Viking Age exhibit digs up historic return

The exclusive Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard has become the South Australian Museum’s most successful ticketed event to date, engaging more than 70,000 visitors and generating an estimated $12.2 million in economic activity for South Australia.

The exhibition showcased The Galloway Hoard, the richest Viking-Age hoard ever discovered in Britain or Ireland.

The Malinauskas Government provided additional support to bring this extraordinary exhibition to our state – marking the first time the collection had ever travelled outside the United Kingdom.

Running from February to July 2025, the exhibition was supported with several events and activities including the hugely popular VikingFest, which alone drew more than 13,000 attendees to North Terrace.

The exhibition attracted visitors from across the state, Australia and overseas, with more than 20% of attendees coming from outside of South Australia. Strong attendance from regional SA also highlighted its broad appeal statewide.

Independent research firm Inform Economics showed the exhibition generated an estimated $12.2 million in economic impact for South Australia. This included $6.8 million in direct visitor and retained spending and a further $5.4 million in supply-chain activity with nearly 80% of suppliers sourced locally.

Quotes

Attributable to Andrea Michaels

The Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard exhibition was an incredible success for the South Australian Museum.

In addition to generating more than $12 million in economic activity for our state, it gave visitors to the Museum a valuable insight into the remarkable culture of Vikings and brought thousands of visitors to our state.

You only had to see how rich and intricate these artifacts are to realise what an amazing people the Vikings were and this unique collection is exactly the kind world-leading display South Australia is known for.

Attributable to South Australian Museum Director Dr Samantha Hamilton

The Treasures of the Viking Age: The Galloway Hoard exhibition was a world first for the South Australia Museum and the public responded better than we could have hoped.

The exhibition was fascinating and beautifully presented and demonstrated the Museum’s capacity to deliver major international exhibitions that drive tourism, stimulate the economy, and engage the community.