Retailers in Rundle Mall will open for an extra hour until 6 pm each Saturday until 17 March to encourage city visitors to shop before or after attending Adelaide Fringe or Adelaide Festival. It comes after the tremendous success of last year’s first-ever extended Saturday trading hours and curated MallFest entertainment program.
Data from the Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA), which manages the Rundle Mall Precinct, shows foot traffic doubled in the Mall during extended Saturday trading hours last year, compared to the standard trading hours of the 2021 Festival Season.
“South Australians, and our interstate and international visitors, want to shop for longer and later in Rundle Mall when there are festivals, sport and other major events happening in the city,” said Andrew White, Adelaide Economic Development Agency’s Executive Manager, Rundle Mall.
“Last year’s extended trading hours and MallFest activations were an overwhelming success, with city retail spending hitting new record levels, and we’re pleased to have them return in 2024.
“To add to the atmosphere, we’ll also have a range of activities that will deliver the fun and frivolity of Festival Season in the heart of Rundle Mall. MallFest will come alive under the Gawler Place Canopy, with shoppers able to enjoy DJs every Festival Friday, along with a daily program of musicians, artists and world-class street performers,” said Mr White.
The MallFest Bar will be mixing espresso martinis and cocktails at the Canopy from 11am each Friday to Sunday to provide shoppers with a place to relax and unwind.
This year’s MallFest program also sees the return of HEXADECA, the architecturally designed aural playground. Created by Pulsing Heart, and featuring music written and recorded in South Australia, HEXADECA invites passersby to explore and interact with the custom-built spinner seats and observe how different interactions dictate which element of the whole musical score are heard.
Cotton On, H&M, Myer, JD Sports, rebel, Sephora, David Jones, Kmart, QBD Books and Nike Adelaide are among some of the Rundle Mall stores opening for longer during this year’s Festival Season.
City retailers can trade one hour longer until 6 pm each Saturday throughout the Festival Season, following an exemption that was requested by the Adelaide Economic Development Agency and granted by the State Government for the second consecutive year.
Rundle Mall will open till 6 pm on the following Saturdays:
- Saturday 24 February
- Saturday 2 March
- Saturday 9 March
- Saturday 16 March
