The AFL, in conjunction with South Australian Government are pleased to announce a host of elevated fan experiences will be on offer at Adelaide Hills as part of 2024 Gather Round… A Festival of Footy next week.

With just one week to go, Adelaide Hills will welcome an influx of visitors to the new Gather in the Hills Hahndorf Footy Festival that will be held in the main street of Hahndorf at the Hahndorf Academy Lawns.

The free two-day community event will showcase the charm of the iconic Adelaide Hills’ town and offer a program of community arts, live music, free family activities, and player appearances in the heart of one of Australia’s premier tourism, cultural and hospitality destinations.

The popular precinct, The Terrace, will return to Mount Barker’s Summit Sport & Recreation Park with an expanded footprint for fans to enjoy a host of South Australia’s best food and beverage offerings and watch the live football action from one of the best seats in the house.  

In addition, the game’s littlest fans can enjoy a brand-new Family Zone activation at Mount Barker which includes a mini football oval to play NAB AFL Auskick, footy skills games, mascot meet and greets and a dedicated chill zone for when the kids need take a break.   

The AFL is also pleased to finalise its entertainment lineup for Gather Round, with Australian indie rock band The Jungle Giants and Australian electronic music duo The Presets to perform in pre-match shows at Adelaide Oval.

With more than half a billion streams worldwide and headlining a host of major festivals across the world, The Jungle Giants will perform ahead of the Thursday night match between the Adelaide Crows and Melbourne, while multiple ARIA award winning duo The Presets will perform ahead of the Saturday night clash between the Western Bulldogs and Geelong Cats in addition to an exclusive performance at the AFL’s Pepsi Collective.

In addition, AFL stars Aliir Aliir (Port Adelaide) and Josh Rachele (Adelaide Crows) will swap their boots for headsets and perform a special DJ set as part of the free Gather Live concert at Adelaide Oval 2 following the Collingwood vs Hawthorn match on Sunday April 7.

Indigenous Australian DJ, LEVI has also been confirmed to perform at the AFL Pepsi Collective for eventgoers on Sunday April 7, joining a host of artists including John Course, The Presets and Andy Murphy to perform at the event across the four days.

The AFL is also proud to unveil the official AFL Gather Round football for this year, which features badges and postal stamps from all three host venues – Adelaide Oval, Norwood and Adelaide Hills.

Taking inspiration from the thousands of fans who travel to South Australia for Gather Round each year, the well-travelled ball evokes feelings of road trips, adventure and collecting mementos along the way.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said there was truly something for everyone to enjoy at this year’s Gather Round.  

“The AFL is proud to announce a host of new fan engagement offerings at Adelaide Hills this year including the introduction of the AFL Family Zone and Gather in the Hills event, plus the return of the popular Terrace which is sure to be a fan favourite on game day,” Dillon said.

“The level of fan engagement activations both at our venues and across the city of Adelaide has risen to new levels this year, with activities that cater for fans of all ages.

“Whether you have a ticket to a game, or you are in the city to soak up the Gather Round atmosphere – there’s truly something for everyone to enjoy.

“We’re also thrilled to have two amazing Australian acts in The Jungle Giants and The Presets join us for our pre-match entertainment at Adelaide Oval on Thursday and Saturday nights plus I’m looking forward to seeing two familiar faces in Josh Rachele and Aliir Aliir spin the decks for a DJ set at Gather Live on Sunday.”

South Australian Treasurer, Stephen Mullighan said, “With two matches secured in Mount Barker as part of this year’s AFL Gather Round, we’re making sure local businesses will be the beneficiaries with even more on offer across the region.

“We saw how footy fans came out in droves to the Adelaide Hills last year, helping pump $2 million into the region’s economy alone – and this year, we’re determined to top that.

“In its inaugural year, the AFL Gather Round delivered an $83 million economic boost for South Australia and this year’s new and expanded offerings aim to drive that even higher and create an even greater return for our state.”