Reignite your curiosity this winter with Australia’s newest major event, Illuminate Adelaide, returning bigger and brighter than before. This city-wide spectacle invites you to experience a program of art, light, sound and imagination. Shining a light on South Australia for the month of July, the program hosts a range of free and ticketed events by local, national and international artists and companies for you to enjoy and shake off those winter blues.
Sparked your interest? Check out our glowing list of the top things to do and see throughout this year’s festival.
1. Gorillaz
Ground-breaking entourage Gorillaz will be returning to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre stage for the first time in over a decade. Following their Splendour in the Grass headline, the BRIT and Grammy Award-winning group will bring their music to life with a 20-piece ensemble making Adelaide the last stop of their down under tour. For one night only, feel good and get your tickets before they sell out.
2. Ouchhh Studio Wisdom of AI Light
Putting the art in artificial intelligence, this striking exhibition simply cannot be missed. The Istanbul-based visionaries from Ouchhh Studio are using AI data such as the brushstrokes of Leonardo Da Vinci, to create breath-taking ‘data paintings’ of extraordinary scale and vision. The impressive creators are heading to South Australia as Illuminate Adelaide’s latest Luminary Artist in Residence. It’s a digital renaissance exclusively for South Australia.
3. Base Camp
Get your skates on. Victoria Square is transforming into an exclusive ice-skating rink for Adelaide’s latest winter delight. Here to stay for the month of July, Base Camp has got you covered from skating on the rink, to enjoying great food or raising a winter toast with friends. As a place to start or finish your day during the festival, grab your friends and family for the perfect winter’s day out.
4. Light Creatures
A nocturnal adventure for the family, Light Creatures is back and wilder than ever. Go behind the gates at Adelaide Zoo after dark and explore new up-close and mesmerising experiences including the life-size glowing tiger prowling the zoo grounds. This ticketed event is sure to be one for the whole family featuring appearances from the zoo’s own furry and feathery residents.
5. City Lights
Turning Adelaide’s iconic streets into a night-time playground of colour and sound, Illuminate Adelaide’s free, city-wide centrepiece returns. Experience a mesmerising new series of installations and large-scale activations from local and international artists as they re-imagine the city street-fronts and laneways across the north, east and west precincts. City Lights is free for all ages running nightly through the month of July from 6pm to 11pm. Join in on the fun when the sun goes down and watch the city glow.
6. Light Cycles
Light Cycles is back for its’ encore viewing, giving you the chance to discover or revisit this world-leading technical innovation in the city’s backyard. Watch as the Adelaide Botanic Garden is transformed from lush greenery to a kaleidoscope of colours, connecting you to the natural world like never before. With sessions running every 15 minutes, be sure to get your winter sugar hit with some luminous fairy floss and enjoy a warm beverage to start (or finish) your night at the Light Cycles Bar.
7. Unsound
From its ground-breaking festival in Krakow, Poland, Unsound returns to Adelaide bringing with it the most exciting and arresting sounds heard anywhere in the world. For the night owl’s out there, when the clock strikes midnight dance until the morning sun rises, at the Unsound Club. With a special selection of underground DJs and electronic artists from around the globe, it’s sure to be a night to remember.
8. Illuminate at the lab
