Success of Extended Trading Hours Drives MallFest's Return to Rundle Mall in 2024

Last updated 21 Feb, 2024

As the Festival Season approaches, bringing with it an influx of visitors to the city, Rundle Mall is gearing up to build on the excitement with the return of MallFest from 16 February to 17 March 2024.

This follows the success of last year’s first-ever extended Saturday trading hours alongside a specially curated entertainment program.

Adelaide's leading shopping precinct will once again transform into a vibrant hub of activity, offering extended shopping hours, an inviting espresso martini bar, and a diverse array of live street performers and DJs, all aimed at significantly elevating the shopping experience.

The success of MallFest in 2023

Data from the Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA), which manages the Rundle Mall Precinct, shows foot traffic doubled in the Mall during extended Saturday trading hours last year, compared to the standard trading hours of the 2021 Festival Season.

Overall, foot traffic in Rundle Mall throughout the 2023 Festival Season also increased, up 18% year-on-year.

The additional trading hours for shoppers contributed to city retail spending increasing 14% to $127 million during 2023’s Festival Season.

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Insights from Rundle Mall Executive Manager

“South Australians, and our interstate and international visitors, want to shop for longer and later in Rundle Mall when there are festivals, sport and other major events happening in the city,” said Andrew White, AEDA’s Executive Manager, Rundle Mall.

“City retail expenditure hit new record levels with the introduction of last year’s extended trading hours and MallFest’s activations, resulting in an overwhelming success for the initiative, so we’re pleased to have them return in 2024.

“The extra shopping time means you can come into Rundle Mall to shop, and then head straight to a show or out for drinks and dinner, instead of going home and returning later in the evening. Likewise, we expect many Festival and Fringe-goers will come in early to first explore the Mall, when it would have previously been closed.”

What to expect with extended opening hours

Following an exemption that was requested by AEDA and granted by the State Government for the second consecutive year, city retailers can trade one hour longer until 6 pm each Saturday throughout the Festival Season to encourage city visitors to shop before or after attending the Fringe or Adelaide Festival.

Cotton On, H&M, Myer, JD Sports, rebel, Sephora, David Jones, Kmart, QBD Books and Nike Adelaide are among some of the Rundle Mall stores opening for longer during this year’s Festival Season.

*check with individual stores for confirmed trading hours.

2024 MallFest Program

Expect a daily program of musicians, artists, dances, along with live DJs every Festival Friday and circus acts from world-class street performers each Festival Saturday. The MallFest Bar will be mixing espresso martinis and cocktails under the Gawler Place Canopy from 11 am each Friday to Sunday to provide shoppers with a place to relax and unwind.

HEXADECA, the architecturally-designed aural playground, created by Pulsing Heart, and featuring music written and recorded in South Australia, invites passersby to explore and interact with the custom-built spinner seats and observe how different interactions dictate which element of the whole musical score are heard.

Learn more about MallFest here.

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Stay informed and connected

Interested in staying updated with more insightful information? AEDA regularly publishes industry updates and economic reports. These resources are invaluable for understanding the city's economy, population, tourism, and property markets.