SA pubs join fight against loneliness with month-long connection campaign
More than 120 pubs across South Australia are opening their doors this August as part of a state-wide push to combat loneliness, offering food and drink deals alongside trivia nights, movie screenings and other community events.
The Cheers Together SA initiative, backed by the Australian Hotels Association SA, comes as new data from Real Insurance shows almost one in eight Australians or 12 per cent report having no close friends.
AHA SA chief executive Anna Moeller said pubs remained the "heartbeat" of many communities and the campaign was designed to spotlight the social role venues play.
"For many the local pub is where people find friendship, conversation and a sense of belonging," she told SA Now. "This is so important in an era where we are seemingly more connected than ever but that real face-to-face connection is being lost."
A separate national study found roughly one in three Australians experience loneliness, with one in six facing severe or chronic isolation.
Glenn O'Rourke, owner of the recently revived Rosemont Hotel on Hindley Street, said the campaign reflected what customers were craving.
"A great pub gives people something a screen never can, real conversation, friendship and a genuine sense of belonging," he said. "Hospitality isn't just about serving food and drinks. It's about creating places where people feel welcome and connected."
Oliver Brown, owner of city venues The Stag and NOLA, said publicans had a responsibility to actively foster connection through service and programming, pointing to trivia nights as a simple but effective example.
Social researcher Mark McCrindle said loneliness was among the biggest issues facing the country, and venues that offered a sense of community were performing "a social good well beyond the food and beverage service."
The campaign follows the reopening of the Rosemont Hotel, an Adelaide institution dating back to 1846, after O'Rourke invested $500,000 into the first stage of its redevelopment. The pub had been dormant for more than two years before reopening last week with a new sports bar, live entertainment stage and refurbished gaming lounge.
"This isn't just about reopening a pub," O'Rourke said. "It's about helping revitalise the West End of Hindley Street and creating a venue that brings people together."
Cheers Together SA runs throughout August across participating venues statewide.
Jonathan Jackson, 11th August 2026
