gather round 2026 will welcome more fans after the AFL confirmed two new grandstands at Barossa Park to expand general admission ahead of next week’s matches. The additions deliver an extra 2, 000 tickets to each Barossa Park match and increase overall capacity to more than 12, 000 per game. Organisers say the upgrade pairs with a revamped fan zone and refreshed food and beverage offerings to lift the Festival of Footy experience.
Gather Round 2026: capacity and fan-zone upgrades
The AFL announced that Barossa Park will be bigger than its sold-out debut last year with two new grandstands that add around 2, 000 additional tickets per match, raising capacity above 12, 000 per fixture. A final limited release of tickets has been put on sale across nine matches at Adelaide Oval, Barossa Park and Norwood Oval. Fans at Barossa Park will also find an elevated fan zone on the adjacent oval featuring a Ferris Wheel, family-friendly activities, expanded food and beverage options and a live site screening the matches.
Immediate reactions from officials
“We are constantly looking for ways to innovate and improve the experience for fans at Gather Round and 2026 is no exception, ” Dillon said. “We are really pleased to be increasing the capacity at Barossa Park this year to more than 12, 000 per match so more fans can have the opportunity to experience Gather Round at its finest. “
Peter Malinauskas, Premier of South Australia, said: “We’re thrilled that thousands more fans from around the country will be able to experience Gather Round this year. We know these extra tickets will be hot property. “
Line-up, activations and premium options
The event program includes a 48-hour Saturday Super Saver flash sale offering $15 tickets for the Adelaide Oval match on Saturday 11 April between Essendon and Melbourne. Limited tickets for Pepsi Collective activations are available at select Adelaide Oval matches, with John Course on Friday night, Andrew Loadsman during the Saturday day match and Cyril for the Saturday night match, and DJ Havana Brown closing out Gather Round for 2026 on the Sunday night. For premium attendees, limited places are available for the AFL Gather Round Business Lunch at the Adelaide Convention Centre and other premium match-day experiences.
Quick background: Barossa Park’s debut last year sold out and organisers have framed the new grandstands and fan-zone upgrades as a direct response to strong demand and the wish to broaden attendance opportunities.
What’s next: a final release of tickets for Gather Round matches on Tuesday 31 March commences at 10am (ACDT), with limited allocations expected to sell quickly. Fans looking to secure seats for gather round 2026 are being urged to act quickly as organisers and the state government prepare for increased visitor numbers and a larger festival footprint.
