Major events

The Australian Masters Games will be held in Adelaide in October 2019. Find out about this biennial sporting event where most participants are over 30.

Every June, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival sweeps through the city to present an eclectic program of classic and contemporary cabaret performances.

The Adelaide Festival brings internationally acclaimed theatre, music, dance, visual art and writers to Adelaide. Held annually in March, the festival is recognised as one of the world’s major celebrations of creative excellence.

The purpose of the Adelaide Festival of Ideas is to celebrate the life of the mind, particularly the public value of ideas, thinking and innovation as foundations of civil society, an informed democracy and a robust economy.

Adelaide Film Festival (ADL Film Fest) is an eleven-day celebration and exploration of Australian and international screen culture held in October.

The Adelaide French Festival is a celebration of life, summer and the best of French culture over one weekend in January.

Held in February and March each year, the Adelaide Fringe is the world's second-largest annual arts festival, and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Adelaide Guitar Festival is an immersive winter festival, celebrating the world’s most popular instrument.

Held in May, the Adelaide Marathon Festival attracts runners from all over Australia to compete in the full 42.2 km marathon, as well as a 21.1 km half marathon, 10 km and 5 km fun run/walk events.

Held in October, the Adelaide Vegan Festival is a celebration of vegan life with guest speakers, live music, cooking demonstrations, hands-on workshops and a diverse array of vegan market stalls.

Celebrate Australia Day on 26 January in the heart of the city with the annual 'Australia Day in the City' festivities at Elder Park on the banks of the River Torrens.

Held annually on the third weekend in November, the Mitsubishi Motors Australian International 3 Day Event is Australia’s premier equestrian competition.

The anime and videogaming community come together once a year for a spectacular three-day event of gaming competitions, cosplay showcases and anime screenings.

The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge sees solar powered vehicles run from Darwin to Adelaide, powered only by the sun.

Join the Christmas cheer at Elder Park for the annual event, Carols by Candlelight. A host of home-grown talent will take the stage singing the songs of the season to a crowd glowing under candle light.

Australia’s biggest Cheese Festival and Fermentation Festival is held in Spring with over 100 food and beverage stalls featuring the best cheese, food and beverage producers.

The annual Westpac City-to-Bay Fun Run is Adelaide's largest running event attracting over 25,000 participants each year. The 12 km fun run starts in the Adelaide central business district and ends at the beach-side suburb of Glenelg.

DreamBIG Children’s Festival is South Australia’s iconic biennial arts festival for schools and families that places its audience at the centre of fresh, inventive, imaginative and inspiring arts experiences.

The most colourful and diverse fixture of Adelaide’s festival calendar is undoubtedly Feast Festival, a showcase of queer arts and culture.

The annual Glendi Greek Festival celebrates the contribution Hellenic migration has made to South Australia and the opportunities South Australia has provided migrants and their families. The Festival delivers a weekend of family fun; combining food, entertainment, art, culture and education for all the community to enjoy.

Indofest-Adelaide is a free annual family festival of Indonesian culture, food, dance, music, and crafts presented by the Australian-Indonesian Association of South Australia.

The Christmas Pageant is a South Australian Christmas tradition which takes place on the second Saturday of November. Families line city streets to welcome the festive season and of course, Father Christmas to Adelaide.

Celebrate New Year's Eve in Adelaide in Elder Park. It's a free event for all to attend, with talented musicians lined up to accompany you to the countdown, plus two spectacular fireworks displays at 9:00 pm and 11:59 pm.

OzAsia Festival is a feast for the senses, held annually over three weeks in spring during the month of October. The extensive OzAsia Festival program includes theatre, dance, music, visual arts, literature, film, food and cultural events from across Asia.

The Royal Adelaide Show occurs annually in August/September at the Wayville Showgrounds to the south of the city. The Show is run by the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of SA and it is the state's longest running event.

The History Festival is one of South Australia’s largest community events. The festival promotes the State’s wonderful historical collections, places and stories through an amazing range of history-related activities.

The South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival is a state-wide festival of Visual Art, promoting and celebrating the many talented visual artists in South Australia.

The Santos Tour Down Under is the biggest cycling race and the largest Festival of Cycling in the southern hemisphere.

Superloop Adelaide 500 is Australia’s largest domestic motorsport event and has grown its reputation globally as one of the best touring car races in the world.

This festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is celebration and showcase of hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia.

The state-wide Tasting Australia festival is the year’s largest and most delicious showcase of South Australian produce and culinary talent.

Held in July, Umbrella Winter City Sounds is an open access live music festival that features around 350 contemporary performances by local, national and international artists.

Traditionally held on the March long weekend, WOMADelaide is one of Adelaide’s biggest cultural festivals celebrating the world of music, arts and dance.