The South Australian festivals and events calendar

In South Australia we love a party. Discover the top festival and events in Adelaide all year round.

South Australia's world-famous events and festivals showcase our exceptional food and wine, sport, art and vibrant city life. It's no surprise then that we are known across the country as the 'festival state'. Home to a jam-packed calendar of world-class events, our festival spirt shines bright in Adelaide all year round.

Discover our calendar of events and festivals in Adelaide and start planning your trip to see the magic of our festival state for yourself. 

1. SANTOS Tour Down Under, January

Pedalling across South Australia in January, The Santos Tour Down Under is Australia’s greatest cycling event, welcoming the world’s best to the city of Adelaide and South Australia’s beautiful regions. Tour time provides the perfect opportunity to see, eat and drink your way around the Barossa, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.

2. Adelaide International, January 

Kick start your SA summer of sport at the Adelaide International. Watch as some of the world's best tennis players — including four top 25 players — compete for a massive prize pool and world ranking points. With live music, entertainment, bars and food trucks, keep the party season going this January and secure your tickets before it's too late.

3. Adelaide Fringe Festival, February - March 

Adelaide Fringe Festival is the party that defines this city! It is the largest open-access festival in the Southern Hemisphere, bursting at the seams with local, interstate and international five-star acts that transform the state for 31 wonderful days and nights. Whether you’re a cabaret connoisseur, comedy king or queen, theatre tragic or just want to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere, there’s something for you at Adelaide Fringe. 

4. WOMADelaide, March

Each year, sounds from around the world fill Adelaide’s beautiful Botanic Park as part of WOMADelaide. As one of the best Australian festivals, WOMAD is Australia’s ultimate feast for the senses, set in a glorious 34-hectare green oasis. With previous headliners including the likes of Florence + The Machine and Bon Iver, you can expect big things from WOMADelaide, kicking off in Adelaide every March.

5. Adelaide Festival, February - March 

For 60 years, Adelaide Festival audiences have delighted in an outstanding mix of internationally acclaimed theatre productions, an eclectic array of world-class musicians, breathtaking dance pieces, renowned writers and striking visual arts displays. Along with festivals in Edinburgh and Avignon, the Adelaide Festival is often cited as one of the top three festivals in the world.

6. Gather Round, April 

Gather 'round, grab your mates and celebrate all things Footy in April as the AFL premiership is played in its entirety only in South Australia. After a sell-out 2024, AFL Gather Round is back for its third action-packed edition - 18 teams, nine games and one massive festival of footy. Come for the love of the game, stay for everything South Australia has to offer.

7. LIV Golf Adelaide, February 

See 54 of the world's best players — including Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau (star of the 2024 majors season) — in a high-stakes weekend of golf at Grange Golf Course! Whether you're a longtime golfer, new to the sport or just want to be part of the action, LIV Golf Adelaide is the place come February. Enjoy dining on the green, sipping cocktails on the 18th, getting up close to the action or setting the dancefloor alight with world renowned Australian DJ & producer DOM DOLLA. There's a lot to immerse yourself in at one of Adelaide's biggest sporting events in the calendar. 

8. Tasting Australia presented by Journey Beyond, May

South Australia’s food and wine are renowned the world over and for 10 sumptuous days one of Australia’s oldest food festivals dishes up the very best from around the state. With events across South Australia showcasing the best produce served up by our most awarded chefs, winemakers and restaurateurs, Tasting Australia is foodie heaven. Long lunches, exclusive dinners, farm tours, tastings, masterclasses and a celebration of food in Adelaide’s Town Square, loosen your belt buckle for a gourmet feast like no other. 

9. The Adelaide Cabaret Festival, June

Running throughout June, the dazzling Adelaide Cabaret Festival will see some of the world’s biggest acts sashay across the stage at venues throughout Adelaide. The Adelaide Cabaret Festival is the largest festival of its kind in the world with major events at the Dunstan Playhouse, Festival Theatre, Her Majesty’s Theatre and Artspace. 

10. Illuminate Adelaide, July

Reignite your curiosity in winter with Australia’s newest major event, Illuminate Adelaide. The city-wide spectacle invites you to experience a program of art, light, sound and imagination. Shining a light on South Australia for the month of July, the program hosts a range of free and ticketed events by local, national and international artists and companies for you to enjoy and shake off those winter blues. Sparked your interest? 

11. OzAsia Festival, October – November

Held over 18 days, OzAsia Festival is Australia’s leading contemporary Asian arts festival. Yearly programs present the very best in contemporary theatre, dance, music, visual art, film, literature talks, food and more from across Asia. Highlights include the dazzling Moon Lantern Festival and the mouth-watering Lucky Dumpling Market. Get your taste with festival dates happening across October and November. 

12. National pharmacies Christmas Pageant, November

The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is the largest single-day parade in the southern hemisphere. Each year, fairy tale characters, colourful clowns, marching bands, twirling dancers and more than 60 floats lead the way to Father Christmas and his iconic sleigh, with the festival bringing the spirit and joy of Christmas to the streets of Adelaide.

13. VAILO Adelaide 500, November

Start your engines and get ready for Australia's largest domestic motor sport event VAILO Adelaide 500. Taking to the streets of Adelaide, watch on from the crowds as the cars make their way around the famous street circuit. A weekend packed full of action, there's plenty to see and do including driver autograph sessions, exotic vehicle displays, sideshows, family entertainment and much more.​​ As the action on the track draws to a close, the action off the track revs up with some of Australia’s and the world's biggest acts taking to the stage in the scenic surrounds of the Adelaide parklands.

THE PARTY DOESN'T STOP IN ADELAIDE

There’s so much to see and do in South Australia and our regions will find any excuse for a celebration. Discover our regional events and festivals calendar of their own, showing off the best of our state's food, wine, fashion, art and design. Find out what’s on today, this weekend and this month in Adelaide and South Australia. Check out our guide to the best things to do in Adelaide and start planning your trip.