Adelaide Fringe Festival smashes records with 655,541 tickets sold
Updated
With just one day to go, the Adelaide Fringe Festival has sold a record 655,541 tickets and brought in $16.2 million to organisers and artists.
At least 18,000 people attended the top-selling event, Cirque Africa, while 160 shows at smaller venues sold at least 70 per cent of their tickets.
Director Heather Croall attributed the success to Adelaide's weather, a simpler ticketing experience, and a risk-taking audience willing to see a variety of performances.
"Thank God for the weather. We had one wet day and that was about it," she said.
"We did not expect a 9 per cent lift … and this just cements us as the second biggest arts festival in the world, and the biggest in Australia."
Ms Croall said the relocation of the Royal Croquet Club to Pinky Flat had paid off but new venues, including a bathroom and an old gaol, had also been successful.
"Audiences came out night after night and saw multiple shows, and that's given us this lift in the box office and smashed all records," she said.
Lin Dani from Cirque Africa said his troupe's wild acrobats would return to Adelaide.
"Once the word of mouth got out, they just started selling out and we had to add an extra six shows to the Fringe," he said.
"We've only done one half of our two-hour show, so we're promising we'll be back for our second half next year."
Tessa Waters from singing and dancing act Fringe Wives Club said the audience response had been excellent.
"They've just been coming out in droves and having the best time," she said.
The 2017 Adelaide Fringe began on February 17 and will finish Sunday.
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, events, visual-art, adelaide-5000, sa
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