Adelaide Fringe Powers SA Economy with Record $197.7 Million Total Expenditure
Fri, Jul 4 2025
Adelaide Fringe, the largest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere, has once again proven its significant impact on South Australia's economy. The 2025 event generated a total expenditure of $197.7 million, with $144.2 million identified as new money injected into the state economy. Tourism played a major role, with visitors staying for just over a week on average and spending approximately $4,825 each. The Fringe continues to be a powerful economic driver, supporting the creation of 16,128 jobs throughout the season.
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The 2025 Adelaide Fringe featured 1,532 shows across 575 venues, reflecting the scale and reach of the open-access festival model. A total of $26.7 million was paid out directly to artists and venues as the result of selling 1,066,515 tickets, reinforcing the festival’s artist-driven ethos.
Adelaide Fringe Director and CEO Heather Croall said, “At its heart, Adelaide Fringe is about supporting artists, giving them a platform and helping them grow their audiences.”
“More than $26 million went directly into the pockets of artists and venues this year from ticket sales. In addition to that, our Honey Pot marketplace generated over $6 million in touring deals, creating tangible career opportunities for artists by connecting them with national and international programmers, producers, and presenters. It’s this marketplace that turns a festival season into a launchpad for touring, collaborations, and long-term creative success.”
Adelaide Fringe’s key growth strategy over the past decade has centred on expanding audience reach and driving ticket sales. This growth has been fuelled by a deliberate and sustained focus on attracting interstate and international visitors through targeted marketing campaigns, helping to increase revenue for artists and venues while strengthening South Australia’s position as a global festival destination.
Executive Director, Audience, Ella Huisman said “Our number one priority has always been to support artists. By directing our marketing efforts towards tourism and striving to make Adelaide Fringe the most inclusive and diverse festival in the world, we’re not just growing audiences, we’re filling more seats. And when more seats are filled, the outcome for our artists is greater.”
Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels said, “Adelaide Fringe is at the heart of South Australia’s cultural and economic calendar, delivering a significant boost to our hotels and small businesses including hospitality venues and retailers. The flow-on effects from interstate and international tourism benefit communities right across the state. South Australia is the proud home of the biggest arts festival in the southern hemisphere and the Malinauskas Government continues to support it to succeed.”
Adelaide Fringe also received strong philanthropic support in 2025. Thanks to generous donations from the public, the Fringe Donor Circle and funding from the State Government, the festival distributed $1.1 million in grants to artists and venues. Additionally, 10,485 people from disadvantaged backgrounds were able to attend Adelaide Fringe, thanks to the generous support from donors and partners, including support from the Department of Education that enabled even more school groups to experience the magic of Fringe.
Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels said, “Adelaide Fringe is at the heart of South Australia’s cultural and economic calendar, delivering a significant boost to our hotels and small businesses including hospitality venues and retailers. The flow-on effects from interstate and international tourism benefit communities right across the state. South Australia is the proud home of the biggest arts festival in the southern hemisphere and the Malinauskas Government continues to support it to succeed.”
Adelaide Fringe also received strong philanthropic support in 2025. Thanks to generous donations from the public, the Fringe Donor Circle and funding from the State Government, the festival distributed $1.1 million in grants to artists and venues. Additionally, 10,485 people from disadvantaged backgrounds were able to attend Adelaide Fringe, thanks to the generous support from donors and partners, including support from the Department of Education that enabled even more school groups to experience the magic of Fringe.
In 2025, Adelaide Fringe welcomed Presenting Partner NRMA Insurance, whose support played a key role in expanding the festival’s social impact. The partnership enabled up to $150,000 in matched community donations through Arts Unlimited, helping artists participate in Fringe and thousands of South Australians experiencing disadvantage attend Fringe.
2025 marked 20-years of partnership with Principal Partner BankSA reinforcing the long-term commitment of Adelaide Fringe’s supporters to making arts more accessible and impactful.
State General Manager for BankSA, Enza Ferraro said, “BankSA is proud to have partnered with Adelaide Fringe for more than 20 years, one of the longest-running corporate partnerships in the state’s arts sector. As Principal Partner, we’ve seen first-hand the extraordinary economic impact the festival delivers year after year, generating opportunities for artists, small businesses, and local communities right across South Australia. Adelaide Fringe not only ignites creativity, it fuels jobs, drives tourism, and helps position our state as an inclusive cultural destination. Backing the Adelaide Fringe is just another way Bank SA backs South Australians”.