Rolling StonesAdelaide 1973
Crowd disorder outside or around the Memorial Drive concert on 21 February 1973. Sources describe police clashes, thrown beer cans and stones, arrests, injuries, and a disputed final count.
Overview
What Happened
Core Findings
A Riot Outside The Drive
The source set confirms crowd disorder outside or around the Rolling Stones show at Memorial Drive Park, Adelaide. The strongest contemporary open source is a Reuters item republished in The Straits Times, which described an hour-long riot involving about 4,000 fans.
Later Adelaide and music-history sources describe a similar scene but use slightly different figures, including about 5,000 people outside and 21 arrests. Reuters gave 18 arrests, while a restricted Rolling Stone search snippet mentioned 40 kids arrested, which could not be checked in full.
Injury reporting is also incomplete. Reuters said dozens were injured, including four policemen, but no final official injury total was verified in the research file.
Review Conflicts →Quick View
Incident Highlights
Chronology
Known Sequence
Before the show
The Rolling Stones were scheduled at Memorial Drive Park, Adelaide, as part of their 1973 Australian tour.
Crowds gather
Sources describe paying attendees inside and thousands more outside or around War Memorial Drive.
Disorder escalates
Reuters reported an hour-long riot, with fans clashing with police and throwing beer cans and stones.
Police response
Reports describe arrests, injuries, and damage during the disorder outside or around the venue.
Aftermath
Later sources remembered Adelaide as the tour’s main wild scene, with arrest and injury counts still inconsistent.
Evidence Gaps
Conflicting Information
Disputed Detail
Number arrested
The figures may reflect different reporting times or broader tour reporting. The final authoritative arrest total was not verified.
Reuters / The Straits Times reported 18 arrests.
Adelaide Now / The Advertiser and Music Feeds report 21 arrests; Rolling Stone’s restricted snippet mentions 40 kids arrested.
The figures may reflect different reporting times or broader tour reporting. The final authoritative arrest total was not verified.
Disputed Detail
Number injured
The only directly opened source with a concrete injury statement was the Reuters report.
Reuters / The Straits Times reported dozens injured, including four policemen.
Later open sources focused on unruly scenes and arrests but did not confirm a final injury total.
The only directly opened source with a concrete injury statement was the Reuters report.
Disputed Detail
Number involved outside the venue
These may describe different moments or estimates rather than a direct contradiction.
Reuters reported about 4,000 fans clashed with police.
Adelaide retrospective reporting describes about 5,000 gathered outside along War Memorial Drive.
These may describe different moments or estimates rather than a direct contradiction.
Disputed Detail
Rolling Stone restricted snippet
Because the Rolling Stone page could not be opened, it is not treated as settled evidence.
Rolling Stone search snippet says four policemen injured and 40 kids arrested.
Reuters says 18 arrests; Adelaide reporting says 21 arrests.
Because the Rolling Stone page could not be opened, it is not treated as settled evidence.
Unverified Details
Final arrest total
Sources differ between 18, 21, and a restricted Rolling Stone snippet mentioning 40.
Final injury total
Reuters reports dozens injured, including four policemen, but no final official total was verified.
Exact street-side position
Only a retrospective reference to the north side of War Memorial Drive was found.
Fatalities
No fatalities were found in the reviewed sources.
Restricted Rolling Stone detail
The search snippet could not be checked against the full article text.
Sources
Reference Cards
01
ABC News · News article
Rolling Stones back in Adelaide, this time without controversy: Lawyer tells inside story of 1973 tour
24 October 2014
ABC says the only wild scenes on the 1973 tour were outside the Adelaide concert, where fans became unruly. It also reports that the band entered the venue in an armoured car.
Visit Source →02
The Straits Times / Reuters · Contemporary news report
Rolling Stones riot: 18 held
22 February 1973
Contemporary Reuters report stating that the previous night in Adelaide a Rolling Stones concert turned into an hour-long riot. It reports about 4,000 fans clashed with police, threw beer cans and stones, caused damage, injured dozens including four policemen, and 18 people were arrested.
Visit Source →03
Adelaide Now / The Advertiser · Retrospective news report
The Rolling Stones at Memorial Drive in 1973 — a riotous good time for Adelaide fans
22 February 2014
Search snippet states The Advertiser’s 22 February 1973 report was headlined “21 arrests at Drive concert.” It also says about 8,000 paid to attend and about 5,000 more gathered along the north side of War Memorial Drive.
Visit Source →04
News.com.au · Retrospective news report
A riotous good time with the Stones
23 February 2014
Search snippet repeats the Adelaide-focused retrospective account that 21 people were arrested outside the Memorial Drive concert.
Visit Source →05
Rolling Stone · Restricted news item
Tour Ends: Stones Down Under With Flowers and Beer Can Showers
29 March 1973
Search snippet says four policemen were injured, 40 kids were arrested, and Mick Jagger said the next day that he knew nothing about the riot. The article itself was restricted, so the figure is treated with caution.
Visit Source →06
Tennis SA · Official venue source
About Us | The Drive | Tennis SA Venues
No page date stated
Official venue page stating Memorial Drive Park took its name from War Memorial Drive and gives the venue contact address as War Memorial Drive, Adelaide SA 5000.
Visit Source →07
Tennis SA · Official venue source
Getting to Memorial Drive Tennis Centre
No page date stated
Official access page confirming the venue as Memorial Drive Tennis Centre in Adelaide.
Visit Source →08
setlist.fm · Setlist database
The Rolling Stones Setlist at Memorial Drive Park, Adelaide
No page date stated
Places the Rolling Stones at Memorial Drive Park, Adelaide, Australia on 21 February 1973.
Visit Source →09
MilesAgo · Retrospective tour source
Tours by Overseas Artists - The Rolling Stones (1973)
No page date stated
Search snippet states the only major incident on the tour took place at Adelaide’s Memorial Drive Park, where members of a 5,000-strong crowd clashed with police. The page returned an error when opened.
Visit Source →10
Music Feeds · Retrospective article
The Rolling Stones Vs Australia: A Short History
4 December 2013
Retrospective article saying the 21 February 1973 Memorial Drive Park show saw 5,000 fans clash with local police and that 21 arrests were made.
Visit Source →11
The Drive Adelaide · Official venue source
The Drive: Home of Tennis SA
Current site
Current official site for the venue now known as The Drive. Used for venue context only, not for incident casualty detail.
Visit Source →Open Evidence
