Image Credit: Morgan Sette
Adelaide Festival 2026 begins tonight, launching 17 days of world-class theatre, music, opera and dance across the city, and this year’s season is nothing short of extraordinary.
With 44 events, including eight world premieres and 12 Australian premieres, the 41st edition cements its place as Australia’s leading international arts festival. From Britain’s indie rock icons to contemporary Korea and Parisian music halls, from Bach to Japanese electronica, and from South Australian roller derby to America’s Deep South, this is a program that stretches across continents, genres and generations.
Artistic Director Matthew Lutton OAM describes it as “Australia’s preeminent international arts festival bringing the world’s greatest directors, actors, singers, conductors and choreographers exclusively to Adelaide.”
“From our free opening concert in Elder Park with iconic band Pulp to intimate, soul-stirring works, expect audacious and moving theatre, breathtaking music, and large-scale moments of adrenaline from France, Germany, China and Korea that you will remember for decades — the kind of shared experiences only live art can deliver,” he said.
Opening night belongs to Britpop legends Pulp, who take over Elder Park for a massive free concert. Gates open at 5pm, with DJ Craig warming up the crowd before Jarvis Cocker and the band hit the stage at 8:30pm, performing favourites including Common People and Disco 2000 alongside tracks from their latest album, More.
Across the opening weekend and beyond, the program unfolds with bold scale and global ambition. A striking contemporary South Korean adaptation of The Cherry Orchard reimagines Chekhov’s classic through director Simon Stone’s lens, starring Cannes Best Actress Doyeon Jeon and Emmy-nominated Haesoo Park.
Iconic Adelaide company Slingsby takes a final bow after almost two decades, completing its fairytale triptych with A Concise Compendium of Wonder inside its purpose-built Wandering Hall of Possibility in the Adelaide Botanic Garden.
Grammy Award-winning American soprano Julia Bullock honours legendary performer and activist Joséphine Baker in Perle Noire: Meditations for Joséphine, directed by former Festival Artistic Director Peter Sellars. Composer Tyshawn Sorey will also perform a one-night-only piano concert at Her Majesty’s Theatre.
Music fans can dive into experimental soundscapes at Tryp, while theatre lovers can catch Windmill Theatre Company’s roller-derby-infused Mama Does Derby. Germany’s Schaubühne Berlin brings Édouard Louis’ History of Violence under the direction of Thomas Ostermeier, while France’s Ensemble Pygmalion makes its long-awaited Australian debut.
Adelaide’s own Australian Dance Theatre presents two powerful dance works, and internationally acclaimed musicians Anthony Marwood and Olli Mustonen take up artistic residencies with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, culminating in a rare joint performance.
Beyond the stage, the Art Gallery of South Australia hosts the free-entry 2026 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, Yield Strength, while galleries across the city showcase new exhibitions from leading Australian and international artists.
Festival nights continue at CODA on Festival Plaza, the new central bar hub open from 5pm until late, offering food, drinks and a place to debrief after performances.
Accessibility remains a priority, with $40 tickets available for audiences under 40, alongside Pay What You Can, Tix for Next to Nix and Festival Connect initiatives to reduce financial barriers.
Looking ahead, the South Australian Government has also confirmed landmark operas for 2027, including Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle directed by internationally renowned theatre-maker Romeo Castellucci and AIDA, Franco Zeffirelli’s grand Verona production.
But for now, all eyes are on tonight.
The 41st Adelaide Festival runs from Friday 27 February to Sunday 15 March 2026.
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