In addition to smashing records at the box office, the 2018 Adelaide Festival curated by Joint Artistic Directors Neil Armfield AO and Rachel Healy also generated an estimated gross expenditure of $76.1 million for the state – an increase of 9% on last year’s outstanding figure.

These figures are included in a 2018 Economic Assessment report by Barry Burgan on behalf of Economic Research Consultants, commissioned by the Adelaide Festival. It also revealed that an astounding 19,825 visitors came from interstate or overseas for the Festival (a 44% increase on 2017) with visitor bed nights increasing to 138,021 – a 50% increase on 2017’s figures.
It further reported that total new expenditure in South Australia related to the Festival was $18 million while net impact (or newly created incomes) on the Gross State Product is estimated at $21 million, including the creation of the equivalent of 220 full time jobs.

The 2018 Adelaide Festival by numbers:

• $76.1 million gross expenditure generated for SA (+9 % on 2017)
• $18.1 million new expenditure in SA (+19% on 2017)
• $21 million net impact on the Gross State Product (+23% on 2017)
• 19,825 visitors to the state (+44% on 2017)
• 138,021 visitor bed nights (+50% on 2017)
• 220 full time jobs equivalent (+20% on 2017)
• 383 performances across 48 ticketed events
• 4 world premieres and 14 Australian premieres
• 13 events exclusive to Adelaide
• Over 1,700 artists from 53 countries
• 24 free events including talks and visual arts exhibitions