The Australian Football League (AFL) will hold at least one game in the Barossa Valley in 2025 as part of the third edition of Gather Round. The event is scheduled from Thursday, April 10 to Sunday, April 13, coinciding with school holidays in South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland.
Following the Gather Round, the traditional Easter round of matches will take place over the long weekend from April 18 to April 21.
This year’s Gather Round attracted 265,011 spectators, with 33 percent coming from outside South Australia. The event generated a net economic benefit of $91.6 million for the state, an increase from last year’s $83.5 million.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon stated, “The timing of the 2025 event and the April school holidays will give fans and families the best opportunity to visit South Australia. This strategy has proven effective over the first two years, especially with interstate visitors making up 33 percent of match attendees.”
Virgin Australia, the AFL’s official airline, will provide additional flights to Adelaide for the Gather Round weekend.
Lyndoch Recreation Park is currently being upgraded to prepare for the games next season. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas highlighted the economic impact of Gather Round, stating, “A $91.6 million economic contribution is significant, as are the almost 200,000 visitor nights. This represents tens of thousands of interstate visitors filling our hotels and spending money in our cafes and bars.”
He added, “We look forward to making the 2025 event bigger and better, with the Barossa Valley set to feature for the first time.”
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