 2025.
• Total night-time spend during Illuminate Adelaide was $58,844,527.
• Hotel occupancy was at 75.4 per cent, with around 109,436 rooms booked.

AEDA Chair Steve Maras says Adelaide is alive and well during the winter months, with the city cementing itself as a stand-out destination for locals and visitors alike.

“Illuminate Adelaide truly lit up the city this winter, energising Adelaide’s heart after dark and drawing crowds into the city,” Mr Maras says.

“The strong visitation numbers show there is a real appetite for after-dark experiences, and the demand for hotel rooms reinforces Adelaide’s position as a must-visit destination.

“It is not just for a night out, but for an extended stay to enjoy everything the city has to offer.”

Illuminate Adelaide secured $540,000 in funding over three financial years through AEDA’s Events and Festivals Sponsorship Fund to build on its ongoing program and event growth.

The British & Irish Lions game at Adelaide Oval on 12 July 2025 overlapped the second weekend of Illuminate Adelaide.

During that weekend, hotel occupancy reached 85.6 per cent with about 19,626 booked.

“We all know everyone loves Adelaide’s Mad March festival season, however, winter events and those mammoth events that Adelaide is renowned for attracting are bringing in increasingly large crowds of engaged punters to the city,” Mr Maras says.

On the day of the British & Irish Lions Tour clash, nighttime expenditure was 39 per cent higher than the 12-month Saturday average, sitting at $7,452,029.

Total spend during the entire weekend was $39,534,524.

According to AEDA’s Q2 Visitor Economy Report, the city’s economy performed strongly due to a high volume of cultural and business events, as well as major events like the AFL Gather Round.

Gather Round, on between 10 – 13 April, generated $12 million in hotel revenue, 25 per cent higher than the 2024 event.

On Friday, 11 April, $3.5 million in revenue was recorded, which marked a new single-day high.

Overall, 514,900 rooms were booked during the quarter, up 12 per cent from the same time last year.

AEDA recognises the visitor economy as a major driver of the city’s economic growth and is committed to supporting tourism operators, as well as events and festivals in the city.

It comes in addition to promoting Adelaide as a world-class city for tourism and events.

Find out how AEDA supports the visitor economy sector.