Adelaide Showground
The main arena at the Adelaide Showground opened in 1925 and once had a capacity of 35,000, but can now cater for around 14,000 spectators. It features a main grandstand, smaller undercover and open grandstands, terracing and grass hill, while lighting allows for night events. The Adelaide Showground continues to host the annual Royal Adelaide Show.
Often referred to as the birthplace of Australian speedway, the venue originally known as the Wayville Showground hosted regular meetings until 1934, attracting large crowds. It again various speedway meetings between 1986 and 2002. It was the home of harness racing in Adelaide from 1934 until 1973, when all meetings moved to the purpose-built Globe Derby Park which had opened in 1969. Crowds in excess of 20,000 were common, with the record attendance of 47,000 achieved for the 1963 Inter Dominion. In 2017, a one-off Friday night harness racing meet was held at Wayville, with around 8,000 fans attending. The venue was also the home of the West Adelaide Football Club in the SANFL from 1927 until 1939, before the club merged with Glenelg during the war years and eventually moved to their current home Richmond Oval when it opened in 1958.
Adelaide Showground Details
