About the Festival
About
About the Festival content
More than any other Australian festival of its kind, it offers a place for cultural and intellectual nourishment, a sense of gathering and of community
The Australian
Inclusivity, creativity, sustainability, trust and celebration drive our passion for delivering Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Writers’ Week.
Adelaide Festival is internationally recognised as Australia's pre-eminent arts festival. Alongside sister-festivals in Edinburgh and Avignon, our Festival is cited as one of the top festivals in the world, providing audiences with the chance to see the most original and acclaimed artists working in the world today. Our curated program includes Australia's largest free literary festival - Adelaide Writers' Week alongside a cross-section of theatre, opera, music, dance and visual art from artists of all backgrounds and cultures.
Since 1960, Adelaide Festival has also stood at the helm of artistic innovation, commissioning and championing groundbreaking new works and presenting them alongside the greatest established companies and artists.
Just some of the artists and companies who have appeared at past Festivals include Lyon Opera Ballet, Scottish Opera, Romeo Castellucci, Barrie Kosky, Johan Inger, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Hofesh Shechter, Meryl Tankard, Milo Rau, Grace Jones, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Akram Khan, Sylvie Guillem, John Zorn, Marlene Dietrich, Allen Ginsberg, James Thiérrée, Philip Glass, Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal, Isabelle Huppert, Schaubühne Berlin, Yehudi Menuhin, Isabella Rossellini, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Nina Simone, Jane Birkin and Malcolm McLaren.
Adelaide Festival also includes Australia's largest free literary festival - Adelaide Writers' Week. Read about Adelaide Writers' Week here >>
Save the date for the next editions
28 Feb - 16 Mar 2025 | 27 Feb - 15 Mar 2026
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Find out more
Download our Strategic Plan 2024 - 2027
Read our Annual Report 2023 - 24
Read the 2024 Festival Impact Report: Download (pdf)
Curious about past Festivals? Visit our archive
The Adelaide Festival Corporation Act 1998 is available here
Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Writers’ Week acknowledge the rights of individuals to hold different and divergent views. Views held by our writers are not necessarily the views of the organisation. We respect freedom of speech and the respectful exchange of ideas. We will not tolerate any behaviour that is insulting, against the law, or racist in any form, and we have a zero-tolerance policy regarding racism towards our staff, artists, audiences, and the communities we serve. We will not permit commentary during our festival that is insulting or racist.