This was published 1 year ago
Adelaide things to do: The best things to see and do in Australia's other cultural capital
Mad March, in all its kaleidoscopic glory, is a precursor to Adelaide's year-long cultural calendar. Credit: SATC
Adelaide has many gardens, but none like the Garden of Unearthly Delights. Hedged by shipping containers, trimmed with travelling tents and bordered by burlesque shows it is a cultural playground for the edgy and the experimental.
Like an exotic bromeliad, it blooms just once each year for exactly 31 days during the Adelaide Fringe (February 17-March 19, 2023). Together with WOMADelaide (March 10-13), Adelaide Festival (March 3-19) and Adelaide Writers' Week (March 4-9) it makes up "Mad March", a riot of events that has earned South Australia the title of the festival state.
A not-for-profit festival, the 2022 Adelaide Fringe saw more than 6000 artists perform across 350 venues. As Australia's largest arts event (second only to the Edinburgh Fringe on an international scale) it shows just how joyful the city can be when the artists are left in charge.
In the Garden of Earthly Delights, I watched Reuben Kaye, sporting a sequined tuxedo over a voluptuous ball gown, deliver The Butch is Back show, while at The Lab at the LIGHT ADL venue, I was captivated by HIPPOCAMPUS, an immersive experience designed to spark a "conversation with your mind".
"The Adelaide Fringe is an open access festival with hundreds of shows in every genre," says Heather Croall, CEO and director. "It offers a platform to celebrate artists and gives them the opportunity to connect with audiences."
"Some venues are small, such as a laundromat doubling as a theatre," says Croall. "Others are outdoor hubs, which take over entire parklands."
Mad March, in all its kaleidoscopic glory, is a precursor to the city's year-long cultural calendar. When COVID-19 turned the lights off in theatres across the world, Adelaide's arts community used the lockdowns and limitations as an opportunity rather than a setback. Here's a guide to the best seats - which may be a red velvet lounge or an upturned milk crate – in town.
WEST END
THE LOWDOWN
The once gritty West End has emerged as a vibrant arts area, a vortex for everything that is creative and experimental. Home to contemporary galleries, progressive restaurants and future-focused museums, it is a gathering place for artistic innovators.
SEE + DO + EAT
Witness the collision of science, art and innovation at MOD., an interactive museum designed to bring people and ideas together. Meet the makers at JamFactory a cool art and craft gallery where visitors can tour behind the scenes to watch artisans at work. Nearby you'll find the Samstag Museum of Art and Ace Open, both rich in contemporary art and bold ideas.
Mercury CX is a hub for screen culture and long-time home of the South Australian Screen Awards. If live music is more your thing, head to Lion Arts Factory for local, national and international acts.
Eat your greens in the urban garden at Peter Rabbit or enjoy a drink with a conscience at ARTHUR Art Bar. Housed in an old Avant-Garde Furnishings store (it could pass as a demolition site) this not-for-profit art bar was built by artists for artists. Book a table at Aurora, not just a top-class dining experience, but a registered charity where profits are invested back into supporting local creators. Opened in 2021, Aurora is part of the broader LIGHT ADL project.
WHAT'S HOT
Part-studio, part-performance space, part-hospitality venue, LIGHT ADL is taking immersive art into a new stratosphere. "We want LIGHT to be a place where a performer's canvas can be reimagined through digital technology," says co-founder Nick Dunstone. "This will allow artists to take their audience to any place – real or imagined."
WHERE TO STAY
Sofitel Adelaide, offers monthly "Artiste Taste Tours", combining lunch with a curated tour of the hotel's art collection.
EAST END
Credit: SATC
THE LOWDOWN
Bordered by the East Terrace and Rymill Park/Murlawirrapurka, the East End is known for its heritage-listed buildings, designer boutiques and progressive culinary experiences. Dig deeper and you'll uncover vibrant laneways and an edgy street art scene.
SEE + DO + EAT
Pull up a pew at Palace Nova Cinema East End for arthouse and independent films or time your visit for a filmmaker Q&A. For contemporary and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, head to Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute.
Visit in July for Illuminate Adelaide festival where music, art and light turn the Botanic Garden, Adelaide Zoo and CBD buildings into a dreamscape.
Feast on African-inspired fare at Africola, where the raffish spirit of the staff is equalled only by the bold flavours of the dishes. New Italian trattoria Fugazzi Bar and Dining Room offers a New York-Italian-inspired menu in an elegant setting.
WHAT'S HOT
Street art is booming. "You never know where a new piece will pop up next," says Katina Vangopoulous, owner of Flamboyance Tours. "Jimmy C has recently been back in Adelaide producing a new piece with Elizabeth Close at the Pirate Life brewery." Join Katina for a street art tour dedicated to the work of Adelaide-raised artist James Cochran, aka Jimmy C, where you'll learn how the city's street art is continuing to evolve.
WHERE TO STAY
With its posters of past Fringe festivals and a bright, funky design, Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets pairs perfectly with a stay in the festival city. It's a 15-minute walk or short taxi ride to the East End.
NORTH TERRACE PRECINCT
THE LOWDOWN
Whatever your cultural obsession the North Terrace area has a heritage building for it. From the Art Gallery of South Australia to the South Australian Museum, the State Library to the University of Adelaide, this gentle strip will take more than a day to explore.
SEE + DO + EAT
Credit: SATC
Start at the Art Gallery of South Australia, where current exhibitions include The Nature of Culture and Yayoi Kusama: THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS. Take a free guided tour (daily 1am and 2pm) for an introduction to the gallery's 43,000 works of art. The gallery's restaurant specialises in South Australian produce.
If you think museums are stuffy you haven't visited the South Australian Museum. Part escape-room, part treasure hunt, the "Shadow Initiation" invites teams to race through the museum in an attempt to solve 40 puzzles in one hour ($49 per tablet, for up to four people). "It's in our nature; A queer trail of the museum" allows visitors to explore the museum through stories of love, desire and identity.
With a commanding riverbank position, the Adelaide Festival Centre is home to the 2000-seat Festival Theatre, the intimate Dunstan Playhouse and Her Majesty's Theatre. In 2023, the centre is celebrating 50 years of arts and entertainment with a calendar of exciting events.
WHAT'S HOT
December 2021 saw construction begin on Tarrkarri, a $200 million Centre for First Nations Cultures. Part of Adelaide's newest innovation neighbourhood known as Lot Fourteen, the cultural centre (due to open 2025) will provide an immersive experience combining traditional storytelling with cutting-edge technology.
WHERE TO STAY
Eos by SkyCity hotel features more than 900 artworks by South Australian artists. Next to the Festival Centre and near North Terrace, you'd be hard pressed to find a better location.
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