The Sporting and Cultural History of the Adelaide Oval

Learn all about the iconic Adelaide Oval!

The famous Adelaide Oval plays an important role in the city of Adelaide. It has been bringing the community together for over 150 years and continues to do so today.

History of the Adelaide Oval

Let’s take a step back to the beginning of this iconic structure. The foundation of the Adelaide Oval was laid in 1871 by the South Australian Cricket Association. Construction continued for three years before the stadium held its first cricket game.

Fast forward to 2008 when the sports centre underwent a redevelopment. This construction project led to the addition of the Southern Stand, introducing modern facilities to the stadium. This project also increased the seating capacity and helped to enhance the overall experience of match day.


Adelaide City

The stadium’s history doesn’t stop there! In 2014, it underwent another transformation. The Riverbank Stand was added to increase the seating capacity even more. This addition also included corporate suites, event function spaces and other premium hospitality areas.

Despite all these transformations, the scoreboard reflects the stadium’s history and is over 110 years old.

Today, the Adelaide Oval holds a host of sporting and cultural events! 

Events at the Adelaide Oval

The Adelaide Oval may be most known for cricket, but it also hosts a plethora of other events.

– Cricket

When it comes to cricket, the stadium hosts many games. It is also home to  South Australia’s West End Southern Redbacks.

– Australian Rules Football

The first grand final for Australian rules football was held at the Adelaide Oval! In 1889, Norwood and Port Adelaide took to the field to defend the title. After an intense match, Norwood pulled ahead by two goals.

– Rugby

In 1997, the stadium hosted matches for Australia’s top rugby league, the Super League’s Telstra Cup. This was when the Adelaide Rams made their debut and actually won their first ever game played here.

– Football

The Adelaide Oval hosted an A-League match in 2007, when Adelaide United FC took on Sydney FC. The stadium also hosted Malaga FC in 2014 as they took on Adelaide United FC.

– American Football

In 1942, an American football game was played at the Adelaide Oval. Over 25,000 locals attended the match as part of an Independence Day celebration.

– Concerts

The Adelaide Oval can hold many guests, with the largest attended concert being Adele, bringing in over 70,000 concertgoers. The stadium has also hosted other massive artists, ranging from the Rolling Stones to Ed Sheeran.

Take a tour of Adelaide

Join this half day Adelaide city tour to see the Adelaide Oval and more!


Adelaide Beach

This tour will take you through the gorgeous city of Adelaide, taking you to many cultural and historic sites. You’ll see the North Terrace and Adelaide Botanic Gardens. We will also pass by the Adelaide Zoo. We will work our way through the Wine Discovery Journey Museum and sample some premium wines. The tour then comes to an end at the Adelaide Oval precinct. From here you can continue to explore the area and uncover the magic of Adelaide!

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.

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