Record breaking Adelaide Fringe worth $68.8m to SA economy

The Adelaide Fringe is now worth $68.8 million to the South Australian economy after a record year, show figures collated by Economic Research Consultants. This was a rise of $2.5 million from last year’s $66.3 million.

The event, between February 27 and March 15, registered a 9% rise in attendance to 2.08 million and 21% increase in ticket sales to 540, 860 worth $13.3 million. The free opening Fringe Parade drew 57,000. More than 4000 artists, 1058 events (including 381 Australian premieres) and 376 venues were involved throughout.

The $68.8 million figure includes associated audience spending on accommodation, transport and hospitality.

The number of interstate and international visitors were up by 7% to 8%. They spent $19.6 million, and also made up 67,433 visitor beds.

Fringe Chair David Minear predicted that much of the future growth of the festival would focus on patrons outside South Australia, as well as greater use of technology.

Minear said, “The 2015 Adelaide Fringe was a record-breaking event any way you look at it. This result underlines the importance of the Adelaide Fringe as a serious arts business and one that delivers a strong economic benefit to our state.”

Not surprisingly, Principle Partner BankSA has signed on for an eleventh year.

The 2015 event was the fifth and final one directed by Greg Clarke. Next year’s Fringe (February 12 to March 14) will be more digital and street art themed, new Artistic Director and CEO Heather Croall revealed.

“Digital Playground” will have strong interactive and virtual reality elements, with a call out to new technology artists who create digital, immersive and experiential works. It is also working with app makers to allow attendees to find their way around venues and buy tickets with.

The Street Art Explosion Project will see street artists paint murals on smaller venues across the city, and a luminosity plan for venues to light up the entire city.

‘We’re embarking on an exciting new era for the Adelaide Fringe armed with a vision to make it bolder, more energetic, more innovative and more engaging,” envisaged Croall, a one time documentary festival producer. “Our focus must be to connect more artists and audiences and highlight venues of all sizes so we’re exploring better ways to do that in the future.”