The AFL’s Gather Round will stay in South Australia until 2029 under a new three-year partnership.
The 2027 event will also introduce a free parade featuring players from each club.
AFL chief executive officer Andrew Dillon said the league was thrilled to keep the event in South Australia.
“Gather Round has captured the imagination of footy fans and delivered an event like nothing else in Australian sport,” he said.
Premier Peter Malinauskas (front) with AFL CEO Andrew Dillon in March. (ABC News: Lincoln Rothall)
It is welcome news for SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, who had been lobbying for the event to stay in the state.
“We have shown that we are the best state to deliver a successful festival of footy like no other,” he said.
“Gather Round is about much more than football – it brings people together, showcases our restaurants and wine regions on a national stage and pours tens of millions of dollars into our economy every year.
“Gather Round belongs in South Australia. We thank the AFL for cementing our state as the home of one of the nation’s premier annual sporting events.“
More than 270,000 fans attended this year’s event, the highest crowd numbers since the event’s inception in 2023.
The league said it would announce the 2027 Gather Round dates and venues in the coming months.
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