The AFL has today confirmed that the 2027 Gather Round will take place from Thursday, 8 April through to Sunday, 11 April, during the 2027 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.
Gather Round 2027 will line up with the school holidays across the country, with the event to be headlined by the new parade on the Friday afternoon, giving fans from South Australia and across the country the opportunity to come together and celebrate the festival of footy.
The 2026 Gather Round was the biggest yet, with record attendance across the nine matches and record economic growth generated.
270,018 fans attended the matches played across Adelaide Oval, Norwood Oval and Barossa Park, with an estimated 37 per cent of attendees being interstate visitors.
The independent evaluation conducted by IER, recorded a Total Economic Contribution of $115 million for the 2026 event, with a total economic contribution of more than $400 million since the inception of the inaugural Gather Round in 2023.
The research also found this year’s event created 233,653 visitor nights in South Australia – including a record 58,628 of those nights outside the city of Adelaide in a major boost for regional South Australia and saw interstate visitors spending on average 4.6 nights in the state.
As announced in June, South Australia will continue to be the home for Gather Round for at least the next three years, until 2029.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said Gather Round had quickly become one of the highlights of the AFL season.
"Gather Round has become a marquee event on the AFL calendar and we’re pleased to confirm the dates for 2027, giving fans plenty of time to plan their trip to South Australia.
"The event continues to deliver outstanding results on and off the field, attracting hundreds of thousands of fans and generating record economic benefits for South Australia.
"We look forward to once again creating a festival of footy atmosphere across the week, including the new players’ parade, and sharing more details on the fixture and Gather Round activities in the months ahead."
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas said:
"Gather Round has become the economic juggernaut of major events - delivering tens of thousands of visitors into our state, filling hotel rooms and restaurants, and supporting jobs in Adelaide and our regions.
"That is demonstrated by this astonishing record economic contribution of $115 million – meaning the event has now delivered more than $400 million to our economy in just four years.
"But more than that, it’s become a powerful platform for South Australia to tell its story to the rest of the nation, for local businesses to connect and find new opportunities for growth.
"This is why we seized this opportunity. It is why we are pleased to have secured a long-term deal that means we can continue to grow and innovate Gather Round in the years ahead.
"Having dates locked away for school holidays next year means football fans across the country can start planning their trips."
Other key dates for the 2027 Toyota AFL Premiership Season will be announced soon.
As the Official Airline Partner of the AFL & Gather Round, Virgin Australia is focused on offering value and choice for footy fans travelling to the event.
To book your flight to 2027 Gather Round, visit www.virginaustralia.com
Official Accommodation Partner ALL Accor offers fans access to a variety of options to suit all tastes and budgets with over 10 hotels and apartments across Adelaide. Travelling fans can choose from brands like Sofitel, Peppers, Ibis and more. Visit all.accor.com to book, plus unlock a special member rate by joining Accor’s loyalty program, ALL, for free.
