Image: The Frankie Creative
The 2025 Adelaide Festival features a 17-day celebration of arts and culture. This marks the 40th edition of the Festival, which has grown to become a cornerstone event in Australia’s cultural landscape. This year’s festival will see a strong international presence.
Over 65 events are on the schedule, including 11 world premieres, 9 Australian premieres, and 15 exclusive performances, showcasing everything from opera to contemporary dance and literary discussions. The festival will provide a compelling glimpse into the global artistic community and its engagement with pressing contemporary issues.
Artistic Director Brett Sheehy AO shared, “I’m thrilled to be back at the artistic helm of Adelaide Festival for 2025. The strength of our international program this year is, yet again, unparalleled in the nation, with the monumental opera Innocence, the epic Club Amour, and a stellar line-up of international productions and artists. Add to this our national productions and artists and we cement our 65-year reputation as Australia’s preeminent multi-arts festival. My endless thanks to all of the artists joining us this year and to the Adelaide Festival team, who make the impossible happen, who never say never, and who have delivered this 2025 program to Adelaide, Australia and the world.”
Kath M Mainland CBE, Chief Executive of the Adelaide Festival said, “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome audiences to the 2024 Adelaide Festival. As Australia’s premiere international arts festival, we bring together an extraordinary assembly of world-class artists from right across the globe, performing alongside the remarkable talent we have right here in South Australia. This year’s program is set to challenge, inspire, and captivate in equal measure. There is nowhere quite like Adelaide in March – the city comes alive with culture, creativity and world-renowned festivals. We are immensely grateful for the support of our many donors and partners, not least the Government of South Australia for its steadfast support, which ensures that this great festival continues to thrive on the global stage.”
Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP highlighted, “The Malinauskas Government has invested an additional $2.3 million to bring major international events to South Australia as part of Adelaide Festival and this year, that money is going toward bringing us the opera Innocence which will make its exclusive Australian debut tonight on opening night.”
Key opening weekend events feature exciting performances such as ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’, starring Seann Miley Moore, and ‘A Quiet Language’ by the Australian Dance Theatre, celebrating its 60th anniversary. Plus, ‘Innocence’ is set to captivate audiences at the Festival Theatre following its success in London and before heading to New York.
Classic theatre is also well represented, with Stephen Rea starring in Samuel Beckett’s ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’, while Samuel Barnett features in the dark comedy ‘Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen.’
The eclectic dance performance ‘Caída del Cielo’, performed by renowned Spanish flamenco artist Rocío Molina, and a one-night performance by Polish pianist Hania Rani at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, add to the brilliant international talent showcased at the festival.
Literary enthusiasts will also be catered for with the 40th Adelaide Writer’s Week running concurrently. This year’s theme, ‘Words Matter’, features a packed schedule including a new Schools Day and the popular Young Readers Day, that focuses on early literary engagement among children and young people.
The festival is bringing the premier artistic achievements and making it accessible, with numerous free events planned. An example is the Stephanie Lake Company as they premiere ‘MASS MOVEMENT’ in Elder Park, featuring over 1000 dancers.
The Adelaide Festival runs until March 16th, with heaps of activities and performances designed to showcase and celebrate both established and emerging talents across the arts.
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