The 10 Best Annual Adelaide Festivals

Eat, drink, dance and be merry at one of Adelaide’s many vibrant festivals.

Adelaide is known as Australia’s Festival City thanks to its calendar of standout events. From festivals featuring music and art to flagship food and wine festivals and hybrid formats that celebrate all of the above, here are 10 Adelaide festivals that will brighten your days and nights.

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival

This boutique counter-cultural festival , which first popped up in a grungy back alley in Melbourne in 2004, encourages up-and-coming and established musicians – from psycho-rock guitar bands to top-shelf electro DJS — to reclaim the streets of Radelaide. Expect alt acts such as the Pist Idiots, Ocean Alley, Tones and I and Spacey Jane to find their groove at the festival, traditionally held in the historic Hart’s Mill precinct in Port Adelaide.

Adelaide Fringe Festival

Expect to gasp and giggle your way around the annual Adelaide Fringe Festival , where the kaleidoscopic program ranges from grungy, visceral theatre to circus, visual arts, comedy, classical and contemporary music, workshops and more.

All up, there are about 6000 artists performing everything from across 300 venues all over South Australia. Rove through the festival and you will delight at everything from drumming circles to family puppet shows, physical theatre and Indigenous dance.

Adelaide Fringe Festival — Adelaide streets come alive during the Fringe Fest.

Tasting Australia

High up on many a foodie’s bucket list, Tasting Australia has evolved to become Australia’s premier eating and drinking festival, with fabulous food and wine, hands-on workshops, exclusive dinners and inspired feasts. As well as reflecting the diverse cultural heritage of Adelaide’s citizens, the indulgent 10-day adventure will also be your passport to farm tours, tastings and long-table lunches that celebrate the talents of local chefs, winemakers and producers.

WOMADelaide

The South Australian capital is transformed each year for WOMADelaide, which draws thousands to appreciate its richly varied program of music, aerial theatre, dance, film, art and culture.

The annual festival, which has been celebrating cultural and creative diversity since its inception in 1992, is traditionally held across seven stages in Botanic Park. WOMADelaide is one of six WOMAD festivals that are part of a global circuit.

Kids at WOMADelaide — Kids and adults alike can enjoy WOMADelaide. (Image: Megan Crabb)

Groovin the ‘Moo

This annual autumn musical festival has established itself as one of the classical Aussie music events. Expect acts such as Ruby Fields, Lime Cordiale, G Flip and Hockey Dad to headline the festival which is as much about wearing eye-popping and out-there outfits as it is about groovin’ with your moo crew to gigs ranging from electronic to indie rock. The festival is traditionally held in Adelaide Showground. The festival did not go ahead in 2024 but fans are hopeful it will return in 2025.

Adelaide Beer and BBQ Festival

The Adelaide Beer & BBQ Festival draws together a varied guest list of beer and barbecue vendors who take up residence at Adelaide Showground each year for the annual event.

Close up of glass and guide at Adelaide Beer and BBQ fest — The Beer and BBQ Festival shines the spotlight on one of the great pairings in life. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

With more than 100 brewers, cideries, distillers and winemakers in attendance, you can enjoy a tutored tasting or two and then make a beeline for the best-looking barbecue ribs. The three-day festival also features live music.

100 brewers, cideries, distillers and winemakers convene.

Adelaide Festival

Let the good times roll at Adelaide Festival , which has been around 60-plus years now. Enjoy an eclectic line-up of dance theatre, contemporary and classical music, striking visual arts displays and award-winning writers at the Adelaide Writers’ Week event, which falls under the festival’s umbrella. Adelaide comes alive for the festival, which provides a platform for emerging artists and commissions innovative new works.

Adelaide Cabaret Festival

Cue your jazz hands for the largest cabaret festival in the world. Conceptualised in 2001, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival shines the spotlight on creative excellence, highlighting the best local, national and – where possible – international artists through a dynamic program of boundary-pushing performances to suit all ages.

Cellar Door Fest

What better way to sample world-class South Australian wines than under one roof at Cellar Door Fest, which brings together some of the State’s best wineries, breweries and distilleries for this annual three-day event. Taste South Australian Grenache from Yalumba, sip on big, bold reds from the Barossa and combine cheese and cider at the festival, which also features local musicians ranging from fiddle-forward folk rockers to indie artists.

Sample South Australian wines at Cellar Door.

South Australian Living Arts Festival

The South Australian Living Arts Festival is one of the most vibrant arts events in Adelaide. Established in 1998 as a way to promote and pay homage to South Australian visual artists, the festival organisers continue to celebrate the diverse creative practises of SA artists with cutting-edge programs that keep the brain cells firing.

Adding colour to the festival are visual artists that use collage, assemblage, painting, photography and video to produce their works.

Planning a trip to Adelaide? Read more travel tips and itineraries in our Adelaide travel guide.

Once a service town for gold miners, Healesville has evolved into a destination brimming with character.

If you trace your finger to the heart of the Yarra Valley on a map, you’ll land on Healesville – a charming little town framed by towering gums and rolling hills. Its main street is lined with cosy cafes, a bookshop, silversmiths, boutiques and a providore stacked with artisan breads and cured meats. In other words, all the essentials for a leisurely weekend. Just beyond the shops, parklands invite picnics, bush trails suggest a wander, along with an old tourist railway, distilleries and award-winning vineyards. Originally a service centre for the goldfields, the railway soon brought visitors seeking fresh mountain air. Today, it’s the kind of place that rewards a slow stroll.

Staying in Healesville

the lounge in one of the cosy villas at Healesvillas — Inside one of the cosy villas.

If sweeping mountain views are part of your accommodation prerequisite, Healesvillas are two architecturally designed villas sleeping six guests, complete with landscaped al fresco areas and a fire pit. Wander into town to visit Cheesemonger Sophie to help craft the perfect platter, and Barrique Wine Store for a local red, before returning to soak up the views.

Dining out in Healesville

small plates at No. 7 Healesville — No.7 offers small plates and tasting menus centred on seasonal produce. (Image: Ben Frazer)

For breakfast, head to My Little Kitchen Cafe , a cheerful spot on the main street known for its strong coffee and warm hospitality. Herd is a low-lit spot with serious style, serving up modern comfort food, or to sit beside wine barrels and underneath chandeliers head to No. 7 Healesville , a wine bar and restaurant in a converted warehouse.

Drinking in Healesville

a cocktail at Four Pillars Gin Distillery — Enjoy a cocktail at renowned Four Pillars Gin Distillery. (Image: LVDI)

Take a tour or sip your way through a tasting paddle at one of Australia’s most famous gin distilleries, Four Pillars Gin . If visiting a boutique winery is on the list, Boat O’Craigo wines has sweeping views over the vineyards to the hills beyond. The newest addition to the local drinking scene, Zoncello Yarra Valley serves a must-try Limoncello Spritz.

the Boat O’Craigo winery — Boutique winery Boat O’Craigo. (Image: Rob Blackburn)

Healesville highlights

If you’re after a one-of-a-kind piece of jewellery, Silvermist Studio designs beautifully unique pieces. Lifestyle store Morris et al is filled with women’s fashion and homewares, and because everyone deserves a good book, Verso Books is a cosy independent bookshop with carefully chosen titles.

Head to Healesville Sanctuary to get up close to some of Australia’s wildlife. If the weather is on your side, pack a picnic and head to Maroondah Reservoir Park to climb the steep dam wall, where kids and adults alike can’t resist testing out the booming echo. And if you feel like stepping back in time, board a vintage train at the Yarra Valley Railway .

Step back in time at the Puffing Billy Railway. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Top 10 annual Adelaide festivals