The Adelaide Park Lands will transform into a four-day celebration of world-class sport, hospitality and open-air entertainment this April from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 April 2026, with the Adelaide Equestrian Festival hosting the prestigious Oceania Championships.
The festival is the only five-star equestrian event in the Southern Hemisphere and one of just seven globally, placing Adelaide alongside iconic competitions in the UK, USA, Germany and France. This year, and in 2029, the Festival hosts the Oceania Championships, a huge moment for South Australia, which last hosted the event in 2009.
The championships rotate between Australia and New Zealand, last held on Australian soil in Melbourne in 2022. In 2026 and 2029, the Adelaide Equestrian Festival has secured the event, another huge sporting win for South Australia, echoing the state’s recent MotoGP coup. With international prestige and Trans-Tasman rivalry in play, expect Adelaide to come alive with one of the biggest and most electric crowds the Festival has seen.
You may have watched equestrian events on the Olympic stage, but in Adelaide, you’re not watching from a screen, you’re right there as the horses surge past. Now’s your chance to step into the action across four epic days, where the spectacle stretches far beyond the arena.
At the heart of the Festival, Victoria Park transforms into a lively hub of sport, hospitality and entertainment. Spectators can wander between the Main Arena, food and wine experiences, shopping village and picnic spots, while the action spills out across the Park Lands for Cross Country Day, delivering some of the closest vantage points you’ll find anywhere in the world.
Across the four days, visitors can expect everything from Dressage and Show Jumping to high-energy Cross Country runs, plus demonstrations, horsemanship displays and an education hub led by internationally recognised equine behaviour expert Dr Andrew McLean. Families are well catered for too, with activities designed for children and plenty of space to explore between events.
It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style day out. Settle into the grandstand, follow riders along the course, grab a drink with friends, or roll out a picnic rug as horses thunder past just metres away.
Adelaide Equestrian Festival Director Kirsty Withers says the event will be the perfect school holiday outing. “The Festival is truly accessible for everyone. Thursday 16 April presents a great opportunity for families with free General Admission, while children under five can attend free across all four days.”
“We are incredibly proud to also offer free entry for kids under 12 on our benchmark Cross Country Day, Saturday 18 April — making it a truly budget-friendly option for families wanting to enjoy the outdoors and witness jaw-dropping equestrian action just metres away.”
“Cross Country Day on Saturday never disappoints. This wildly energetic day sees families and equine enthusiasts spread across the Adelaide Park Lands, enjoying great food and drink, browsing vibrant pop-up markets and soaking up the unforgettable sights and sounds of horses galloping past.”
This year, Golden Guitar–winning musician who also happens to be a horse rider, Tom Curtain will perform across three days, while Saturday’s Cross Country program will conclude with a full Katherine Outback Experience performance in Victoria Park.
Competition will unfold across multiple divisions, including CCI3*-L for Under 25 competitors and CCI4*-S for senior riders, with the Under 25 division set to appear at the festival for the first time. More than 20 elite riders from across Australia and New Zealand are expected to tackle the world-class CCI5*-L course designed by Mike Etherington-Smith.
Running Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 April, the festival unfolds across four days of competition and entertainment. The weekend begins with ResourceCo Community Day, where dressage action from the CCI3-L division pairs with free entry and family-friendly activities.
On Pryde’s Easifeed Dressage Day Friday, the technical precision of both CCI4-S and elite CCI5* athletes takes centre stage, offering a front-row look at skill and discipline.
RB Sellars Cross Country Day on Saturday is the festival’s heartbeat where competitors gallop across the Park Lands in thrilling terrain, and the day’s energy spills into live music, markets and activities for all ages.
Finally, ATCO Show Jumping Day on Sunday brings the championships home with a display of speed and finesse in the Gillian Rolton Main Arena, where podium placings are decided.
Greg Rolton of the Adelaide Equestrian Festival says, “As the ‘Festival State’ South Australia continues to dial up the action year on year with access to the very best music, culture, food and sporting events. The Adelaide Equestrian Festival continues to provide an all-in, family friendly event that not only showcases the finest Equestrian athletes but also blends hospitality, entertainment and education within the pristine surrounds of the Adelaide Park Lands.”
“You just don’t get this type of event anywhere in the world – and I can say that, because it’s true. Horses and Riders performing Dressage, Cross Country and Show Jumping in the heart of the Adelaide CBD… it is truly one of a kind,” Mr Rolton said.
More than 30,000 spectators are expected across the festival, bringing tourism from the Eastern Seaboard, New Zealand and throughout South Australia.
Adelaide Equestrian Festival
Where: Adelaide Park Lands
When: 16 – 19 April 2026
For more information, click here.
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