- Italian Football Festvial matches attract more than 117,000 fans to Optus Stadium and HBF Park and thousands of out-of-state visitors
- Calcio Italiano global media coverage creates billions of impressions and generates $110 million in media value for Western Australia
- More than 10,500 tickets sold to interstate and overseas visitors, with thousands of Western Australians also travelling from the regions to take part
- Events part of Cook Labor Government’s economic diversification strategy to boost tourism and support local jobs and businesses
The Calcio Italiano Football Festival’s three matches in Perth have generated tens of millions of dollars in coverage for Western Australia, helping to elevate the State as a premier destination for events and tourism.
The Milano Derby and Derby d’Italia both attracted huge crowds to Optus Stadium, including over 52,000 fans at the AC Milan v Inter match on Wednesday, 5 August and more than 50,000 fans at the Saturday, 8 August Inter v Juventus clash.
A crowd of more than 15,000 turned out to see Juventus v Palermo for the Turin-Sicily Showdown at HBF Park for the final match of the festival on Tuesday night.
More than 10,500 tickets were sold to interstate and overseas visitors across the three matches, while more than 2,000 tickets were sold to people from regional WA.
The three match format of the festival also resulted in a boost to visitor night stays.
Supported by the Cook Labor Government, the three Australian exclusive football matches have brought global attention to Western Australia, including an estimated global media value of over $110 million, according to analysis from Tourism WA.
Since April, Calcio Italianohas had a total global media reach of more than 11 billion impressions, with thematches in Perth, the clubs, and teamsmentioned more than 4,100 times across traditional and social media in Australia, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, NewZealand, Singapore, UK, and USA.
The matches were also broadcast across Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East, with broadcast partners across more than 20 countries.
The impact also extends to boosting trade promotion, with a joint communiqu signed between Western Australia and Italy’s export credit agency to recognise the potential for increased collaboration in areas related to critical minerals and energy transition.
An estimated 100,000 people also attended the five-day Little Italy Festival at Stadium Park, with several team open training sessions and junior clinics, match day supporter parties, and four individual supporter hubs in Northbridge, Perth, and Fremantle, boosting local businesses.
Importantly, the festival has also inspired the next generation of Western Australian footballers with thousands of young players from across the State getting involved.
Prior to the AC Milan and Inter Milan derby at Optus Stadium, more than 5,000 kids from over 50 grassroots clubs took to the field, marching onto the same ground as their football heroes.
A further 50 young players have been involved in the MiniRoos half-time activations and more than 30 have participated as mascots and ball kids.
In the lead up to the Milan Derby, 200 junior footballers joined the AC Milan football clinics, and more than 2,000 people attended their open training at Sam Kerr Football Centre.
Juventus and Inter Milan also hosted free open training sessions at Optus Stadium which attracted thousands of fans.
Western Australian community sports groups have also scored quality sportswear from AC Milan.
The donated gear is being distributed to clubs and organisations through Futures Football Foundation, Fair Game, and the Binar Futures program.
As stated by Premier and Tourism, Trade and Investment Minister Roger Cook:
“Calcio Italiano has been a success for Western Australia, drawing huge crowds of locals and visitors to our world-class venues and generating more than $110 million in global media exposure for our State.
“By securing these three iconic matches, played exclusively in Perth, we’ve showcased Western Australia to our key markets around the world and reinforced our reputation as a premier destination for major events.
“Events like this do more than just drive visitors to Western Australia, they support local jobs and business, stimulate trade and investment, and create an incredible atmosphere for our community, and my government is proud to be bringing such world-class sporting experiences to our State.”
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister Rita Saffioti:
“The Italian Football Festival has put Western Australia on the global sporting map, with some of the world’s biggest stars and clubs showcasing Perth to their millions of fans online.
“It’s been incredible to see Western Australians of all generations come together to experience world-class football at home, with thousands of fans also travelling to our State for this event.
“The festival has also inspired the next generation of Western Australian footballers to get actively involved in the game, with opportunities for young players to meet their heroes and gain new skills.
“We’ve had thousands of people travel from regional WA to join the festivities, with players from clubs as far as Geraldton and Karratha taking to the field at Optus Stadium.
“The atmosphere around the festival has been electric, it’s activated our local businesses, supported local jobs, boosted our economy, and brought added vibrancy to the heart of our city.
“The Cook Labor Government will continue to bring blockbuster events like this to Western Australia to diversify our economy and ensure Perth remains a go-to destination for sport and entertainment.”
