Adelaide City is evolving and changing beyond its old title of The City of Churches. It’s become a true holiday destination. It’s one of our favourite destinations for a winter holiday in Australia, and the Illuminate winter festival is just one more reason to visit.
City Lights
The biggest installation, City Lights takes over all of Adelaide and lights up the city. Streets, laneways, and open spaces become nocturnal playgrounds of imagination and light. Walk through Adelaide for a fresh perspective or hop on the free light rail and watch the city fly by as you’ve never seen it before.
Where: Adelaide CBD, various locations
When: 16 July-01 August
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Price: Free
Light Cycles
Internationally acclaimed studio, Moment Factories, is blending nature and technology with their Light Cycles. The Australian-first art installation will reimagine the Adelaide Botanic Garden with lights, sound, video, and special effects to amplify the voice of nature. While many of the art installations of Illuminate run into the evening and may not be suitable for little ones, Light Cycles is perfect for all ages, great for some family fun in Adelaide.
Where: Adelaide Botanic Garden
When: 15 July-01 August
Accessibility: Paved and bitumen paths with small sections that are not easily accessed by wheelchairs, but that can be by-passed
Price: $40 for adults, $36 per person in a group of four or more, free for children under 3 years old.
The Avalanches: Since I Left You
Australian music group The Avalanches released their debut album, Since I Left You, in 2000, which combined over 3,500 vinyl samples to create a wholly unique sound. Now, the duo has teamed up with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra to bring the one-of-a-kind album to life in a world premiere celebration of life, love, and music.
Where: Adelaide Entertainment Centre
When: 30 July, 8.30pm
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Price: Tickets range from $90 to $185
Van Gogh Alive
A multi-sensory tribute to the great artist, Van Gogh Alive uses the latest audio and visual immersive technology to invite viewers into Van Gogh’s greatest masterpieces. Housed in a specially constructed, 20,000 square foot, immersive gallery, Van Gogh Alive has toured more than 60 cities, including a blockbuster Sydney season, before landing in South Australia’s Adelaide for Illuminate.
Where: Grand Pavilion, North Adelaide
When: 1 July-01 August
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Price: $35 ($32 concession) for adults, $20 for children 5-12, $27 for children 13-17, family and group passes are available.
Light Creatures
Inside the Adelaide Zoo after dark, creatures made of light come out to play with Light Creatures. Large-scale lanterns and illumination inspired by the zoo’s inhabitants are taking over, from giant pandas rolling and playing on the lawns to giraffes towering above and reaching far into the night sky. Stay warm at night with hot food and drink from the zoo’s winter market—cafés, pop-up stalls, and bars.
Where: Adelaide Zoo
When: 8 July-01 August
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible and Auslan interpretation available
Price: $30 per person with discounts for group bookings and existing Zoo SA Members.
Adelaide Festival of Ideas
Along with the delightful light-based art installations, the city of Adelaide will also be hosting the Adelaide Festival of Ideas. While the light art installations illuminate the city and light up your eyes, the festival of ideas is a great opportunity to illuminate your mind. Events and panels on a range of topics—artificial intelligence, selfies that actually reflect ourselves, fairness and systemic prejudice in sports, and exploring what it means if we could live on a planet other than Earth.
Most of the talks throughout the Festival of Ideas are free, though booking your space is essential. All events in the Festival of Ideas take place throughout Illuminate Adelaide on the University of Adelaide campus.
Illuminate Adelaide shows off the best of the city—the brightest minds and artists coming together for a truly unique experience. There’s no way to experience it all in one day, and if you’re visiting from afar, you should consider staying in an Adelaide hotel to make the most of the 2021 Illuminate Adelaide festival.
