Fringe benefit to SA valued at $66.3m
Limbo was one of the high-profile successes of the 2014 Fringe.
More than 1.9 million people attended this year’s Adelaide Fringe, spending a total of $66.3 million in the state, according to figures released by organisers this morning.
The economic benefit, which was an increase on 2013’s $64.6 million, is determined by independent company Economic Research Consultants based on ticket sale information, audience attendances, artist numbers, Adelaide Fringe expenditure, and a survey of 1700 Fringe participants and audience members.
Ticket sales for the four-week event were up 10 per cent on the previous year, at 447,000.
The total estimated “bed nights” created from interstate and overseas visitors rose 17 per cent to 61,000, while a similar increase was recorded in the number of nights stayed by the artists who came from overseas or interstate. Total interstate visitor-related spending was put at $18 million.
Adelaide Fringe director and chief executive Greg Clarke said the “creativity, vision and risk-taking” of participating artists and venues, as well as the open-access nature of the Fringe, helped make it a success.
“Other festivals and events often appeal to a certain audience, but Adelaide Fringe is loved by everyone.”
Earlier this week, the Adelaide Festival announced that its 2014 event resulted in a positive economic benefit to South Australia of $24 million, with artistic director David Sefton declaring it an “unqualified success”.
The curated two-week Festival attracted its highest attendances in four years, with box office revenue of $2.3 million exceeding targets.
According to the figures released, 29 per cent of all ticket buyers travelled from interstate or overseas to attend the Adelaide Festival, generating almost 120,000 visitor bed nights and $17.1 million in new revenue to the state.
“The interstate and overseas visitors to Adelaide Festival were extremely positive in their assessment of the 2014 event, with 97 per cent expressing their satisfaction with their visit to South Australia and 75 per cent indicating they were likely to visit Adelaide again as a result of their visit to the Festival,” it said in a statement.
