The world's best female footballers are coming to South Australia - and the party is just getting started in Adelaide.
Chosen as the venue for the national launch of the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ official poster and Australian host city posters, Adelaide's Festival Plaza will be the home of striking artwork celebrating the sporting excellence of female players on the global stage.
The launch of the posters - just one day before International Women's Day - is another significant milestone for the event, which is coming to South Australia in July and August.
The set of five posters, which depict the five Australian Host Cities, Adelaide/ Tarntanya, Perth/Boorloo, Brisbane/Meaanjin, Melbourne/Naarm and Sydney/Gadigal were created in collaboration with local talents combining the uniqueness of the Host Countries.
At the heart of the official poster are three strong female silhouettes symbolizing the creation of positive change in women's sports.
Kangaroo Island and McLaren Vale are highlighted in the Adelaide/Tarntanya posters, with wildlife around Remarkable Rocks and the iconic d'Arenberg Cube featuring in the artwork.
Adelaide will play host to England, Brazil, China PR, Korea Republic, Morocco, Haiti and Panama across four group-stage matches on 24, 28 and 30 July and 1 August 2023, as well as a Round of 16 on 8 August 2023.
Today's launch follows last week's announcement that Festival Plaza will be the official FIFA Fan Festival Site for Adelaide.
This is the first time that the FIFA Fan Festival will be rolled out at a FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand™, in keeping with the tournaments theme of firsts.
All FIFA Fan Festivals will offer free entry, providing a vibrant destination to celebrate the global game and experience the best in football, music, entertainment, local culture, food and games.
Fans will be able to watch the tournament drama unfold on big screens at Adelaide's Festival Plaza with live streaming of selected FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand™ matches bringing the event to fans in the city.
Major events are expected to drive an $400 million economic return to South Australia this year, with the growing calendar including the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Festival Tasting Australia, Adelaide Motorsport Festival, Australian Masters Games, Adelaide Equestrian Festival, Illuminate Adelaide, Harvest Rock and of course FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 in July and August this year.
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand™ is an incredible opportunity to encourage more women and girls around the world to play and get involved in football, and a real platform to accelerate the growth of women's football worldwide - on and off the pitch.
"It is also about creating a lasting legacy and developing the women's game across South Australia, and even further," Minister Bettison said.
"How fitting it is to be celebrating the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand™ Official Poster launch the day before International Women's Day - a day that celebrates women's achievements, raises awareness about discrimination and drives gender parity.
"I encourage everyone in the city to come and have a look at the outdoor gallery in Festival Plaza until 22 March, as we continue to build excitement and a real buzz leading into the tournament later this year."
Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Katrine Hildyard said seeing women play sport at the highest level and being celebrated for being strong, physical and talented is powerful and can be transformative in terms of how women are seen and the roles that they play in community life and in our economy.
"As a host city for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, Adelaide has an incredible chance to capitalise on this once in a generation event and create a lasting legacy, and our Government is committed to doing so," Minister Hildyard said.
"During and beyond the FIFA Women's World Cup games, the State Government investment will see local clubs participating in education about the prevention of violence against women and an awareness raising campaign on this undertaken.
"We are determined to progress toward a state in which your gender has no bearing on the opportunities available to you in sport and everywhere else. The FIFA Women's World Cup will play a crucial role in these efforts, as will our funding of activities around it to progress meaningful change.
"I have no doubt that these incredible footballers will inspire South Australian girls and boys to get active, to chase their sporting dreams and to know that they are welcome to equally and actively participate in the sport they love in the way that they choose."
FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samoura said with just 135 days until the tournament kicks off, this is another wonderful milestone to celebrate.
"These posters not only showcase the distinctive identities of our nine Host Cities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, but also celebrate the tournament's theme of unity with football at its core," Ms Samoura said.
