Under the artistic direction of Brett Sheehy AO, the 2025 Adelaide Festival (28 February to 16 March) celebrated its 40th edition with a vibrant 17-day program featuring 65 events, including 11 world premieres, 9 Australian premieres, and 15 exclusive performances. This milestone year continues the Festival’s legacy as Australia’s leading international arts celebration, showcasing a dynamic mix of opera, theatre, music, dance and visual arts.
Each year, the Adelaide Festival transforms the city into a vibrant celebration of the arts, drawing visitors from across the country and around the world. As one of Australia’s most respected international arts events, it fills theatres, concert halls, and outdoor spaces with opera, dance, music, theatre, and literature for more than two weeks. The 2025 program was a landmark edition, and the highlights below capture just how rich and varied the celebration has become.
The Festival officially opened with the Australian premiere of Innocence, a contemporary opera hailed as one of the greatest of the 21st century. Directed by visionary Australian director Simon Stone, this gripping production features music by Kaija Saariaho and a libretto by Sofi Oksanen, performed by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and a combined chorus from Adelaide Chamber Singers and State Opera South Australia.
Opening Weekend Highlights
The opening weekend also featured the world premiere of Stephanie Lake Company’s MASS MOVEMENT, a large-scale community dance event co-commissioned with The Australian Ballet. Held at Elder Park on 1 March, this free dusk performance united 1,000 dancers, aged 12 to 88, in a breathtaking celebration of movement and diversity.
World-Class Dance and Music
AF25 featured world’s most celebrated dance company Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal’s with Club Amour alongside Spain’s wildest exponent of flamenco, Rocío Molina in Caída del Cielo (Fallen from Heaven). We saw musicians celebrated for being the absolute best in their fields, alongside virtuosic theatrical performances where we witnessed Australia’s best artists in every genre. Together they celebrated the transformative power of art in its many forms leaving audiences inspired.
Beloved Festival Favourites
Beloved Festival staples also returned in 2025, including Adelaide Writers’ Week (1 to 6 March), WOMADelaide, Chamber Landscapes at UKARIA and Daylight Express. These festivals-within-the-Festival offer audiences a rich tapestry of literature, global music and intimate chamber performances. A new addition this year is The Courtyard, a vibrant hub on Festival Plaza offering food, drinks and nightly entertainment from Wednesday to Sunday, designed to foster community and connection.
Accessibility and Education
The Festival continues its commitment to accessibility and education, with initiatives supporting disadvantaged schools and youth engagement through workshops and discounted tickets.
Audiences adored ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s retelling of the story of Warumpi Band, Big Name, No Blankets, Forced Entertainment’s Complete Works: Table Top Shakespeare and Australian Dance Theatre’s A Quiet Language. Music highlights include Hania Rani, Cat Power Sings Dylan and Goran Bregovic.
Experiencing the Adelaide Festival
Attending the Adelaide Festival is about more than seeing a single show; it is about immersing yourself in the creative energy that spills across the whole city. With events running from late morning into the night, it pays to plan ahead, book popular performances early, and leave room to stumble upon something unexpected. Many venues are within easy reach of the city centre, so you can pair an afternoon performance with a relaxed dinner before an evening event. The festival atmosphere is wonderfully welcoming, whether you are a seasoned arts lover or simply curious to see what all the excitement is about.
Staying close to the action makes the whole experience far more enjoyable. From a comfortable base in North Adelaide, you are only a short journey from the main festival hubs, which means less time travelling and more time soaking up the performances. After a long, inspiring day, there is real comfort in returning to a quiet, welcoming studio to rest before doing it all again. If you are planning your visit around the next Adelaide Festival, settling into the heart of the city is the perfect way to make the most of every moment.
