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Liveability is the sum of factors that affect a community’s quality of life—the environment, economy, social stability, education, and culture. Community liveability is composed of economic, architectural, and cultural factors, as well as intangibles like community resilience and levels of citizen engagement.
The Government’s South Australian Economic Statement calls out ‘Liveability’ as one of the economic foundations of the state – ‘Our quality of life in South Australia is renowned across the world, and it’s a lifestyle that’s attracting more people to call our state home each year. Protecting and enhancing liveability can help to attract and retain our best and brightest.’ Furthermore, in describing how it will tackle Mission 3 of the Economic Statement, ‘Build South Australia’s talent’, Liveability is highlighted as one of the key levers for the Government to support talent attraction to the state – for individuals and their families. The Statement says that ‘as a Government, they must ensure they are making appropriate investments and policy decisions to make South Australia a fulfilling and vibrant place to live – not just talking about it.’
Festivals are a vibrant and valuable part of South Australia’s culture. The state has invested to build its competitive advantage in festivals since the inaugural Adelaide Festival in 1960, with 43 percent of multicategory festival tickets nationally sold in South Australia.
Beyond the traditional economic benefits associated with festivals, Adelaide’s festivals also contribute a range of benefits to consumers, society, and culture — both for South Australians and visitors who attend.
Deloitte Access Economics describes how Adelaide’s festivals may provide value to those individuals who choose to take part in them, termed ‘use value’, by providing them with experiences, entertainment and other perceived value by the consumer attending a festival. Where they offer a unique or uncommon event or experience which may not otherwise be available in the region, the festivals add to the range of leisure choices available, thereby creating ‘choice value’ for consumers. And value can be created for those who do not attend as they value the fact the event or festival exists (‘existence value’) or simply appreciate having the option to visit the festivals in the future (‘option value’). Festivals have been shown to generate significant value for non-attendees. For example, in a study of a music festival in Sweden, Andersson et al found that the event generated €7.4 million in use value for attendees, and €3 million in non-use value among local residents who did not attend.
Festivals such as the Adelaide Fringe have been shown to play a crucial role in building South Australia’s ‘social capital’, a factor which is helping to combat the state’s ‘brain drain’ whereby young South Australians (aged 25-29 migrate interstate in search of more fruitful opportunities. In a study by UniSA, released in 2020, showed how the Adelaide Fringe festival is growing the city’s social capital through placemaking – the process of shaping and reimagining public spaces to create meaning for local residents and visitors. The study’s authors argue that building peoples’ connection and affinity with places in South Australia is essential if we want to effectively tackle the challenge of ‘brain drain’ and that festivals such as Fringe do this in multiple ways – not only through the kaleidoscope of performances that add colour, excitement, and atmosphere to our city and surrounds, but also through the regeneration of urban spaces, and that gives people a reason to visit and engage. By creating vibrant and engaging experiences and places for residents and visitors, the Fringe is building meaningful connections with locals and visitors, generating positive word-of-mouth and showcasing South Australia as a great destination to work, live and visit.
